Back from Milford Sound to Aoraki/Mt. Cook

With our method of determining the destinations based on the weather forecast, we did really well once again. We had the most beautiful days of our entire trip at and around Milford Sound. We took a whole day for the approximately two-hour drive to the Sound and took lots of photos along the way in the bright sunshine, took short walks, and got our legs bitten by sandflies (nasty little creatures). According to a Maori legend, the goddess of death released the sandflies in Fiordland because she did not want humans to be given a paradise like Fiordland as a gift.

In the evening of the arrival day, we took a boat trip along Milford Sound to the sea. It was simply fantastic. Steep mountains rose into the deep blue sky, there were beautiful waterfalls where rainbows formed, and we saw many animals such as seals, dolphins, or albatrosses.

The next day, we went on a great hike in perfect weather on the way back inland.

Our journey led us further south to Invercargill, the southernmost city in New Zealand, and from there along the coast to Dunedin (also known as the Edinburgh of the South). We took a (rather boring) four-hour trip into the remote hinterland on a historic railway.

We changed our plan to drive north and went back to Mt. Cook in the New Zealand Alps. We passed the deep turquoise lakes Tekapo and Pukaki again and were just as thrilled as the first time. At Mt. Cook or Aoraki, as the Maori call their sacred mountain, we went on a short hike to a great viewpoint. Tomorrow, we will embark on a longer but fairly easy tour to Hooker Valley.

We are doing well - the aches and pains are still there, but getting better.