The day started early for Guru G and I as we were to meet the bus on the street below the motel at 7:15. It was a bit of a rush but we got down there by about 7:10. Then we sat and watched dozens of buses go by – Discover NZ, Kiwi Discovery, NZ Experience, and Real Journeys with their raked seats and glass roof. Our bus finally arrived at 7:45, a much smaller, much older bus with the words Milford Sound BBQ Bus across the side.
We were the last pick up so as soon as we sat down together in the second back row (the only pair of seats left together) our driver, Skip, introduced himself in a thuck New Zealand accent and began his commentary. Skip (hereafter referred to as Skup) was actually another Aussie but had lived in New Zealand for about ten years.
We wound our way round a narrow road that hugged the shore of Lake Wakatipu, the lake that Queenstown is built around and also the south islands largest lake. G concentrated hard on the passing scenery and the Maori legend Skup was telling about why the lake has tides – rather than focusing on her queasy tummy due to the winds in the road.
By the time we got to Te Anau, the gateway to the Fiordlands, it was raining like we should start gathering two of every animal! Skup told us that in Fiordlands it rains two out of three days, but the scenery always looks best when it has been freshly washed. We pulled up next to about twenty other tour buses – all bound for the same destination – and went into a small, overcrowded café for morning tea. I was only interested in a caffeine boost but after her bout of travel sickness G was quite hungry and we had not had time for breakfast before we left Queenstown. I got a white coffee and G got a pottle of chips, an NZ hotdog and a bottle of juice.
After eating, the trek continued around Lake Te Anau, the second biggest lake on the south island. The next stop was a very quick photo stop on a big yellow plain in front of snow capped mountains, and due to the rain it was a very quick stop indeed. By the time we reached The Divide, our lunch destination, the rain had eased. There was a shelter and toilets, a large car park and nothing else there really. Skup set up the BBQ and started cooking our lunch while some members in our party went for a walk. We hung around the shelter, took photos, and chatted to Skup about the option of taken a helicopter flight from Milford Sound to a near by Glacier and meeting up with the bus later – he said he would talk to the pilot while we were on the boat. The lunch was delicious, sausage in bread, meat on a stick, veggie burgers for the vegetarians, coleslaw, pasta salad and juice. Once we had all had our fill there was still some food left, so Skup offered a free feed to a German backpacker that was resting at the shelter with us.
After more driving through magnificent scenery we stopped at the Christie Falls for another photo opportunity. Ice cold water crashed down the rocky mountain at a tremendous rate, passed under a single lane bridge and joined the river on the other side making what would have to be the world’s shortest creek, Falls Creek. The water was the same eerie teal blue colour that we had seen all over the south island. Skup said the colour is due to a combination of the purity of the water and the minerals in it.
It was then on to the Homer Tunnel, 1.2km through solid granite. Prior to its completion in 1953 there was no road access to Milford Sound. As we travelled, Skup told us of his first journey through the tunnel. A friend who was driving him through in the middle of the night, suddenly stopped the car and told him to get out. There were no lights in the tunnel at the time so although somewhat apprehensive, Skup stepped out. His friend took off, stopping with his hand brakes only a few hundred metres down and turning all lights off, leaving Skup in a freezing cold, pitch black tunnel with nothing but the glow of his watch to light the way and 70km/h winds ripping through the tunnel. After 10 seconds he began to shiver. After 20 seconds he became disoriented, not knowing which way to walk. By the time the car backed up to him again, Skup was ready to rip his friends head off. This gave Skup an appreciation for the men who toiled to build the tunnel, and he now does the same to any friends who come to New Zealand for the first time.
Our last stop before Milford was The Chasm, formed by the Cleddau River. Very picturesque, and much photo taking did happen. When we arrived there was about half a dozen tourist buses and a couple of campervans there already. We followed a group of tourists, and were followed by another group, around the track through the rain forest to the impressive chasm.
A short bus drive further and we reached Milford Sound by about 2pm. Skup went off to organise the tickets for the boat ride, while G started to get nervous about getting motion sick on the boat. We boarded the boat and sat down on the top inside deck. G then suggested we go outside where we could actually sit on the roof of the boat. It was definitely the best vantage point and most of the people from our bus were here including a crazy Taiwanese girl who was having her photo taken with just about everyone on the boat. The captain gave a commentary of the area and how the sound was created, and the fact that though Captain Cook named it a sound it is actually a fiord. Many photos were taken and even more video footage to bore the family.
The only part of the boat ride that was queasy making, much to G’s delight, was when we got to the Tasman Sea and had to turn around. On the trip back to the boat terminal we passed a group of fur seals sunning themselves on a rock and the boat slowed down so it could pass close by. The captain also took us under one of the waterfalls and the more adventurous people stayed outside, but we took cover inside the boat fearing for the life of our cameras.
After disembarking we met up with Skup and headed back to the bus. He told us that he had spoken the helicopter people about a flight for us but they needed a booking of four before they could take off and there had been no other takers. Bugger it! So we boarded the bus and started the long trip back to Queenstown. The only commentary that Skup gave on the trip back was to explain that he would not give commentary as most people tend to fall asleep on the way back whether they want to or not. Not long after we exited the Homer Tunnel, he put on some music and within seconds, three quarters of the passengers had their eyes closed. G woke up about half an hour later when we hit the start of the road around Lake Te Anau, and the queasiness set in not long after that. When we got to Te Anau, G moved to the front of the bus, swapping seats with Crazy Taiwanese Girl. She was very chatty, making the ride back to the hotel quite entertaining.
When we got back to Queenstown Skup asked people if they wanted to be dropped off at the same places they were picked up from. Most people wanted to be dropped off in the town centre so he confirmed with us that we would be first off. As we turned the corner we saw Droidy, Decay, Grumbler, and Trauma on the hill waving at the bus, and as we drove past we realised that Skup had forgotten to drop us off! He said he would drop everyone else off first and then drop us on the way back. W00t! – free city tour!!! One by one the other members of our party got off the bus and we turned around to go back to our hotel, and rejoin our fellow RSO:T’ers.