I hope you like waterfalls

Trip Start Sep 01, 2005
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Trip End May 11, 2006


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Flag of New Zealand  ,
Monday, January 16, 2006

Milford is tiny. It has one cafe, one hostel, and a wharf, nada mas, and the weather's shite. Why did I come here? Because of Milford Sound which is a beautiful stretch of high cliffed, waterfall abundant coastline. Although it's called a Millford Sound it is in fact a fjord. Sounds are coastal inlets formed by rivers, fjords are formed by glaciers, as Milford was. Milford Sound takes its name from Milford Haven, Wales, the birth place of sealing captain John Grono who came here in 1878. Now, I've been to Milford Haven and I certainly wouldn't go around the globe throwing the name about like there's no tomorrow. Maybe it was nicer back in the day?

Because Milford Sound was created by glacier movement its side are very steep, almost vertical, and the terrible weather creates many spectacular waterfalls that flow into the sound. I took a cruise around the sound and the boat went right under some of the larger falls. I think if the weather was better the scenery would have been much more impressive. As it was the cloud cover obscured the views of the surrounding mountains. One of them, Mitre Peak, reaches to 1695 metres.

Bowen falls is one of the falls that flows into the sound and is just a short walk from the wharf, though due to potential rock falls they closed the walkway to the falls. A local guy that I spoke to while I was walking said it was possible to climb over the fence and reach the falls, he said the effort was well worth it. I made it along to the falls. The water thunders down from about 50 metres above and creates a fine mist at the bottom where it hits the pool. Just near the falls is a curious little gravestone, all overgrown with a little fence around it. The gravestone read "Here lies an eejit that ignoreth the sign, climeth the gate, and had his head caved by rocks that doth falleth upon his bonce. God bless him". Not sure what it means as it's all in old English.

The hostel (the only hostel) I'm staying in runs off a generator which they switch off at 11pm-party! Back to Queenstown asap for some nice weather I think.
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