We got another early start this morning and continued on our journey from the Otago Region to the Southland Region. As evidenced by its name, the Southland is New Zealand’s southernmost region, renowned for its pristine fjords (spelled Fiords here), sharp peaks, and untouched natural beauty.

Our main activity today was exploring perhaps the most well-known attraction in New Zealand – Milford Sound. Although as a crow flies Queenstown and Milford Sound are not very far apart, the journey by car takes around 4 hours due to the mountain peaks separating the two regions. Although visitors can take a much more efficient small plane or helicopter from Queenstown to Milford Sound, these flights are frequently cancelled due to unpredictable weather. To ensure we were able to visit Milford Sound, commonly referred to as the “8th Natural Wonder of the World,” we elected for the longer but more predictable drive, which allowed us to take in the beautiful viewpoints along the way.

We lucked out yet again and had a gorgeous day to explore Milford Sound. We elected a small boat cruise, which we were thankful for based on the size of boats and crowds on the other boats exploring the Sound. The smaller boat also offered us the opportunity to get closer to the sites of the Sound, oftentimes coming within feet of the shore. On either side of the water are sharp peaks that shoot right out of the water, some stretching more than a mile into the air. These flanking mountains are home to lush rainforests and tall waterfalls. We were greeted by resting fur seals, which have thankfully made a huge comeback after irresponsible hunting practices. New Zealand has no native land predators, resulting in a natural solitude for the animals that live here.

On our drive home we visited the Mirror Lakes and were welcomed at a rest stop by a very friendly Kea – an endangered bird endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. The Kea is the world’s only alpine parrot and is highly intelligent and inquisitive, recent studies have shown their intelligence rivals that of a monkey.

After our day of adventure we drove to Te Anau, a small town where we will spend two nights. We had another great dinner at a local gastropub, The Fat Duck, featuring duck wontons. After a few very busy, long-driving days, we are looking forward to a low-key day tomorrow exploring the town and the surrounding countryside.