We enter the National Fjordland Park on a beautiful morning -- a fairly unusual thing for this area. According to the ship's crew, it was the only time this year that they could see all three sounds. All other times at least one has been shrouded in fog. Dusky Sound is the first that we enter with the widest and most obvious entry from the Tasman Sea.
Captain James Cook first entered here in 1770 in his ship The Resolution.
The vegetation on the sides is based on a mat of roots. A few roots make their way into the crevices in the rock. The other roots hold on to each other.
As shown here, the few roots can lose hold in the rock and the whole plant community comes crashing down.
Out of Dusky and back in to the Tasman Sea. We are alternating from the inside on the viewing deck to outside on the open deck to get pictures. A commentary by the Tour Director, Susan, is going on inside. It is cold and windy outside.
The next sound that we enter is Doubtful Sound. The sound is 3 times longer than the upcoming and famed Milford Sound. Two layers of water are formed: fresh water from the rivers flows into the sound and it is lighter than the salt water. The narrowness causes relative stillness in the sound and hinders the mixing of the 2 layers.
The narrowness and the steep sides also hinders the wind making sailing into the sound doubtful. Doubtful sound is called the sound of silence...maybe that's why Paul Simon comes to NZ. Doubtful is the second most visited tourist destination in NZ after Milford Sound that is our third and last fjord.
Milford Sound was the last of the 3 to be discovered because the entrance is hidden from the Tasman. The entrance is only a 1000 ft. wide and is shallow. Cook never made it to Milford but one of his lieutenants did in 1810.
This area is the wettest in NZ. Moisture coming in from west off the Tasman Sea runs into the Southern Alps is then pushed into a higher, cooler altitude and falls as rain...or as snow on the peaks.
The sides are very steep with decreasing vegetation.
You can see why the explorers would turn back. It looks like you will run against the shear cliffs.
Sterling Falls drops 500 ft. into the Milford Sound. We were lucky enough to catch the rainbow at the base of the falls....rarely happens.
The Southern Alps were named by Capt. Cook.
There are several constantly running waterfalls along Milford.
It was a cold, windy day.
Another beautiful day ends with another beautiful sunset. We sadly leave NZ on our way to Hobart, Tasmania.
