30.11.18 Milfordsound

With the overnight stay so close, about 50 km before Milford Sound, we wanted to beat the tourist crowds and be ahead of the big buses, which we succeed in doing. Get up early, have breakfast and leave. Even this morning there is still a lot of fog, but the blue sky can be guessed. We approach Milford Sound via a small pass. Once again, the landscape with snow-capped mountains is a hit. Down at the Sound, the view of Mitre Peak is known, and actually, we are very lucky with the weather on this trip, as the clouds disappear. We take three short walks around the bay, enjoy the hustle and bustle of those who go on a ship and the scenery. But then we set off again. On the way back, we chose a three-hour hike to a mountain. We hike more than 500 meters in altitude, above the treeline. This is located here at about 850 m above sea level.

On the further return journey, we stop at a beautiful spot for our picnic before we have to fulfill the obligations of campers and empty our wastewater back in Te Anau.

With an empty wastewater tank, we cover another long driving distance, heading towards the south coast. Our companions: sheep on the roadside and blooming landscapes. After a good three-hour drive, we camped wild for the first time today. It is listed as an official campsite, but it's free. Right on a meadow by the sea.