Pride of Ilford & Queenstown Beginnings

(Written 17/12, 20.15)

Wow. A long but easy day, and New Zealand is definitely the most spectacularly natural country I have ever seen. Today we ventured to Milford Sounds via The Fiordlands (yet another national park). The trip was in the form of a coach ride, boat trip, and then return coach. The drive from Queenstown to Te Anau allowed for a much needed catch-up sleep before the wonders began! The Fiordlands gave seemingly endless landscapes of foresty mountains, which were not actually as mind-blowing as yesterday's views of Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea (which were up there with the best) on the drive from Franz Josef to Queenstown. But when we reached the boat ride of Milford Sounds, we quickly understood why this is a one of the major highlights of NZ. The Milford Sounds is in fact a fiord, which is a lake in a valley that has been carved by a glacier. (Sounds are valleys created by dried up lakes.) 

Cool story bro. 

Thanks.

The fiords of Milford Sounds meant we were cruising over a beautifully still lake (that eventually joined the Tasman Sea) between awesomely-shaped mountains towering at 2000m. The powerful waterfalls down from the Alps became a normal sight! This was a special corner of the world, and it is understandable that Peter Jackson chose to film there!

The coach driver was also extremely knowledgeable about NZ (as most of the drivers have been), and I learnt a lot of interesting things about people and nature. It turns out that all of the land mammals in NZ now were actually introduced by Europeans (including the sheep!). Apparently it was only birds and realise before because previously NZ was largely underwater. So Europeans introduced "wildlife" either for farming or hunting, and also some plants and trees. Well it turns out that nature's balancing of the universe is very necessary, and most of these introductions have turned into pests! Now the humans have to hunt them to save the forests and birds, and are encouraged to do so by the Department of Conservation! Baffling. Probably should refrain from messing with nature in the first place, eh? The more I learn, the more I start to think that evolution made a mistake when it got to humans! 

NZ South Island is supremely well conserved beyond this, and Queenstown is very cool. Located at the end of Lake Queenstown and surrounded by mountains, it is strange to think that this is also the party central of New Zealand! Beauty of a town - almost seems like living material?