Southern wonders
Te Anau, Milford Sound, magnificent alpine wonders like Mitre Peak and cheeky kea call to Mike Yardley
The day had dawned calm over the languid waters of Te Anau, backdropped by serrated peaks like brooding Mt Luxmore, towering on the horizon like a sentry guard. I was up early to make tracks on one of
New Zealand’s most ravishing drives, the Milford Road Highway (SH94).
Spanning a distance of 120km from Te Anau, it’s stirring medley of diverse natural beauty means an early bird is rewarded handsomely with its heady serving of side dishes.
Dashing past Te Anau Downs with Destination’s Fiordland’s Gemma Heaney as my sidekick, the riotous colours of
Russell lupins were beginning to pop their heads up, as we swept into the vast Swisslike alpine meadow expanse of the Eglinton Valley.
Once filled with glacier ice, this steep-sided valley floor was ablaze in a thick carpet of golden tussock. We then stopped at Mirror Lakes, for a short and sweet 10-minute stroll. These pint-sized lakes live up to their name, lustily delivering serene reflections of the Earl Mountains on their glossy inky-blue surface. Backed by beech forest, with water fowl pottering about for breakfast, it’s a tranquil appetiser to the treasures ahead. Lake Gunn is definitely worth a breather, for its easy 45-minute loop Nature Walk, leading you through red beech forest, abuzz with birdlife. If your love your lupins, the southern end of the lake will take you to lupin-overload at Cascade Creek. Gemma and I pulled into the Marian Falls carpark, where we crossed the swingbridge which leads you up to the gantry overlooking the spectacularly tiered cascades, gushing over granite boulders and fallen trees.
It’s a riveting spectacle of elemental power. One final side dish beckoned before we reached the Homer Tunnel — following the signposts to Gertrude Saddle Track.
What Gemma impressed upon me is that even though tracks like this are actually half-day treks, they quite often start off on easy-going terrain and provide great tasters.
We marvelled over the Mt Cook lily, which is actually the world’s largest buttercup, that were in full bloom under the bright sun, while the imperiousness of the glacier-clad mountains lorded over us. Back in the carpark, a flock of extra-cheeky vandals were running riot, nibbling on all of the rubbery seals and car aerials. A fiesta of orange and green feathers and a heady dose of mischief. Traversing the Homer Tunnel is an unmistakable frisson of the road trip, piercing through the Darran Mountains. I love how water gushes down its bare granite walls, adding to the sensory intensity. Thankfully, it’s just been resealed, so it’s a lot smoother ride. Alighting from the tunnel serves up a supreme appreciation of the hulking mountains guarding Milford Sound, including Fiordland’s tallest, mighty Mt Tutoko. At Milford Sound, we boarded our wonderful 100-minute cruise with Cruise Milford. What sets them apart is the fact they don’t pack you into their vessel like sardines.
Despite holding a capacity for 150 guests, they’ll cap it at 75, so you won’t be jostling for precious photo moments. This boutique vessel boasts comfy couches and seating, large picture windows and wrap-around decks. Milford Sound had laid on a radiantly bluebird day, with cloud-free Mitre Peak commanding my attention, strutting skyward with self-importance.
It’s the second highest peak in the world to rise from the sea, trumped only by Hawaii’s Big Island volcano, Mauna Kea. Nature’s spooling reel of magnificently streaming waterfalls, wildlife sightings, unspoilt waters and soaring rainforest is quite simply a bravura performance. The southern rata was flaunting its Christmas dressing, with crimson flowers radiant in the sun.
I gazed at Sinbad Valley which was where our just-crowned Bird of the Year, the ka¯ka¯po¯, was the last place on the mainland it was found in the 1970s, after decades of being deemed extinct.
It’s the Stirling Falls which sightseeing boats traditionally point their nose into and she was cranking like a jet, hurtling 146m from a rocky cleft into the glassy fiord. Once back on land the short walk up to the lookout point will deliver you one last majestic photo opportunity. The grandeur of Milford’s landscape has to be experienced to be believed. www.fiordland.org.nz