After the windiest and worst section of driving the entire trip (wind and high-top campervans don’t go together), we reached Te Anu. It’s a cute little town on the Te Anu Lake and jump off point to the Milford Sound and the Kepler trek, right in the middle of the Fiordland.
The very next morning (New Year’s Eve) we were picked up to go to the famous Milford Sound. Just to take a boat ride, gawk at the beautiful scenery, watch the wildlife, and walk around a bit? Neh! We also wanted to go snorkeling! And yes, it was absolutely freezing, but it was so cool to see all these bright colored fish! 5 types of sea stars, blue, orange, red, yellow fish, tons of types of sea weed; we would have never gotten such a hands-on understanding of the Sound without jumping right in. There was one point that we swam up near a fur seal… we were in the water and he was on the rocks! After our chilly adventure into the depths, the little boat happily had a shower, and we were able to thaw out somewhat. Yeah!
On the way back, we stopped off at some key sites along the Milford Trek. Waterfalls, reflective ponds, steep mountain summits, flood meadows, uber-green vegetation, and our first encounter with the Kea! The kea is the only flightless alpine parrot in the world, and darned if it’s smart! It hangs out in the parking lots, waiting for food and in the meantime, it enjoys tearing up rubber (like windshield wipers and tires…)
That night, Te Anu had a huge bonfire and fireworks to ring in the New Year. We had a good time and enjoyed the small town welcome. The next day, we relaxed and hiked a bit of the Kepler Trek, yet another Great Walk.
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