The wheels on the bus

This morning, we left the hotel in Queenstown and began to make our way to Fiordland. I had always spelled the word with a j like the Norwegians: fjord. The Kiwis spell it with an i: fiord. Learned something new today. 

The drive to Milford Sound was a long one. Evidently. It was kind of close to where we woke up as the crow flies, but to get there by ground, we had to take the long way around. 

There were so many beautiful things to see along the way; and we made several stops to take it all in. I think my favorite thing was the mirror lakes. Rather than trying to explain, I'll just show you: 

 

When we got to Milford Sound, we boarded a boat that took us across a beautiful glacial lake and gave us some pretty sweeping views of Fiordland. 

There were so many waterfalls that I didn't bother counting. It was absolutely stunning. There isn't any other way to explain it. We got right up next to a few of the waterfalls- close enough to catch a fine mist. We also saw some really beautiful scenery. Admittedly, I've never seen the Lord of the Rings movies that were filmed here, but I may watch then when I get home just for the scenery. I can see how a film director would pick New Zealand as a primary location. 

We've just arrived after a long bus ride back to our Queenstown hotel, and I think all we have on the agenda is dinner. Off for a meal, folks. Good night.

Oh, why not one more thing- here's a waterfall: