Famous and beautiful Milford Sound

Today is Tuesday, March 25.  We rode two hours north of Te Anau to Milford Sound.  This area of many fiords is the one absolute must-see for any visitor to New Zealand.  During our drive, we had rain and more rain, and low clouds and wind.  Not a great day for a boat ride.  We had heard that seeing the fiords in the rain can be beautiful, because the rain creates more waterfalls.  Well, maybe, but I could sense the disappointment in everyone on our bus.  However--ta-da!--as good luck would have it, by the time we reached the boat docks, the blue sky and sunshine appeared.  That's what we really wanted, of course.  We boarded a big boat, and headed out into the fiords.  Holy cow, how beautiful our ride was!  The morning rain did, indeed, create extra waterfalls--we saw many of them, big and small.  Plus, we had the sun to light up the hills and mountain peaks and water.  John and I spent the hour and a half out on the top deck, so we could see everything around us on all sides, including dolphins and seals.  A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a few to enjoy.

We loved the beautiful, breezy boat ride.

See the waterfalls?  The boat?  The rainbow?