Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound

From the Lord of the Rings Safari, we follow the Remarkables Mountain Range, so named because it is one of very few ranges that goes straight north to south.  Or maybe  for the view.  Or both.  Either way, we’re en route to Fiordland National Park

The drive offers us vistas that overwhelm with the immensity and grandeur of mountains.  This beautiful alpine region and park, known in Maori as Te Wahipounamu, is a Unesco World site because of the work of glaciers, waters, and weather over billions of years.  The resulting cliffs, lakes, waterfalls, and opportunity for lush vegetation are exquisite.

First stop is Mirror Lakes-- the name says it all.  Unfortunately,  the inclement weather that recently cancelled our helicopter flight is still with us, rippling the water with precipitation and breezes, making images a little less mirror-like,  dampening our walk through the woods.  We can imagine what it would be like on a clear day... 

We return to the road, heading for the Homer Tunnel, a 1.2 km (3/4 miles) ‘shortcut’ through the mountain.  A 20-year project that began in 1935, its purpose was to provide access while minimally disrupting the beauty of the mountains.  Homer Tunnel begins about 420 feet (130 meters) above sea level and exits at 3750 feet  up (1141 meters).    Over the decades, the tunnel’s been widened to accommodate increasing traffic, but not really enough to allow two tourist coaches to pass each other.  Hmmm.

The mountainous road to Homer Tunnel

Homer Tunnel entrance through a rain-flecked windshield.  The warning signs may not be clear, but you get the idea when you see more than 6 signs at the tunnel entrance.

A brief digression: I base my blog on my travel journals.  Some of the trips go back a bit, so I always try to verify information.  The route  we take from Queenstown to Milford Sound is circuitous and long and takes us through some of the stunning vistas I described above.  The tunnel poses some hazards (like the one-large-vehicle-at-a-time situation, which can be quite a hazard if there's an emergency in the tunnel).  Over the years, plans to shorten the route and eliminate the Homer Tunnel dangers have come and gone--there was the new tunnel plan, talk of a monorail, and more.  So far, none of those plans have proceeded and Unesco is happy with that.  Having seen the views of the existing route, I have to say I’m happy with that, too. (I know, no one asked me.)

We arrive at Milford Sound (Piopiotahi in Maori) to see Mitre Peak rising up 3600 feet from the immense and dominating waters of the Sound.  Rain forests cling to the cliffs, seals and penguins populate the rocks.   

We board a ferry into the fiord.  To give you some perspective...that little toy boat out there in the water is the same size as the ferry I’m on.

Milford Sound

The writer stands still for a photo. 

 Waterfall in Milford Sound

Again, the magnitude and power of nature make me feel small and humbled in the face of stark and forbidding beauty.  The grey weather, occasionally broken by a hint of blue sky, adds to the foreboding look of the cliffs and open waters ahead.

I have to credit Gary with most of the photos in this post.  Thanks to the photographer, below

Diving in Milford Sound
I learn after my trip that it’s possible to participate in scuba diving expeditions in Milford Sound. The underwater environment has coral, starfish, anemones, tube worms, and some unique features: the Brachiopod--a shellfish unchanged for about 600 million years, and the scarlet wrasse which can change sex when propagation is limited by too many of one gender (now that’s an interesting trait).  Neither time nor weather allow us to try it, but if you’re going to New Zealand,  you might want to add the dive to your list. 

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Next:  Penguins!!!!!

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Shotover JetBoat and Lord of the Rings

We overnight in Queenstown and begin our next day with another jetboat ride, this time on the Shotover River.  

If you saw the video of our last jet boat ride (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YD4fEj_rmI)

you know we sounded like kids on a roller coaster.  Turns out that was nuthin’ .

Today we have no side or overhead protection.  Before boarding, we dress in neoprene.  We are advised to leave anything that shouldn’t get wet behind. We take some videos before boarding and we're off. 

I am already bundled up in waterproof gear and I put up my jacket hood… Kate and Gary tell me I look like a penguin.  There will be no Dawny-Penguin photos.  :)

This jetboat has warmed handbars for us to hold when things get precarious. The pilot, red faced with windburn and well dressed for the ride, warns us that he will raise his hand and rotate it to indicate when he plans to turn.  When he does that, we are to hold on to our warmed handrails.  Tightly.  With both hands.  

It’s cold and cloudy before we start.  When he takes off, it’s cold, cloudy and wet…. and within seconds he rotates his hand and we do not care about cold, clouds or wet... 

Gary and I have some video that I combined to present a humble view of the Shotover Jet boat ride:

Shotover Jet Boat Ride video- Dawny G and Gary S

(If you have trouble seeing this video, check  : https://youtu.be/YiYMcTFOrWQ )

Hugging the river edge, barely clearing the cliffs alongside, spinning and swirling, our jetboat goes through mere inches of water as the rock edge encroaches on our airspace. We scream with glee when we spin, screeching and laughing all at once.  When we finally return to the dock, some of us are soaked, all of us are happy.  I have to buy a t-shirt with the Shotover Jet boat logo and  “Fear Sucks” on the back.  (Please note since I bought it, I’ve felt a little uncomfortable wearing a shirt that says ‘sucks’, but every time I look at it I smile.  I have the guts to go out on the river, but not to wear that shirt.  Go figure?)

To *really* get an idea of what the ride is like, I urge you to check the video at http://www.shotoverjet.com/shotover-river/

After lunch we go on a Lord of the Rings Scene Safari.  The movie was filmed in several parts of NZ, including the North Island. This tour will just give an overview of some of the South Island settings.

I read the Lord of the Rings series long before the movies, and I enjoyed both books and films.  The story of good versus evil never gets old,  not in the Lord of the Rings, not in Harry Potter, not in superhero flicks.

     The Land of the Lord of the Rings

I remember the movie scenery was beautiful and inspiring, and this excursion lives up to expectations. 

What I’ve forgotten is the way 4-wheel drives cling to narrow roads on precipices meant for mountain goats.  It’s kinda like the Shotover Jet Boat on a mountain. 

The Joys of a Four Wheel Drive in the Mountains....

and in the Water

We go up mountains on precarious, narrow roads that have me holding my breath or 

closing my eyes.  Because the movie sets are gone from this area,  it’s difficult to envision some of the scenes filmed here.  The panoramic vistas from these heights are breathtaking.

    

  Birdrock

Lady of the Rings  (I know I don’t look like Frodo but we’re about the same height, I think).

   Dark mountain

Much of the movie was filmed on the North Island and now there are tours there that highlight the  various elements of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings stories.  These include reconstruction of some of the unique sets, like the Hobbits’ village (Hobbiton).  For an idea of what a more thorough Lord of the Rings tour would be like, check any of these sites below (and there are others).  The reproduction of Hobbiton looks charming---almost makes me want to go back.

http://www.hobbitontours.com/ 

http://www.redcarpet-tours.com/ for a tour of Middle Earth

http://www.newzealand.com.au/start-your-holiday/attractions-activities/lord-of-the-rings-hobbit-day-tours/http://www.newzealand.com.au/start-your-holiday/attractions-activities/lord-of-the-rings-hobbit-day-tours/

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Haast River Jetboat Ride

Our day is to include a jetboat ride and a helicopter flight over the glaciers.  After we leave Franz Josef, we makes a photo-op stop along Lake Hawea.  The beautiful waters and mountains are somewhat obscured, as you can see from the photo below, by inclement weather heading our way.   

Lake Hawea

The brewing storm cancels our helicopter plans, but doesn’t stop us from enjoying the jetboat ride at our next stop -- the Haast river.  We put on our life vests, board an enclosed boat, and take off.  

Sir William Hamilton, a ‘Kiwi”, (it’s a bird, it’s a fruit, it’s a New Zealander*) invented the jetboat in the 1950’s to help navigate the shallow waters of New Zealand rivers. Unlike boats that use rear propellers in the water,  a jetboat draws the water from under the boat into a pump-jet, then expels it through a nozzle at the stern. The jet of water shoots out above the water line with a force that drives the boat forward.  All this eliminates the problem of propellers striking rocks.  

Haast River Jet Boat  (note the sand bar just a short distance 

away...gives you an idea of how shallow the water is)

At full speed—as high as 65 miles an hour—a  jetboat can operate in three inches of water yet remain maneuverable. Yes, that says three inches--this boat can travel in less than eight centimeters of water.

Jetboat along the Haast River.

Even at 65 miles (104 km) per hour , the boat can be reversed and stopped within a matter of feet in a maneuver known as a ‘Hamilton turn’.  Simply put, the boat does a fast and wet 360.  The many benefits of this vehicle turned out to be useful in war time, and the UK knighted Hamilton for his invention.  Then the tourist industry figured out that travelers would love the experience of being taken down a river in shallow rocky water, close to cliff sides, and spin in a circle while threatened with a good, icy splash.  And here we are.

Aside from the excitement of the boat we get a beautiful view the river valley formed by glaciers, lush riverside vegetation, and wooded hills and waterfalls (and increasing clouds). 

As we approach the end of our ride, the pilot lets us know he's going to do a 360 degree turn.  We’re protected from water, enjoy the thrill, and cheer (see video below).  In fact we like it so much we ask for more... the video is just enough to give you the idea.

Video of a 360 degree turn on the Haast River Jet Boat trip  (video courtesy of Gary Sellars)

If you can't see the video on this page, please visit  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YD4fEj_rmI

for my youtube version of it. 

Then the joy-ride is over.   We  return to the coach to continue to Queenstown.

* for those who don’t remember Superman, the shows usually began with people looking up to see something in the sky and they’d say, “It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superman!”  I felt I should explain for anyone younger than I, which would be--everyone?

For more information. including a video of the Haast River Safari, visit http://www.haastriver.co.nz/