Bus Tour to Milford Sound

Moon over the 'avalanche' pass, south island, New Zealand

Today started long before the sun rose. We walked a block to where we loaded onto a bus for a guided tour headed for Milford Sound. The bus was huge, comfy, with mega windows, to show off the view.

Lowland sheep for miles and miles

When the sun was up, we were agog with scenery. It started quite plain - fields and farms, with snow capped mountains looking all showy in the distance. We were told all about New Zealand sheep farming. The country is famous for having more sheep than people. The source of Manuka Honey was pointed out where the brownish trees/shrubs grew. We learned that the lowlands specialty is sheep grown for meat, and secondarily their coarse wool. The highlands specializes in Merino sheep which are famous for the best wool of all sheep breeds (arguable for some, but I'm with it).

Wild Red Deer on a hillside

We passed some wild Red Deer - not native to New Zealand, hunted for it's meat and to keep its numbers under control as there are no deer predators. But we saw far more deer - at least a thousand - Red Deer, and North American Wapiti (elk) grown for meat on the farms.

Farm of Wapiti 

European Deer Farm

Massive Takehe

There were a couple of rest stops along the way, and the first was the small town of Te Anau. I shrieked in surprise when I spotted a huge cement Takehe bird that the bus shot past so quickly I got no photo. Had to search on line for the photo on the left.  Takehe are a shore bird that was almost exterpated, but now it can be seen, wild and free in Te Anau. Alas, I saw none.

The Te Anau rest area had loads of interesting things to buy, including expensive hand knit merino sweaters (one of which boasted a photo of President Obama wearing one - his favorite sweater.


Oh, and there was a cafeteria full of yummy New Zealand foods. The Kiwis seem quite fond of little meat pasties and pies.


As God is my witness, I have no clue why I didn't just dive into one of the Venison Mushroom pies because they look scrumptious.

Our next stop was at Fjordland National Park. The mountains there were covered with snow and everyone got out for some photo opt time.

Fjordland National Park, New Zealand

I knew New Zealand had grand mountains before getting here, in fact, in my mind I imagined if I ever visited New Zealand I'd be driving high up on mountain roads being attacked by wild & crazy Kea parrots. Nope! We were in valleys but the mountains did not disappoint.

Shortly after our valley stop, the bus drove us along a dark forest that reminded me of rain forests. It was called Mirror Lake and all got off the bus to trapse down a wooden boardwalk to the edge of a marsh. 

The boardwalk ended at a marsh

New Zealand Teal

The instructions given by our bus driver guide were unclear, but I didn't care. I shot along the boardwalk thinking: DUCKS!

I shot a zillion photos and then in some sort of miracle, a male/female pair of Paradise Shelducks, put on an aerial show.

The male is white-headed

Lifers, dead ahead!

Don't know if these shots are impressive to others but they thrilled me. On finally lowering my camera, I thought, "Where did everyone go?"

I walked back up to the bus, but the bus was gone. Um... was I abandoned (Shades of Disneyland desertion circa 1969/70). I decided to walk to the far end of the boardwalk.

Mirror Lake Boardwalk

Thank heavens, when I got to the end of the boardwalk, the bus driver's assistant approached me. "Did you get nice photos," she politely asked. I nodded and looked toward the bus, that was up at this new spot on the road.

"I'm the last one back, aren't I?" I asked sounding as stupid as I felt. She was too polite to answer me, but I was the very last person back on the bus and all were waiting for her majesty, 'moi' to get her bum back in her seat. Oh. Well.

No, am not insane, they
are New Zealand Tomtits

A mile or so down the road there was a rest room stop. On birdie watch, I photographed (poorly) two birds on the building roof. Tom Tits! Lifer Score!







So suddenly I am up, on my world bird life list, by Paradise Shelducks, New Zealand Scaup, possibly Gray Teals [Update: nope on the teals] and New Zealand Tomtits. Ooooh, so far so good! Too bad giant cement birds do not count on life lists.

Forest Ferns

Mountain view out of top of bus

Then the day got slogged down. The bus stopped. In front of it was a long, long line of stopped vehicles. All were blocked by the avalanche that had much earlier in the day almost canceled the day's tours. There was nothing to do but stare out of the bus windows....

Kea Parrot

And THAT my friends is how I blew my chance at another lifer bird. You see, some passengers got off the bus, but I did not, as first of all, I am idle, and second of all, I didn't know how long we had before the bus took off and I didn't to a repeat of me being the last one back on the bus. And what did I miss? Seeing this... the parrot I've dreamt of seeing in the flesh & feather. Just before the bus finally took off (after an hour of waiting) the people in the seat across from us showed us a photo they had just taken that looked pretty much like this one above. They took the pix of one of several Keas, eating treats tossed by cars awaiting road clearance. Wild Keas are notoriously tame.

Well just SHOOT me why don't 'cha!? Have long, longed to see a Kea - famous for nibbling the rubber off of car windshield wipers, for eating the kidneys out of live sheep (eewwww!) and for other general smart birdie antics. I have got to see a live wild kea before we leave New Zealand! [Update: Rats. Maybe next time]

Not seeing Keas is a bummer of biblical proportions - for me anyway.  I had to make do with the nifty scenery we saw when we by-passed the avalanche as we continued our way south.

Finally we reached the day's end game - Milford Sound. From there we boarded a blue ship with 3 tall masts. 

Milford Sound Harbor

Everyone was starving so the first order of the afternoon was lunch on board. Then it was up to the top deck to watch for dolphins, whales, seals and hopefully, penguins. The boat soon sailed, headed towards deeper water I believed. Tall waterfalls dotted the tall, heavily treed cliffs that flanked us on 2 sides. Many waterfalls roared, mist blooming up and outward as we sailed by.

I believe the main reason I photograph scenery is to kill time while waiting for wildlife to show up. And they did show up, like the basking Southern Fur Seals.

Fat and fit Southern Fur Seals

Check out the striations on the left side of the rock they're napping on

Alas. No Yellow-eyed or Little Penguin swimming about (DAMNITALLTOHELL!), but there were lovely & playful were Bottle-nosed Dolphins.


When we pulled back into the pier, I knew the day was nearly over, reversing the journey we had earlier in the day, passing again through Te Anau and choice spots, then back to our penthouse.  Did I mention we were staying in a penthouse? Only a dozen times? Right.