Date 29/01/15 Time 18.35 Position Deep Water Basin, Milford Sound
We have had an amazing time in Milford Sound(Fjord)with lots of adventures. On Australia Day we awoke in the beautiful setting of Harrison Cove with Mt Pembroke which is 2000m high rising above the cove. The morning sun was lighting up the glacier at the top of the peak. We decided to put our kayaks in and paddle around the cove. We like to paddle close to the shore so we can have a good look at the shoreline and all its life. We were rewarded when, there standing on a rock was a Fiordland Crested Penguin. They are about 55cm long with two yellow crests running down either side of their head. We watched each other for a few minutes until the penguin decided to turn around and waddle back to its burrow further back in the bush. We continued paddling around the cove and noticed several blue tags attached to trees. We later discovered that these mark the location of traps that have been left to catch rats and perhaps stoats. If you look into the boxes you can clearly see an egg sitting in the middle tempting these pests. Just inside Harrison Cove is a floating Discovery Centre which the local kayak guide Karl that we had met earlier paddling with a group of tourists invited us to come and visit later in the day. We were waiting in our kayaks along the rocky shore near the the Discovery Centre for a cruise boat to depart so that we could go in and have a look and there swimming only metres in front of us was another Fiordland Penguin! Talk about feeling lucky. Wayne is very good at bird calls and started imitating the call of a Fiordland Penguin and next thing you know Wayne and the penguin are having a conversation with the penguin swimming ever closer to us! We watched Wayne's new mate swim around and then make several unsuccessful attempts to climb up rocks that were too steep until at last it found the right rock and climbed out of the water by using its claws and beak to climb and its wings to balance. It was fascinating to watch. The visit to the Discovery Centre was extremely worthwhile and we would recommend anyone who comes here to visit it.
Early the following morning in the misty, gentle rain we sailed to the end of Milford Sound to an anchorage called Deep Water Basin which is where the crayfish boats operate out of. Some friendly local fisherman helped us tie up along side the fuel wharf and here we topped up the fuel and water tanks. We were slightly taken aback at the cost of diesel at NZ$2 a litre. That's what happens when you are in a remote location. After anchoring in the corner of the bay we dingyed ashore for the 20min walk into Milford. We were searching for some internet connection to send some emails. As being in a fjord we are surrounded by sheer walls and high mountains which makes our HF email link to the HF shore station in Central West NSW, almost impossible to reach. Since entering the fjord we also haven't been able to listen to the weather forecast on the HF radio. So a chat to the local fisherman might be in order. We finally found a dodgy internet service at the tourist terminal for $5 for 15MB and we were able to send an email letting friends and family know we had arrived here safely. We spent the rest of the day doing all the short walks around Milford except for the walk to Bowen Falls since the track had been closed due to a rock fall. When we returned to the boat we noticed a seal frolicking not far away and when it surfaced the afternoon sun caught its breath and whiskers in the sunlight.
On Wednesday the sun broke out and we kayaked to Sandfly Point which is at the end of the Milford Track (a four day NZ Great Walk). The reflections were nice in the calm stillness of the morning. After beaching the kayaks we walked along the Milford Track to Giant Gates Falls and back. The falls were stunning and there were great views along the track of the mountains and Lake Ada. Walking through the rainforest environment gave us a good taste of the wilderness that this track offers. Since we couldn't walk to Bowen Falls the day before we decided that we would kayak around the foreshore to them and walk up to the falls from the shore. This little trip gave us an opportunity to practice our bracing skill as we had a headwind and a bit of wave action. Bowen Falls are 162m high and they were powerful and breathtaking. All the grass and plants under the falls are flattened by the force of the wind coming down. We imagine that Milford Sound would constantly look different depending on the weather and seasons.
Today (Thursday) we decided to do a good long day walk so we walked up the highway for a few kilometres to a historic suspension bridge over the Tutoko River. From here we headed north along a track up into the Tutoko Valley for about three hours. We initially walked through lush, damp rainforest which looked very similiar to the forest found on the west coast of Tassie. There were huge beech trees and lots of clear streams. We saw a flock of little birds busy eating insects off a mossy tree. The track opened up into a wide U-shaped valley surrounded by enormous mountains, two of which were over 2000m high. We still can't believe how huge these mountains are. As we walked through the open valley we could hear the occasional rumble from the Age Glacier that descends from Mt Tutoko (2723m). After lunch we turned around and returned to the boat via the the same route. We are now sharing our anchorage with three other NZ yachts.
If the weather conditions are good tomorrow we will head for Bligh Sound.
All is well on board with a pumpkin curry in the making. Wayne and Kathy
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