Milford Sound, in the Fjordland part of southern New Zealand, is said to be one of the most beautiful places in the world and my trip today didn’t disappoint. Milford Sound is actually a fjord (an area where the land has been carved down to the sea by glacial activity). In this case an inlet has been carved through the mountains resulting in the Tasman Sea flowing about thirty miles inland. The stunning scenery is a reminder of just how powerful geologic forces can be. The area sits on several seismic plates and the geologic forces here are some of the strongest still in play. I learned that if it weren’t for continual glacial action and erosion the Southern Alps would be several times higher than Everest by now! The Southern Alps are actually much, much smaller than Everest, but Milford Sound does have the highest mountain to rise directly out of the sea.

Milford Sound also has some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world (of course this is because it is also one of the rainiest places on the planet). Some people say the waterfalls are supposed to be more spectacular when it’s raining, but luck seemed to be with us today and we were able to get a decent view of the waterfalls without getting soaked. I didn’t even get eaten alive by the notorious sand flies, which I was quite happy about since I’m usually the person that every mosquito within ten square miles gravitates to.

The insane amount of rain that falls in Milford Sound also means a unique underwater life. The freshwater ends up running into the sea and creating a layer above the saltwater. This water has run off the rocks and glaciers and is rich in minerals which makes the water very dark. This means that at a depth of about 25 feet you end up seeing things you would normally expect to see at depths ofyou expect to see about 150 or 200.

Originally I didn’t think I was going to have time to get to Milford Sound, but I decided to spend a few extra days around Queenstown and go down to Milford Sound. Definitely the right decision- I definitely recommend going to Milford Sound if you ever get a chance to go to New Zealand. I’ll talk to you all again in 2010- Happy New Year!