We flew from Christchurch to Queenstown, rented a car and drove to the Millbrook Resort. This was our home for the next 4 nights.
The night before we arrived it had snowed. Needless to say, it was COLD!
Our first full day in the Queenstown area we took a tour to Milford Sound. This is a FULL day excursion. First there is a 4 hour bus ride to the Sound, followed by a 3 hour boat ride around the Sound and then the return trip.
We had a short stop along the way so I enjoyed a sit in the park.
The beautiful scene on the right was just a prelude of things to come.
When we reached the sound, we boarded our ship for a cruise around the sound. It was a beautiful day. It was chilly but not bitter cold. Magnificent sunny sky. We were extremely lucky as we had heard that they had been having poor weather.
Although it is called Milford Sound it is really a fjord. A fjord is an inlet that is formed by a glacier.
The scenery is magnificent. The snow covered mountains in the background, the numerous waterfalls feeding the Sound and the deep blue water.
It may have been cold for us but it was a beautiful summer day for the seals.
Our luck with the weather continued so we were able to fly back to Queenstown in a small plane. Prior days, the flights had to be cancelled because of poor weather.
The flight back gave us the opportunity to see the glacier from above. It was a fabulous sight.
On the flight back from Milford Sound, we met another couple that were avid golfers. So we arranged to meet them the next day for a round of golf at Millbrook Resort. That's how we spent our last full day in New Zealand.
In spite of the cold, the flowers were beautiful and abundant. The Millbrook Resort is actually in the small town of Arrowtown which is a short distance outside of Queenstown.
Our last morning, we had a little time before we had to catch the plane to Auckland on our way to Australia. As we were driving through Queenstown, we noticed a craft/art show in a local school. We decided it was worth a visit.
There were a number of interesting pieces in the show. The one piece we decided we should acquire was a multi-colored paper mache torso. You can see the real thing when you visit us.
