We were told that if you go to New Zealand, Milford Sound is a must do, and it was!

We set out by coach for a four-hour ride through the Alps stopping by Lake Te Anau and headed into Fiordland National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  We made stops along the way for photos prior to our arrival in Milford Sound.

Milford Sound is actually a fjord, but we were told that the term fjord was not known when it was named. The Sound/fjord has many, many waterfalls and since it rained the night before our arrival, they were really gushing on the way out.  We made our way out of the Sound on the Milford Mariner, and went briefly into the Tasman Sea. On the way out it was very windy, but it calmed considerably on the way back. We saw fur seals sunning themselves on the rocks.

It was a long day, 13 hours in all but well worth it.  After we returned to our hotel, Mary caught an amazing sunset from our lakeside room!