The Bus Station
Some Words for The Class of '09
17 years ago
Sunday, July 10, 2005
RLS Museum Then Home
Today was my birthday by date but it didnt really feel like my birthday and I didnt think of it as my birthday. I had to check out of the hostel by 10am and then leave my bag there as my flight to LA wasn't until 1am the next day. Jason was leaving today and there was no-one else about so I went on my own little adventure. I decided to go and see the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum and Grave (He was the guy who wrote Treasure Island and Jekyll & Hyde).
There was a really long drive leading up to the house and on my way I met a woman called vivian who was travelling with her two kids. She was from the UK so I got chatting to her and went on the tour around RLS's house. It was a guided tour which lasted about 10mins and then I was able to go around the house again at my leisure and look around a bit closer. The house had been restored to its original glory and made into a museum which was now owned by some rich american guy. To be honest I havn't actually read any of his books though I kind of know the stories but anyway it was still quite interesting. After I had finished wandering around the house I started the walk up to the gravestone which was located on the top of a bill hill next to the house which took about 40mins to walk to. I took the short route but It was super steep so was a lot harder on the legs but I eventually made it and got to see the amazing view from the top. I was slightly out of breath from the climb so lay down in the shade and relaxed for a while.
I took the long route on the way down which was better but still pretty steep, god knows how they god that gravestone up there!! When I got back to the house I met back up with Vivian and tagged along to go and see the B'hai (something like that) Temple which was a short cab journey up the road. The temple and the grounds were really impressive it looked kind of futuristic, anyway we didnt stay there too long as we wern't really interested about the religion.
This place was out the way of everything so it was unlikely that a bus was going to pass by and there were no taxis about. Luckily someone pulled in and offered us a lift into the town so we all clambered into the back of this van sitting on the floor and had an uncomfortable but free ride back into town where I made my way back to the hostel.
I had a few hours to kill before my shuttle came so I made some dinner and then went and sat in the lounge area. There was absolutely no-one around as everyone had left, so it was just me sitting on my own twiddling my thumbs waiting until 10pm with only the girl working on reception to talk to. When I got to the airport I was pretty much straight through, so paid my departure fee and waited until boarding.
There was a really long drive leading up to the house and on my way I met a woman called vivian who was travelling with her two kids. She was from the UK so I got chatting to her and went on the tour around RLS's house. It was a guided tour which lasted about 10mins and then I was able to go around the house again at my leisure and look around a bit closer. The house had been restored to its original glory and made into a museum which was now owned by some rich american guy. To be honest I havn't actually read any of his books though I kind of know the stories but anyway it was still quite interesting. After I had finished wandering around the house I started the walk up to the gravestone which was located on the top of a bill hill next to the house which took about 40mins to walk to. I took the short route but It was super steep so was a lot harder on the legs but I eventually made it and got to see the amazing view from the top. I was slightly out of breath from the climb so lay down in the shade and relaxed for a while.
I took the long route on the way down which was better but still pretty steep, god knows how they god that gravestone up there!! When I got back to the house I met back up with Vivian and tagged along to go and see the B'hai (something like that) Temple which was a short cab journey up the road. The temple and the grounds were really impressive it looked kind of futuristic, anyway we didnt stay there too long as we wern't really interested about the religion.
This place was out the way of everything so it was unlikely that a bus was going to pass by and there were no taxis about. Luckily someone pulled in and offered us a lift into the town so we all clambered into the back of this van sitting on the floor and had an uncomfortable but free ride back into town where I made my way back to the hostel.
I had a few hours to kill before my shuttle came so I made some dinner and then went and sat in the lounge area. There was absolutely no-one around as everyone had left, so it was just me sitting on my own twiddling my thumbs waiting until 10pm with only the girl working on reception to talk to. When I got to the airport I was pretty much straight through, so paid my departure fee and waited until boarding.
Sliding Rocks
My third day in Samoa was a Sunday which meant everything ceased for church. All the shops were closed and there were not many people around as they were all at church or home with their families. The taxis were running though so we decided to go and check out the sliding rocks which wern't too far away.
There was me, Jason and a few other people from our hostel that decided to come along so it was a full taxi. There were quite a lot of steps to conquer before getting down to the rocks and the hand rails had been generously donated by australia haha or so it said. The rocks and pools were really nice, and the sliding rock looked pretty dangerous so Me and Jason decided to wait and see someone else do it before we attempted it. Luckily there were a few people already there who demonstrated for us so we decided to give it a shot. The sliding rock is part of a river than runs over it causing it to get really slippy, you had to sit just left of the waterfall as the rock was smoother and lean forward as not to do your back any damage.
Sliding down the rock felt really smooth and within a couple of seconds you hit the pool below plunging underneath the waterfall. After a few goes I realised holding my nose when I went down was a good move as I kept getting water up my nose. There were a few other slides which looked a bit harder, but the water below was really shallow so I didnt bother to give them a go.
After spending a couple of fun hours there we all got a taxi back to the hostel and then Me and Jason went down to the Marine Reserve again as it was such a nice day. Surprisingly it was really busy, mainly tourists and probably because it was a sunday too plus the weather was great. I went for another snorkel and the sea was soo warm it was beautiful. After we had finished up there it was back to the hostel for food and beer as I was kind of celebrating my birthday seeing as it really was my birthday, back home it was anyway!
There was me, Jason and a few other people from our hostel that decided to come along so it was a full taxi. There were quite a lot of steps to conquer before getting down to the rocks and the hand rails had been generously donated by australia haha or so it said. The rocks and pools were really nice, and the sliding rock looked pretty dangerous so Me and Jason decided to wait and see someone else do it before we attempted it. Luckily there were a few people already there who demonstrated for us so we decided to give it a shot. The sliding rock is part of a river than runs over it causing it to get really slippy, you had to sit just left of the waterfall as the rock was smoother and lean forward as not to do your back any damage.
Sliding down the rock felt really smooth and within a couple of seconds you hit the pool below plunging underneath the waterfall. After a few goes I realised holding my nose when I went down was a good move as I kept getting water up my nose. There were a few other slides which looked a bit harder, but the water below was really shallow so I didnt bother to give them a go.
After spending a couple of fun hours there we all got a taxi back to the hostel and then Me and Jason went down to the Marine Reserve again as it was such a nice day. Surprisingly it was really busy, mainly tourists and probably because it was a sunday too plus the weather was great. I went for another snorkel and the sea was soo warm it was beautiful. After we had finished up there it was back to the hostel for food and beer as I was kind of celebrating my birthday seeing as it really was my birthday, back home it was anyway!
Friday, July 08, 2005
Cave Pools
Me and Jason had decided to go to the rock pools today as we would not be able to go tomorrow due to them being below a church and Samoans are very religious. To get to the cave pools we had to get a local bus which was an expereince. The buses had no timetable and just turned up when they turned up. The bus station was next to the market in town and long wooden benches were full of people waiting for a bus.
The buses were so funny and totally different to buses back home. They were quite high up and looked more like big 4 wheel drives, which were decorated on the outside by spray paint. They had things like 'god loves you' on and stuff as well as pictures such as spiderman so It was pretty random. Anyway these buses blasted out music 90% being the bass haha. They also had songs like 'lady in red' playing but it had been re-recorded in Samoan with a big fat bass "boom---boom-boom" thundering over it haha. Then there were the seats which were wooden and the most uncomfortable things ever. I don't think there was a passenger limit on these things either as people just got on even if there wern't any spaces left which meant young people had to sit on older peoples laps.
When the bus set off from the bus station we were expecting it to turn right as this was the direction of the cave pools but instead it turned left and we started to wonder where it was going. It then pulled up to a warehouse where about 15 crates of beer and soda drinks were loaded on to the bus in the middle aisle haha. I was sitting quite near the back and the stack was up to my shoulder. It was quite funny when people were getting off the bus as they had to scramble over these crates plus any people that were in the way it looked like something from the crystal maze.
After about an hour and a sore bum we got to the stop where the cave pools were and made our way there. The cave pool looked really kool and the water was super clear. It was funny when you went in the water as the fish in the pool came up to investigate and you ended up having several fish around your legs. There were two cave pools and you could apparently swim from one to the other through a tunnel which connected them underwater. Me and Jason went into the cave and at the end it was pitch black and we couldnt see a thing so decided it wasn't such a good idea. We then went for a look in the other pool and spotted some light under the water on one side of the cave.
Jason had some goggles on him so went down to have a look. When he came back up he said the tunnel went through to the other side but came out in a totally different place to where we were looking originally. I had a go with his goggles and went throught the tunnel to the other cave, which wasnt very far and you were only under the water for about 10 seconds. We then went and got the bus back to town so we could get some food for dinner, as we were aware that a lot of the shops closed early on a saturday for some reason - probably another religion related thing. I needed a well deserved rest when we got back so I had a couple of hours sleep before dinner time.
The buses were so funny and totally different to buses back home. They were quite high up and looked more like big 4 wheel drives, which were decorated on the outside by spray paint. They had things like 'god loves you' on and stuff as well as pictures such as spiderman so It was pretty random. Anyway these buses blasted out music 90% being the bass haha. They also had songs like 'lady in red' playing but it had been re-recorded in Samoan with a big fat bass "boom---boom-boom" thundering over it haha. Then there were the seats which were wooden and the most uncomfortable things ever. I don't think there was a passenger limit on these things either as people just got on even if there wern't any spaces left which meant young people had to sit on older peoples laps.
When the bus set off from the bus station we were expecting it to turn right as this was the direction of the cave pools but instead it turned left and we started to wonder where it was going. It then pulled up to a warehouse where about 15 crates of beer and soda drinks were loaded on to the bus in the middle aisle haha. I was sitting quite near the back and the stack was up to my shoulder. It was quite funny when people were getting off the bus as they had to scramble over these crates plus any people that were in the way it looked like something from the crystal maze.
After about an hour and a sore bum we got to the stop where the cave pools were and made our way there. The cave pool looked really kool and the water was super clear. It was funny when you went in the water as the fish in the pool came up to investigate and you ended up having several fish around your legs. There were two cave pools and you could apparently swim from one to the other through a tunnel which connected them underwater. Me and Jason went into the cave and at the end it was pitch black and we couldnt see a thing so decided it wasn't such a good idea. We then went for a look in the other pool and spotted some light under the water on one side of the cave.
Jason had some goggles on him so went down to have a look. When he came back up he said the tunnel went through to the other side but came out in a totally different place to where we were looking originally. I had a go with his goggles and went throught the tunnel to the other cave, which wasnt very far and you were only under the water for about 10 seconds. We then went and got the bus back to town so we could get some food for dinner, as we were aware that a lot of the shops closed early on a saturday for some reason - probably another religion related thing. I needed a well deserved rest when we got back so I had a couple of hours sleep before dinner time.
Samoa
Although I had got to bed so late I still set my alarm for 8.30 so I could get up in time for breakfast which was included so I could at least meet whoever else was staying in the hostel. One of the guys that was in my room the night I arrived had left and the other guy Jason was staying for a few more days so talked to him for a while then went for a stroll into town to check the place out. The weather was really nice and there were loads of people around, especially around the market area in town who just seemed to be wandering around and not doing an awful lot. I then bumped into Jason in town and walked back to the hostel with him. There was a Marine Reserve 2 minutes down the road from the hostel so I went with Jason the check it out. I got a mask and snorkel and went to find some fish! You had to swim out quite a way before you got to the reef but once you were there tons of fish were swimming around which were really kool to watch. I even managed to spot a blue starfish which looked awesome. It was a really nice relaxing swim looking at the sea life and the water was quite clear too. In the evening I went out with Jason and an old couple that were also staying at the hostel to go and watch the Lions 2nd test match in the local sports bar.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Two Places At The Same Time!
I had to get a flight to Auckland first and then the connecting flight to Samoa. The flight from Auckland was about 15min delayed so by the time I landed and had got off the plane in Auckland it was about 9ish which was cutting it close for getting my 10pm flight to Samoa, plus before I could go through to departures I had to go and pay a departure fee at the bank and also get some money changed so it was quite a rush but I managed to get on the plane in time.
You didnt get your own tv on the plane but they were showing Robots the computer animated film so I sat and watched that which was quite good before getting a little sleep. The flight was around 4 hours and landed In Samoa at 3am on the same day I had left NZ, which meant I was having the same day all over again because of the dateline. When I went through customs and stuff the guy didnt even look at my passport photo or anything and just told me to go through which seemed quite bizzare. I had booked a shuttle bus from the sirport to my hostel and there was a white board with my name on it when I came out of arrivals. I was the first person on the shuttle so had to wait for the other few people to come before it left.
The ride in to Apia the capital was approx 40mins and I was the last drop off. By this time it was nearing 5am and I was completely knackered as this was still 4am to my by NZ time. I got off the shuttle and they unloaded my bags, but my small backpack wasn't there, great!! So I told the driver and they said it must have been dropped off at the last hotel. Apparently they had told me to wait and they would go and have a look but I didnt hear them so I started to walk towards the hotel. I had walked a few minutes down the road when I shuttle buss passed me and then reveresed back - it was my shuttle bus that had just gone back and collected my bag (luckily it was there) and wondered why I had walked off haha. Anyway I was glad to get my bag back and then went to check in at the hostel. I though I would make a lot of noise getting into bed but my bed was right next to the door which gave me enough light to get into bed without making too much noise, plus there were only a couple of other guys in the room anyway. Mission Accomplished!
You didnt get your own tv on the plane but they were showing Robots the computer animated film so I sat and watched that which was quite good before getting a little sleep. The flight was around 4 hours and landed In Samoa at 3am on the same day I had left NZ, which meant I was having the same day all over again because of the dateline. When I went through customs and stuff the guy didnt even look at my passport photo or anything and just told me to go through which seemed quite bizzare. I had booked a shuttle bus from the sirport to my hostel and there was a white board with my name on it when I came out of arrivals. I was the first person on the shuttle so had to wait for the other few people to come before it left.
The ride in to Apia the capital was approx 40mins and I was the last drop off. By this time it was nearing 5am and I was completely knackered as this was still 4am to my by NZ time. I got off the shuttle and they unloaded my bags, but my small backpack wasn't there, great!! So I told the driver and they said it must have been dropped off at the last hotel. Apparently they had told me to wait and they would go and have a look but I didnt hear them so I started to walk towards the hotel. I had walked a few minutes down the road when I shuttle buss passed me and then reveresed back - it was my shuttle bus that had just gone back and collected my bag (luckily it was there) and wondered why I had walked off haha. Anyway I was glad to get my bag back and then went to check in at the hostel. I though I would make a lot of noise getting into bed but my bed was right next to the door which gave me enough light to get into bed without making too much noise, plus there were only a couple of other guys in the room anyway. Mission Accomplished!
Sunday, July 03, 2005
My Birthday!!
Just letting everyone know it's my birthday tomorrow (4th July) just incase anyone forgot :p
Im having a good time in Samoa just relaxing not doing an awful lot which is nice. The Internet is super slow here and really expensive too so Im not going to bother updating my blog with my Samoan adventures until I get to LA. Ive been living off omlettes so far in Samoa as there really cheap to make but I have sausages and spaghetti as my bday dinner :)
The time difference here was really confusing me but I reckon Ive worked it out now and im 12hrs behind the UK so I will have to wait an extra 12hrs until im 22 which is rubbish!!!
Im having a good time in Samoa just relaxing not doing an awful lot which is nice. The Internet is super slow here and really expensive too so Im not going to bother updating my blog with my Samoan adventures until I get to LA. Ive been living off omlettes so far in Samoa as there really cheap to make but I have sausages and spaghetti as my bday dinner :)
The time difference here was really confusing me but I reckon Ive worked it out now and im 12hrs behind the UK so I will have to wait an extra 12hrs until im 22 which is rubbish!!!
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Christchurch
The journey from Queenstown to Christchurch was a nice 8hr drive but It didnt actaully seem that bad as I managed to get some sleep and then after lunch we watched American Pie. We did make a few stop offs on the way for food and stuff and also to the sheep dog memorial haha!
When we got to Christchurch we checked into our accommodation and then went on the search for a cinema as we all wanted to go see War of the Worlds. We found a cinema right near the main square and also managed to get student rates which was kool and saved us a few dollars.
I had big expectations for War of the Worlds but I was left a bit dissapointed. The acting was really good and the effects were amazing, and the storyline wasn't too bad until the ending which really let it down.
I dont have many plans for Christchurch it doesnt reallt have much to offer apart from shops and Im not planning on buying anything. I have a few things to do before getting my flight tomorrow such as laundry, updating this, getting a new pin for my watch (I broke a pin while snowboarding) and getting some toothpaste so should keep me occupied.
Next time I update will be in Samoa if I can find somewhere that has access otherwise it will be on the 5th July when I get into LA.
Just to remind everyone It is my birthday on the 4th so I expect some birthday posts :D
When we got to Christchurch we checked into our accommodation and then went on the search for a cinema as we all wanted to go see War of the Worlds. We found a cinema right near the main square and also managed to get student rates which was kool and saved us a few dollars.
I had big expectations for War of the Worlds but I was left a bit dissapointed. The acting was really good and the effects were amazing, and the storyline wasn't too bad until the ending which really let it down.
I dont have many plans for Christchurch it doesnt reallt have much to offer apart from shops and Im not planning on buying anything. I have a few things to do before getting my flight tomorrow such as laundry, updating this, getting a new pin for my watch (I broke a pin while snowboarding) and getting some toothpaste so should keep me occupied.
Next time I update will be in Samoa if I can find somewhere that has access otherwise it will be on the 5th July when I get into LA.
Just to remind everyone It is my birthday on the 4th so I expect some birthday posts :D
Snowboarding
I was really looking forward to this as I had wanted to do snowboarding for soo long!! Me, Justin, and Christian had booked two days snowboarding, the first consisting of two 1 1/2 hr beginner lessons as we had never done it before.
We went and collected our clothing the night before and just had to collect out board and boots when we got to the slopes in the morning. The bus was at 8.30 so it was another early start and took about 40mins from Queenstown to get there. We had decided to go to Coronet Peak for the first day and the Remarkables for the next. When we got there we had just about enough time to get our passes, boots and board before our lesson started and met up with the rest of the group and instructor to do a few stretches. We just went through strapping ourselves to the boards and stuff first and then went up to the beginner area to practice.
The Instructor just started with the basics such as stance and then onto heel and toe turns. It didnt take me too long to pick up and by the end of the second lesson I was able to go down the slope and make the most turns in my group :D Snowboarding was so much fun I loved every second, I just couldnt wait until the next day to hit the proper slope!!
In the evening we all went out and didnt get in until quite late after hitting a few bars, which was pretty stupid seeing we had to be up to get the bus at 8am!!!! Anyway we all managed it even if we didnt feel that great in the morning but we thought the snow would be a good cure :) When we got to the bus stop Justin decided he didnt feel well enough to get the bus, so said he was going to get the 10 o'clock bus and meet us there (haha as if)!!!
So it was just me and Christian and we wernt going to lose 2 hours of boarding to lye in bed. When we got up to the Remarkables it was really windy and like a blizzard which was pretty harsh on the face, If I didnt have any goggles it would have been hell but luckily I did. We got all kitted out and went for a practice on the beginner slope before our leson started. Now this slope was really icy and was so hard to get a grip on so I ended up bailing a few times and just hoped the sun would make an appearance and soften the snow up.
Our lesson was really good and we went through what we had done the previous day as I had forgotten a few essentials so it was a good refresh. After everyone was getting there turns good enough we got on the chair lift and made our way up to the proper slope! When we got up there the conditions were awful and you couldnt see a thing but we went down anyway which did result in my taking a few slams which rather hurt, one of which resulted in my hat and goggles flying off which then got snow all over them and made my vision even worse haha. A few slams later I eventually got to the bottom and decided to go back to the practice slope for a while and wait for it to clear up a bit.
To make it a bit more fun instead of practising our turns again the Instructor showed us one of the easiest tricks you could do which is a 360 spin on the snow. Once he had explained what to do I was pulling a few consecutive 360 spins which was wikkid.
We then finished for lunch and went to munch on the ham and cheese rolls we had prepared yum yum. We had no more lesson now so it was just us and the slope and after a few attempts we were both getting a lot better and making it all the way down which only one or two falls which was all good. By about 3ish I was completely knackered and I could feel the strain on my leg muscles so decided to call it a day, the slopes closed at 4 anyway and it gave us time to get all our stuff off and catch the bus back. Justin never turned up which was a surprise not! The lazy git. When we got back we found he had stayed in bed until about 2.30 and had not long been up haha.
In the evening we all went to watch the Lions game which was soo much fun to watch as we won hammering the opponent 109 - 6!
Unfortunately I dont have any pics from snowboarding as I thought It was too risky to take a camera, though I wish I had done as the pics would have been amazing but nevermind!
We went and collected our clothing the night before and just had to collect out board and boots when we got to the slopes in the morning. The bus was at 8.30 so it was another early start and took about 40mins from Queenstown to get there. We had decided to go to Coronet Peak for the first day and the Remarkables for the next. When we got there we had just about enough time to get our passes, boots and board before our lesson started and met up with the rest of the group and instructor to do a few stretches. We just went through strapping ourselves to the boards and stuff first and then went up to the beginner area to practice.
The Instructor just started with the basics such as stance and then onto heel and toe turns. It didnt take me too long to pick up and by the end of the second lesson I was able to go down the slope and make the most turns in my group :D Snowboarding was so much fun I loved every second, I just couldnt wait until the next day to hit the proper slope!!
In the evening we all went out and didnt get in until quite late after hitting a few bars, which was pretty stupid seeing we had to be up to get the bus at 8am!!!! Anyway we all managed it even if we didnt feel that great in the morning but we thought the snow would be a good cure :) When we got to the bus stop Justin decided he didnt feel well enough to get the bus, so said he was going to get the 10 o'clock bus and meet us there (haha as if)!!!
So it was just me and Christian and we wernt going to lose 2 hours of boarding to lye in bed. When we got up to the Remarkables it was really windy and like a blizzard which was pretty harsh on the face, If I didnt have any goggles it would have been hell but luckily I did. We got all kitted out and went for a practice on the beginner slope before our leson started. Now this slope was really icy and was so hard to get a grip on so I ended up bailing a few times and just hoped the sun would make an appearance and soften the snow up.
Our lesson was really good and we went through what we had done the previous day as I had forgotten a few essentials so it was a good refresh. After everyone was getting there turns good enough we got on the chair lift and made our way up to the proper slope! When we got up there the conditions were awful and you couldnt see a thing but we went down anyway which did result in my taking a few slams which rather hurt, one of which resulted in my hat and goggles flying off which then got snow all over them and made my vision even worse haha. A few slams later I eventually got to the bottom and decided to go back to the practice slope for a while and wait for it to clear up a bit.
To make it a bit more fun instead of practising our turns again the Instructor showed us one of the easiest tricks you could do which is a 360 spin on the snow. Once he had explained what to do I was pulling a few consecutive 360 spins which was wikkid.
We then finished for lunch and went to munch on the ham and cheese rolls we had prepared yum yum. We had no more lesson now so it was just us and the slope and after a few attempts we were both getting a lot better and making it all the way down which only one or two falls which was all good. By about 3ish I was completely knackered and I could feel the strain on my leg muscles so decided to call it a day, the slopes closed at 4 anyway and it gave us time to get all our stuff off and catch the bus back. Justin never turned up which was a surprise not! The lazy git. When we got back we found he had stayed in bed until about 2.30 and had not long been up haha.
In the evening we all went to watch the Lions game which was soo much fun to watch as we won hammering the opponent 109 - 6!
Unfortunately I dont have any pics from snowboarding as I thought It was too risky to take a camera, though I wish I had done as the pics would have been amazing but nevermind!
Milford Sound
Today was a super early start having to get the bus at 6.50 ouch! The bus journey was a good 4 hours or so to Milford and we had a nutty driver who was obsessed with time. We did have a couple of stop offs on the way there but they were all pretty unimpressive.
The whole day was a good 12 hour round trip which basically consisted of driving to Milford Sound, having a 2 hour ferry cruise and then getting back on the bus to drive back to Queenstown. When we finally got to Milford we were handed our ferry tickets and then boarded the red boat. This boat could hold 300 people but there was only our bus on it plus a few other people so it was awesome. The first point of call was the Underwater Observatory which was actaully floating so it did rock a little. Inside there were stairs that led down to the observatory which was circular and had glass windows all around so you could see all the sea life. The guy there was saying they had to alter the boyancy of the observatory as so much marine life had built up over the past however many years making it a lot heavier.
There was a lot of activity around the observatory and you could see a lot of marine life had set up home on it. This was looking out into the sea so was not like looking at captive fish in an aquarium so it was really kool. After we had spent 10 mins down there everyone went back to board the ferry again and continue our cruise around the scenic Milford Sound.
Milford Sound has the label of being the most scenic spot in all of NZ and it certainly was very nice as you will see from the pictures. On a couple of occasions we spotted a group of bottle nose dolphins that started swimming and jumping along side to ferry which was awesome, definately a highlight of the trip.
It was then back to the ferry port and on the bus for the drive back. I thought Milford was really nice but I didnt really think it was worth the trip out there to be honest seeing as there was plenty of beautiful scenery all around you in NZ which more or less looked the same.
The whole day was a good 12 hour round trip which basically consisted of driving to Milford Sound, having a 2 hour ferry cruise and then getting back on the bus to drive back to Queenstown. When we finally got to Milford we were handed our ferry tickets and then boarded the red boat. This boat could hold 300 people but there was only our bus on it plus a few other people so it was awesome. The first point of call was the Underwater Observatory which was actaully floating so it did rock a little. Inside there were stairs that led down to the observatory which was circular and had glass windows all around so you could see all the sea life. The guy there was saying they had to alter the boyancy of the observatory as so much marine life had built up over the past however many years making it a lot heavier.
There was a lot of activity around the observatory and you could see a lot of marine life had set up home on it. This was looking out into the sea so was not like looking at captive fish in an aquarium so it was really kool. After we had spent 10 mins down there everyone went back to board the ferry again and continue our cruise around the scenic Milford Sound.
Milford Sound has the label of being the most scenic spot in all of NZ and it certainly was very nice as you will see from the pictures. On a couple of occasions we spotted a group of bottle nose dolphins that started swimming and jumping along side to ferry which was awesome, definately a highlight of the trip.
It was then back to the ferry port and on the bus for the drive back. I thought Milford was really nice but I didnt really think it was worth the trip out there to be honest seeing as there was plenty of beautiful scenery all around you in NZ which more or less looked the same.
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