Today was the day for our rescheduled Milford Sound trip. We woke up super early again and nervously called the information line to check if the flight could happen today and were advised it was all good to go ahead and the transfer would be at our hotel to pick us up in 10 minutes. We were pumped!
We headed downstairs and the car pulled us to take us back out to the airport. Upon arrival at the airport we checked in, were weighed and sorted into a couple of groups. The pilots came and got us and loaded us into the tiny planes. I did a fair bit of research and made sure I booked with a company that guaranteed everyone a window seat, as not all of them do this. There were twelve seats on our tiny plane and it was full.
There was some nervous laughter as the plane shot down the runway and took off but people quickly forgot their nerves as we got above the mountains and were treated to incredible views of glaciers and snow on the mountain tops. The pilots provided excellent commentary to explain what we were looking at.
Before you knew it we were descending into Milford Sound. As we broke through the clouds and got down into the sound there was a collective gasp. It was incredibly beautiful, like something you see in a movie! After landing and transferring to the boats we took off into the sound to explore. Being the early morning tour we were one of the first boats out for the day and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.
The captain of the boat got us right up close to waterfalls and wildlife throughout the two-hour cruise. Seeing the seals high up on the rocks was definitely a highlight for me.
After the cruise was over, we headed back to our planes for the flight back to Queenstown which was equally as spectacular as the flight there.
I think it’s important to note that whilst incredible and highly recommended this is not a cheap way to see Milford Sound and if you prefer to save your $$ (or you don’t have it to spend in the first place) then you should still come and see Milford Sound. There are plenty of day coach tours from Queenstown that you can get on. Be aware it is a big day if you drive though, as Milford Sound is about 5 hours from Queenstown.
After a bit of an afternoon nap (these became a pretty regular thing on this trip - too much adrenaline) we got ready to head up the mountain on the Skyline Gondola to participate in all the mountain has to offer. After a very pretty gondola ride to the top, our first stop was at the luge. We had pre-purchased 5 rides each and before you knew it we were all flying down the mountain in one of these strange little carts. While we had great fun, 3 rides were more than enough for us and we gave our final 2 ride tickets each away to some very appreciative backpackers.
The Skyline complex is quite big and one of the activities on offer is a Haka Show. We loved this and it was made more entertaining by my husband being selected to learn the haka up on stage. We were a bit worried it might be gimmicky but it turned out to be a great way to experience some of the Maori culture.
After the show, we were pretty hungry so we were glad it was time for dinner in the Stratosphere restaurant. We paid extra for a guaranteed window seat and we were glad we did, you get a stunning view of the lights of Queenstown from the restaurant. The food was tasty and plentiful and I was in a great mood from the excellent day we had, so I didn’t even mind when our (very apologetic) waiter spilled a red cocktail all over me.
You might have thought that after dinner and the huge day we had that we would be off to bed, but I had one more surprise up my sleeve. I had signed us up for the stargazing tour. It was a clear night and the guide pointed out all sorts of great stuff. The group was a bit big for anyone to get heaps of time with the telescopes but everyone seemed to have a good time. It was pretty cold, but the friendly folk running the show gave everyone a Canada Goose jacket to wear which kept us toasty warm.
After taking one of the very last gondolas of the night back down the mountain we took our tired selves to bed.
Links to what we did -
Skyline - https://www.skyline.co.nz/en/queenstown/
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