Leaving Cromwell, we took the opportunity to stop at Cloudy Bay winery and do some tasting and a lunch. It was fabulous….like being invited to a very rich friend’s house with an army of gardeners and an awesome cellar.
Honestly, the wine was not all that special but the experience was great. We had everything packed in the car and took off for Te Anau, on the west coast and the jumping off point for tours to Milford Sound.
From Cromwell, Jay drove us expertly to Te Anau. It was nice to be able to just look out the window and be chauffeured. The next day, we woke early and got on the road as the sun was rising to meet a tour boat of Milford Sound, one of those must-see things in NZ.
Milford Sound is amazing, and our timing was good for both traffic and weather. Buses transport passengers from both Queenstown and Te Anau (8 hours r/t and 4 hours r/t respectively) and so the roads and boats are most clear in the morning hours. We passed a dozen or so bike riders on the way, on the last few miles of the Sound to Sound route traveling from Marlborough Sound to Milford Sound. The scenery got more and more dramatic as the morning progressed, finally culminating with our arrival to Milford Sound itself. And the boat ride was fabulous…highly recommended.
The entire way out on the boat we had cloudy but dry weather, and then it started to rain as we turned back towards the dock. With the rain, more waterfalls started to appear, cascading down the steep hills. Dolphins accompanied us on the final leg which was fun. And the drive back showed us dozens more waterfalls…magical.
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