13.17 Milford Sound: Fiordland National Park

17.A Reflectance of the Earl Mountains (in the Southern Alps)

Milford Sound is one of several so-called ‘sounds’—fiords carved out by glaciers—that constitute the star attractions of New Zealand’s largest national park, Fiordland National Park. The park is located in the far southwest of the South Island, along the Tasman coast. Anytime you’ve got glaciers you’ve got to have not only cold conditions, but ample moisture to feed the glaciers, namely, about 150 feet or 45 meters of snow annually. The Earth is still in a glacial age, but conditions are much warmer now than during the height of the ice age, when the fiords of Fiordland were being carved out.

In New Zealand the icy conditions may now prevail only at high altitudes but the precipitation remains. The village of Milford Sound (population 120), at the head of the fiord, receives 6.8 meters (or about 22.1+ feet) of rain annually. It’s the rainiest inhabited place in New Zealand and presumably one of the rainier inhabited places in the world. It should come as no surprise that fresh water about 3 meters deep overlays the salt water in Milford Sound.

Milford Sound is just about 71 km (or 44 miles) by air from Queenstown but it’s like a world removed from that town. Most visitors to Milford Sound come for the day, having traveled to and from the place by buses. The return (round-trip) journey between Queenstown and Milford Sound takes a full 12 hours including sight-seeing stops and covers a total of about 580 km (or 360 miles).

Unless tourists have decided to lodge at least one night at Milford Sound, they would be well advised either to fly over the fiord from Queenstown or at much lower cost to take a tour bus from Queenstown. There are a number of tour bus operators serving Milford Sound, including Great Sights, Naked Bus, and Jucy Cruize Bus. We took the Jucy Cruize bus which (as customary) provided for a cruise on the fiord. Our bus driver was informative, helpful, and skilled. This is no small matter on sinuous mountain highways.

When we visited Queenstown, New Zealand was still observing Daylight Savings Time. Departure from the resort town to Milford Sound was between 8:00 and 8:30 AM, depending on where you were picked up in town. In Standard Time, the pickups are now as early as 6:50 AM. All bus tours follow the same route, going south on NZ Route 6 along Lake Wakatipu to Five Rivers, then cutting over on Route 97 to Route 94, which is followed all the way to Milford Sound.

On the outbound journey from Queenstown, our driver (as is customary) made a number of stops. The first, a refreshment stop, was made at the town of Te Anau (population about 1900), the last 'big' town before Milford Sound. Te Anau serves not only as a gateway to Milford Sound but to other oft-visited fiords in Fiordland, including Doubtful and Dusky sounds. Milford Sound is the most visited fiord, not least because it is the only one practically accessible by road for day tours.

Route 94, the Milford Road, follows the east shore of Lake Te Anau north of Te Anau. The lake itself is a glacial creation with three fiords (called 'fiords'). Between Te Anau and Milford Sound our driver made several scenic stops, usually of about 15 minutes duration each. As we headed north we headed into the native southern beech forests that cover so much of the lower flanks of the Southern Alps. The five species of southern beech trees present in New Zealand are all evergreen.

The first scenic stop was at a flats (Photo 17.C) that once served as a sheep meadow. Another was at a chasm, where I confess I was more taken with the friendly kea (Photos 17.D & E). The kea is the world’s only alpine parrot. The species is quite intelligent and bold. And the particular one shown in the accompanying photos was favored by our driver, who hastened to say he fed the bird only seeds and berries. No snacks or chips, which would not help the bird’s health.

My favorite scenic stop was at some mirror lakes. Needless to say, these aren’t the only mirror lakes in Fiordland. But they happen to be adjacent to Route 94 (Photos 17.A, G, and H). They were a beautiful 'extra' on our excursion to see Milford Sound.

One reason that Milford is accessible by motor vehicles is that a William Homer suggested (apparently in the 1890s) that a tunnel be bored underneath a mountain saddle that he and another man had discovered. Work on the tunnel began in 1935. It was finally opened to traffic in 1954, following the interruption of World War 2 and of an avalanche.  Travel through the Homer Tunnel (1.2 km or 0.75 miles in length) is controlled by signals, because the tunnel bore admits traffic in only one direction at a time. The approaches to the tunnel are subject to avalanches at any time.

Once thru the tunnel one descends a bit of a corkscrew into the Cleddau River Valley, one of several valleys whose waters feed Milford Sound. At the head of the sound in the village is a rather newish docking facility for the numerous boats that serve tourists. The boats take turns departing from the piers and then follow a clockwise route out to land's end (where one catches a glimpse of the Tasman Sea), returning along the north side of the fiord to the dock.

We saw seals and dozens of dolphins (though only a few got captured on film). Birds were also out and about. But perhaps one of the main attractions were the waterfalls. Some falls are, as it were, perpetual. Many more appear only when it rains. Some argue that the best time to see Milford Sound is when it rains, when many, many waterfalls grace the walls of the fiord. Since it rains on average 182 days a year, you’ve got a 50/50 chance of seeing the fiord in the rain. We saw it without the rain and can testify that Milford (with or without many waterfalls) is worth the long day’s trek by bus from Queenstown.

Rudyard Kipling is alleged to have said that Milford Sound is the Eighth Wonder of the World. There are a number of such places across the face of the earth, no doubt. Jean and I are thankful to have seen this one. Eius gloriam Deo gratias.

Warm regards,

Tim (& Jean)



17.B Mountains Along Route 94

17.C Flats in the Fiordland National Park

17.D Kea Being Fed Seeds

17.E Kea Waiting for More



17.F Southern Beech Trees along Route 94

17.G One of the Mirror Lakes, Reflecting Earl Mountains

17.H A Double Take of the Earls at a Mirror Lake

17.I A Classic Glacially-Caused Hung Valley

17.J At a Watering Place with Mt Christina in the Distance

17.K Mt Christina


17.L Cleddau River among the Beech Trees

17.M Dock at Milford Sound

17.N Lady Bowen Falls, Milford Sound

17.O Falls from a Hung Valley, Milford Sound

17.P In Milford Sound (With Two Tour Boats in Sight, Lower Left)

17.Q Mitre Peak, Milford Sound

17.R Looking East in Milford Sound

17.S Looking West towards the Tasman Sea

17.T Dolphins Frolicking in Milford Sound (Look for a Second Fin Towards the Boat)

17.U Sunbathing Seals in Milford Sound

17.V Another Mountain on the Road from Milford Sound

13.16 Te Awamutu: Anzac Day

16.A Anzac Green, Te Awamutu, 25 April 2013

A week ago today, on 25 April, New Zealand and Australia observed Anzac Day. In New Zealand and Australia it is a day for remembering those who have given their lives in service to their country. As I explained in my post (13.04) about Waitangi Day, ANZAC  is an acronymn standing for ‘Australian and New Zealand Army Corps’. 

ANZAC was formed to serve in the war, World War I, that had broken out in August 1914 between the Central Powers (primarily Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary) on the one hand and the Entente or Allied Powers (primarily Russia, Great Britain, France, Italy, and eventually the USA) on the other.

Because the German fleet controlled the Baltic, the British government was readily persuaded by Winston Churchill, no less, that it was imperative to establish an alternative, secure line of communication and transport between the western Allied Powers and Russia. The practicable alternatives were via the North Cape (around Norway to Murmansk) or via the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. 

I won’t go into the North Cape option, which was subsequently exploited in World War II. Suffice it to say here that gaining access to the Russian Black Sea ports, like Odessa, wasn't going to be easy. The Ottoman Empire, whose capital was in Constantinople (now Istanbul), controlled the two straits—the Dardenelles and the Bosphorus—and the small Sea of Marmara, which link the Black Sea to the Mediterranean or the Aegean, as that part of the Med is called.

The far dominions of Australia and New Zealand were asked by Britain to form up the ANZAC expeditionary force, which was supposed to play a key role in opening up a southern line between the western allies and Russia. On 25 April 1915 ANZAC landed at Gallipoli in support of nearby British and French contingents, thereby entering into what proved to be an eight-month campaign of slaughter. The Ottoman (Turkish) troops did not give way but likewise they were unable to dislodge the Allied troops. The casualty rates of killed and wounded on both sides were at least 60 percent and among Kiwi troops were reportedly 88 percent. 

The one military success from the Allied perspective was the evacuation of the ANZAC troops. The Aussies and Kiwis eventually saw duties elsewhere in the conflagration of WWI, giving a very good account of themselves. But the Gallipoli experience (among other things) left a searing memory in the two young Pacific nations, as well as in what became Turkey.

Anzac Day has now become an occasion in New Zealand to honor and remember all those who have fallen in military service for their country. Across New Zealand the Anzac Day observance commences with so-called ‘dawn services’, which begin at 6:00 AM, well before dawn at this time of the year. Going by what I've read and by what I've heard from Kiwis, it's no longer just veterans who show up at the dawn services. Children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren are now to be seen along with veterans. Te Awamutu’s dawn service was held at the town’s War Memorial Park, where the names of the war dead are inscribed. I didn’t attend that service.

But Jean and I did attend Te Awamutu’s 11:00 AM civic commemoration service on Anzac Green. Anzac Green is adjacent to Te Awamutu's central business district, near various governmental offices. On Anzac Green there is a cenotaph memorializing those who fell in World War I. On the green itself white crosses had been installed for the occasion, each one associated with a local soldier, sailor, or airman who’d been killed in the line of duty (in WWI or thereafter).

Before the civic commemoration began, groups of people assembled on Alexandra Street (Te Awamutu’s main thoroughfare) in the vicinity of the RSA Club (‘RSA’ = Returned Services' Association). Leading the assemblage was the Te Awamutu Brass Band (which, by the way, had a few seconds of frame and fame in the endearing movie Her Majesty). Immediately following were uniformed Army and Air Force servicemen and women (I saw no Navy people in TA’s parade). Groups of veterans followed the servicemen, with some servicemen inter-sprinkled with the vets. Then came the uniformed all-volunteer Te Awamutu fire brigade, thence the local police battalion, and I’m not sure how many other groups. Every public and private school and every scouting and guide group in the area had representatives in the parade and at the commemoration. So did the chamber of commerce, numerous associations and institutions, and the council of churches. Eventually, the representatives would come forward when their group was named, laying a wreath at the foot of the cenotaph. The commemoration would be not only a remembrance of the dead; it was a roll call of the living.

The parade between the RSA Club and Anzac Green had no more than about two blocks to traverse. The Te Awamutu Brass Band led off this brief traverse with 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary'. With those in uniform marching and others in the parade walking, everyone in short order re-arrayed themselves on the northern and eastern periphery of Anzac Green. 

The service began with the singing of the New Zealand National Anthem followed by the singing of the Australian National Anthem. Thence came the laying of the wreaths, while the TA Brass Band played a handful of solemn hymns. That was followed by the recitation of a poem by the Head Boy and Head Girl from Te Awamutu College (‘college’ often being used in the names of New Zealand high schools). The assembled joined in the singing of ‘Abide With Me’. Then three prayers were offered up, two by a local clergyman and the third by the mayor of the district council. Drum rolls preceded the recitation of the battles and peace-keeping missions of those fallen in New Zealand's military service. A bugler or trumpeter sounded the ‘Last Post’. Thence came a brief spoken resolution to remenber, to which everyone was prompted to respond, ‘We will remember them.’ Reveille was sounded. There followed additional hymns, including the royal anthem—‘God Save the Queen’. 

But in some ways the most moving moment in wrapping up the commemoration was the Head Girl’s reading of portions of letters treasured by her family from an ancestor who was but a young man when he died at Gallipoli (as did his brother). Following a thank-you from the Te Awamutu RSA president, those who had marched in now marched away. The rest of us quietly disbursed.

Anzac Day is an occasion for solemn remembrance. How could it be otherwise for a people who have chosen to use a day that marks the onset of a defeat as a day of national remembrance? There is no jingoism, no spirit of revenge or triumphalism, no lust for war, only a desire to give fitting and honorable remembrance to those who deserve to be honored. Only a newspaper columnist could think that Anzac Day, itself, should be buried and forgotten. There's at least one such Kiwi columnist who seems to think that. But a people who cannot remember its past has no future. And Kiwis, by all report, are giving greater attention to Anzac Day year by year. They want to remember.

Mustafa Kemal Attatürk in 1934 graciously extended words of comfort to those back in New Zealand and Australia at the dedication of a monument at Gallipoli in what is now called Anzac Cove. Attatürk was the general of the forces that successfully thwarted the ANZAC troops. He subsequently became the founder and head of the modern state of Turkey. Here are his words.

Heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives! You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.

God grant us grace and peace.

Warm regards,

Tim & Jean

16.B Cenotaph on TA Anzac Green, 25 April  2013

16.C TA Brass Band Leading Anzac Day Parade

16.D Brass Band Passing By

16.E Army Serviceman Marching with Veterans

16.F The Kids Walking to Anzac Green

16.G New Zealand Guides or Scouts

16.H Assemblage Prepares to Leave Anzac Green

16.I Floral Tributes at the Anzac Cenotaph

13.15 Queenstown: New Zealand's 'Adventure Capital'

 

15.A Clouds Hugging the Remarkables Range beyond Queenstown

On our recent travels in New Zealand, Jean and I spent three nights in Queenstown, in the inland southwest of the South Island. It’s set at the foot of mountains bordering Lake Wakatipu. It’s hardly a typical Kiwi town. It’s substance, somewhat like Rotorua on the North Island, is to serve as a tourist center. Should non-Kiwis trouble themselves to come to Queenstown?

It turns out that it’s no big trouble coming to Queenstown. It’s been a tourist draw for some time. Although it sustains a population count just under 30,000, it merits an international airport served by Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Quantas, and Virgin Australia. Besides air connections to various New Zealand destinations, Queenstown sports competitive year-round connections with Sydney, Australia, and seasonal competitive connections to Brisbane and Melbourne. The Aussies are drawn virtually year-round to Queenstown, but especially in the winter. Wintertime sees increased traffic because of several ski runs and resorts just outside Queenstown.

Queenstown is a jumping off point for numerous diversions besides skiing: bungee-jumping, hiking (or ‘tracking’ in Kiwiese), mountain biking, hang gliding, jet-boating, and so forth, not to mention just plain old sight-seeing. Those who don’t wish to sightsee via auto or bus can avail themselves of balloon, fixed-wing, or helicopter tour services. There are numerous restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops in Queenstown, not to mention a considerable range of overnight accommodations. 

We spent one full day in Queenstown, walking around, dropping into a few stores, and ascending Bob’s Peak via the Skyline gondola service. Skyline is the same outfit that runs a comparable operation in Rotorua and elsewhere. At the top there’s a restaurant and conference center as well as a café and store. The aforementioned gondola run and another facilitate hang gliders, mountain bikers, and lugers. The Kiwi luge course isn’t via a metal tube as found, say, in the Alps but via a paved track available for year-round use. Queenstown Skyline offers two luge tracks, one for beginners and one for advanced lugers. We didn't luge but went tracking, enjoying quirky framed viewpoints such as the one evident in photo 15.N, below.

While we enjoyed Queenstown and Skyline Queenstown, our primary reason for coming to Queenstown was to visit Milford Sound. The air distance between Milford Sound and Queenstown is 71 km or 44 miles. Yet a non-stop road journey between the two points takes about 4 hours one-way. I’ll cover our bus expedition to and cruise on Milford Sound in a subsequent post.

Until then…

Warm regards,

Tim (& Jean)

P.S. 16 July 2017. Queenstown and, more generally, the southern half of the South Island is a great place for viewing (and photographing the stars), as made evident in photos accompanying this New Zealand Herald article on the photography of Jake Scott-Gardner and Joanna Scott.

P.P.S. 14 April 2018. A Japan Times article carried a story about a sake that is being brewed in Queenstown, which has the first and only sake brewery in New Zealand. The sake is called Zenkuro (roughly meaning 'all black'), in a tip of the hat or the glass to New Zealand's All Black rugby team.

15.B Downtown Queenstown

15.C Shopping Street, Queenstown

15.D Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown Promenade

15.E Queenstown Beach from Promenade

15.F Native Tree in Queenstown Gardens

15.G Life-Size Moa Statue, Queenstown

15.H Bob's Peak

15.I Skyline Gondola Connecting Queenstown & Bob's Peak

15.J Lake Wakatipu from Bob's Peak

15.K Queenstown & Lake Wakatipu

15.L Queenstown & Frankton Arm (or Bay)

15.M Helicopter on Bob's Peak

15.N The Ben Lomond Scenic Preserve Seen Thru a Frame