Submitted by Sarah Brown on the 2020 winter session program in New Zealand sponsored by the Department of Animal and Food Sciences…
New Zealand is a country full of beautiful landmarks to admire. Last weekend, I took a day trip to Milford Sound, a nature reserve on the southern edge of the South Island. The trip took me away from the dry Canterbury Plains, where I have stayed for most of the program, to Queenstown and over the Southern Alps into the Fjordlands. Milford Sound is one of the wettest places in the world, and the weather there the day I went was different from the surrounding cities. As soon as the bus crossed the Southern Alps, the weather changed drastically from warm and sunny to cool and drizzly. The low-hanging clouds covered the tops of the mountains, giving the Fjordlands a mysterious atmosphere.
When I got to Milford Sound, I went on a nature cruise through the length of the fjord out to the Tasman Sea. The guide said that on a clear day, one could see across it all the way to Australia! While sailing through Milford Sound, we also came across a pod of dolphins playing in the shallows and a group of seals resting on a large rock. At the end, we passed under one of the many waterfalls and enjoyed standing under the mist, even though it was freezing!
Milford Sound is the self-proclaimed eighth wonder of the world. I was definitely filled with wonder looking at the mountains looming out of the water and disappearing into the clouds. Seeing it was one of the things I was looking forward to the most during my time in New Zealand. The quiet, peaceful fjord and its waterfalls from the rain and glaciers were unforgettable to me and I am overjoyed that I had the chance to travel to see them.