MILFORD SOUND ,The eighth wonder of the world

KIA ORA!!!!!

WELCOME TO PIOPIOTAHI

MILFORD SOUND

NEWZEALAND

PANORAMIC VIEW OF MILFORD SOUND

Deep within Fiordland National Park lies Milford Sound, New Zealand’s most stunning natural attraction. With its magical combination of mountain peaks, ink-dark waters and superb dramatic forest-clad cliffs, it must be seen to be believed.

An amazingly beautiful place, named as the 8th wonder of the world by the famous British journalist and writer, Rudyard Kipling.

In 2008, Milford Sound was declared as world's top travel destination, in the international survey conducted by Trip Advisor.

Milford Sound runs 15 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1,200 meters (3,900 ft.) or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 1,517 meters (4,977 ft.), said to resemble an elephant's head, and The Lion, 1,302 meters (4,272 ft.), in the shape of a crouching lion.

Milford Sound sports two permanent waterfalls, Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls. After heavy rain temporary waterfalls can be seen running down the steep sided rock faces that line the fiord. They are fed by rain water drenched moss and will last a few days at most once the rain stops.

LOCATION:

Milford sound is situated in the south west part of south New Zealand, within the Fiord land national park.

GETTING THERE:

Te Anau is the nearest town to Milford Sound. 

Most easy to incorporate in any Itinerary, the easiest way to reach Te Anau is from Queenstown.

Distance between Queenstown and Te Anau is 172 kms and driving time is approximately 2 to 2.5 hours.

Distance between Te Anau and Milford Sound is 117 kms, and driving time is approximately 1,45 hours.

ITINENRARIES:

Suggested Itineraries for Milford sound:

1)      A day trip from Queenstown to Milford sound, which includes a boat cruise in Milford Sound with an option of Helicopter ride, either in return or to and fro from Te Anau. 

2)      An over night or extended stay at Te Anau, and take time to do various activities in and around Milford Sound and also enjoy the tranquillity of the quiet town of Te Anau.

THE JOURNEY:

As all journeys in New Zealand are, the road trip from Ta Anau to Milford Sound is wonderfully picturesque. First scenic spot on the way is Ta Anau Downs, a great spot to view Murchison Mountains. 

The next stop is Mirror lake.  Small tarns (mountain lakes) on the roadside reflect the outstanding views of Earl mountians.

Mirror Lake

We then pass through the famous Homer tunnel at the altitude of 945 meters above sea level, which pierces through sheer rock and was completed way back in 1953.

Next stop is the Chasm,where we find a series of ferocious  streams cutting through the rocks and giving them various shapes .

The Chasm

At last, we reach the famous Milford Sound and as soon as we enter the cruise boat terminal, we are awestruck by the view of Mitre Peak .

Mitre Peak

The cruise takes us through the Milford Sound fjords till the Tasman Sea. Through out the tour we can see many small and few big waterfalls cascading down the mountains and seals basking in sunlight on the rocks on shore line.

                              

                                                 Waterfall at Milford Sound

Hidden under the surface in Harrison Cove is a unique and beautiful environment where one can see the rare black corals and colourful sea creatures. In the middle of Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, is the Underwater Observatory, where by descending just 10 meters underwater, we can observe all these from an air conditioned viewing area.

Underwater Observatory

After the cruise ,proceed to the divide car park from where we proceed for The Key Summit hike which offers one of the best views of Milford Sound. The hike is a constant steady climb ,not too steep and one with average fitness can easily complete.

Key Summit Hike

In a single day, one can enjoy the picturesque area of Milford Sound and be back to either Te Anau or Queenstown by late evening. Any trip to New Zealand is incomplete without the visit to Milford Sound, where journey is also as beautiful as the destination.

Explore the unknown ,Discover new places, Plan exotic vacations

KIA ORA!!! WELCOME TO TE PUIA

 ROTORUA NEWZEALAND

TE PUIA

Te Puia ,located in Rotorua Newzealand, is a place of wonderful geothermal phenomenon and native Maori culture . It is considered to be a sacred place for Maori people and visitors here are treated with utmost respect and warmth and tourists are also expected to return the same and maintain the sanctity of the place.

As we approach Te Puia,the ever present odour of mild sulphur in air of Rotorua, becomes a bit strong, so does the excitement of being on an actual geothermal or say volcanic active area .

This is the only place in world where we can actually experience the geothermal activity in safest possible way.

As we start the tour,we are welcomed warmly by the local Maori guide, who keeps us entertained with information and stories of their upbringing in Maori culture.

Te Puia experience can be widely divided in two parts.

1) Geothermal Natural Wonders

2) Maori culture

GEOTHERMAL NATURAL WONDERS

Bubbling mud pools,steam rising from streams ,rocks coated with greenish yellow sulphuric minerals, pools of boiling water still used for cooking, and stunning geysers, these are the few wonders ,we will see as we walk through the area. Along the path we also see local Maori huts and statues.

Purapurawhetu ( Mud pools)

 Purapurawhetu means star dust,and it takes it name from the small clusters of boiling mud which resembles the pattern of stars and galaxy . We are hypnotised by the whirls of bubbling mud and steam rising from it. the mud is dark in color due to presence of black sulphur in it.

Gyesers

POHUTU GEYSER

There were many geysers in this area and they are named in Maori language ,like Pohutu,Papakura and Te horu. Only Pohutu geyser is active now and is the largest in southern hemisphere. It erupts once or twice every hour and sometimes can reach the height of 100 feet. POHUTU means constant splashing in Maori language. The eruption can last from few minutes to few hours.

Cooking pools

Ngāraratuatara, is the Maori name for cooking pools, where food is boiled in the hot water of these geothermal area. This style of cooking is called INGO, where flax baskets of fresh food is lowered in these hot pools to cook food. Another style of cooking is HANOI, where a pit is dug and food is place in flax baskets over hot rocks, covered with leaves and soil . This style of cooking infuses the food with a delicious flavour of geothermal heat.

This amazing geothermal tour is best taken in late afternoon to catch the wondorous scenes at twilight.

Just opposite the famous Pohutu geyser, are the rows of rocks which are naturally heated by the lava underneath, and one can sit on them to get warm, as the sun sets.   

As the sunsets, and the lights go on, the steam rising from geysers, the mild odour of sulphur, the guzzling sounds of the streams, the warmth of the rocks, cold in the air, all come together to create an amazing experience, touching our spirits and stimulating all our senses.

MAORI CULTURE

As we come to end of the geothermal tour, we are taken to the scared Maori area, where we tour  Maori buildings, their art of making clothes, bags and other accessories, their sculpture, and workshops. Every year few students are chosen amongst their community to teach them these art and culture and hence, the ancient culture of Maori is preserved.

After the tour, the head of Maori clan comes to welcome us to their community hall, where they display their traditional dance skills,  and few of their dace steps are taught to all and later we are served their traditional Hanoi dinner.

Thus comes the end to a wonderful evening spent in this scared Maori geo thermal area.

 

EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN,DISCOVER NEW PLACES,PLAN EXOTIC VACATIONS

KIA ORA!WELCOME TO AORAKI

MT COOK (AAORAKI) NEWZEALAND

MT COOK

MT.COOK KNOWN AS MT AORAKI IN LOCAL MAORI LANGUAGE IS THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN PEAK IN NEWZEALAND. SITUATED IN SOUTH ISLAND,THE MT COOK NATIONAL PARK IS AN ALPINE REGION OF 700KMS .
UNTOUCHED BY URBANISATION ,IT IS A REGION OF PRISTINE BLUE SKY,EQUALLY BLUE LAKES SURROUNDED BY SOUTHERN APLS MOUNTAIN RANGE.

IN THIS REGION,IS THE LARGEST GLACIER IN NEWZEALAND, TASMAN GLACIER AND TASMAN LAKE FORMED BY THE GLACIER.

                                                                       MT COOK

                                                    TASMAN GLACIER AND LAKE

ANY TOUR OF NEWZEALAND IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT A VISIT TO MT COOK.

LOACATION:

VILLAGE MT COOK IS SITUATED IN SOUTH ISLAND OF NEWZEALAND.

GETTING THERE:

AS WE TRAVEL THE SOUTH NEWZEALAND ,THERE ARE MAINLY THREE ROUTES TO MT COOK VILLAGE.

  1) FROM CHRISTCHURCH:

      DISTANCE  IS 333 KMS AND TIME IS  4 HOURSAPPROXIMATELY

     

  2)FROM QUEENSTOWM

     DIATANCE IS 264 KMS AND TIMES IS 3 HOURS APPROXIMATLEY

 

  3)FROM WANAKA

     DISTANCE IS 208 KMS AND TIME IS 2.5 HOURS APROXIMATLEY.

EVERY DRIVE IN NEWZEALAND IS A SCENIC ONE BUT FROM TWIZEL THE LAST 41 KMS TO MT COOK IS A MOST PICTURESQUE JOURNEY ON SHORES OF THE MOST BLUE LAKE EVER SEEN,LAKE PUKAKI. ONE SIDE IS THE VAST BLUE EXPANSE OF LAKE AND AHEAD LOOMS THE SNOW CLAD PEAKS OF SOUTHERNALPS WITH GLIMPSE OF MAJESTIC MT COOK .

DRIVE TO MT COOK

LAKE PUKAKI

A TYPICAL TWO DAY ITINENARY FOR MT COOK:

DAY ONE

ARRIVE AT MT COOK ,EARLY IN THE DAY AND GO STRAIGHT FOR HELIHIKE .THEN SPEND A QUIET EVENING EXPLORING SIR EDUND HILLARY ALPINE CENTER. BOOK THE BIG STAR GAZING TOUR FOR THE NIGHT AND ENJOY THE MOST DARKEST SKY IN THE WORLD ,AND BE DAZZLED BY MILLIONS OF STARS,NEBULAS,AND A GALAXY OR TWO.

DAY TWO

SPEND THE DAY CHOOSING FROM ACTIVITIES LIKE HIKING AND 4WD ARGO RIDES.TAKE EITHER AN EARLY MORNING GLACIER EXPLORER BOAT RIDE IN TASMAN GLACIER LAKE ,AND THEN OPT FOR HALF DAY HIKING OR ARGO RIDES AND LEAVE EARLY NEXT DAY,ORTAKE A FULL DAY HIKE ,DO GLACIER EXPLORERS NEXT DAY.

DAY THREE

TIME TO SAY BYE TO MT COOK AND CONTINUE FURTHER EXPLORING NEWZEALND

ACCOMODATION:

THERE ARE FEW OPTIONS TO STAY AT MT COOK VILLAGE ,BEST BEING THE HERMITAGE HOTEL WHICH ALSO HOSTS THE SIR EDMUND HILLARY ALPINE CENTER ON ITS PREMSIS,BUT STILL THERE ARE FEW OTHER MOTELS AND A YMCA ALSO .

FOR A VEGETRAIN INDIAN TRAVELLER THERE ARE NOT MUCH FOOD OPTIONS AVAILABLE,SO DONT FORGET TO BUY VEGETRAIN FOOD FROM THE YOUR LAST DESTINATION.

HOTEL HERMITAGE MT COOK

ACTIVITIES:

THERE ARE NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES WHICH ONE CAN CHOOSE FROM AND ARE LISTED AS BELOW:

1) BIG STAR GAZING AT MT COOK

MT COOK NATIONAL PARK IS DECLARED AS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE  AND ALSO IS APPORVED AS ONE OF THE FEW INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY RESERVES.

AS THIS AREA IS FAR AWAY FROM CITY LIGHTS EVEN BY NAKED EYES  AN ARM OF MILKY WAY GALAXY IS VISIBLE.AT NIGHT VISIORS ARE TAKEN TO AN AIRFIELD AND BY USE OF BINOCULARS AND TELESCOPES,PLANETS,NEBULAS,STAR CLUSTERS AND EVEN DISTANT GALAZIES ARE SHOWN ,ALONG WITH EASY TO UNDERSTAND NARRATION.

BIG STAR GAZING

2) GLACIER EXPLORES .

 TAKE A BOAT RIDE IN THE LAKE TASMAN FORMED BY THE TASMAN LAKE .

IT IS ONE IN KIND TOUR IN THE WORLD AS ITS ONLY ACCESSIBLE LAKE WITH ICEBERGS FLOATING IN IT.THIS TOUR ALSO STARTS FROM HOTEL HERMITAGE AND TAKES US NEAR TO THE TASMAN LAKE. THEN AFTER A HIKE OF 20 MINUTES,WE REACH TASMAN LAKE. THE LAKE IS LITERALLY LITTERED WITH ICEBERGS,AND ONE CAN ACTUALLY TOUCH THESE ICEBERGS AND HOLD SMALL PIECES IN HANDS.

ITS AN AWESOME SIGHT,TASMAN GLACIERS RIGHT AHEAD,ICERBERGS AROUND US AND LATERAL MOARINES, 200MTS HIGH ,SURROUNDING US AND FAR AHEAD SMOW CLAD PEAKS OF SOUTHERN ALPS.

BOATING IN TASMAN LAKE

 3) HELIHIKE

  AN ADVENTURE UNPARALLEL,STARTING WITH A HELICOPTER RIDE,SPENDING SOME TIME FOR AERIAL VIEWS OF GLACIERS AND THEN ACTUAL LANDING ON ICE FIELD OF GLACIER SOME 1200 MTS HIGH.

AFTER ORIENTATION FROM GUIDE AND PUTTING ON CRAMPONS,START A TWO HOUR HIKE ACROSS THE GLACIER ,AMONGST ICE CAVES,TUNNELS,AND SNOW FORMATIONS AND SMALL STREAMLETS.A MEDIUM LEVEL OF FITNESS IS

REQUIRED FOR HELIHIKE. OR THERE ARE OPTIONS FOR JUST HELICOPTER RIDES WITHOUT LANDINGS ALSO. ONE CAN ALSO OPT FOR SKI PLANES.

  HELIHIKE IN TASMAN GLACIER MT COOK

 4) MT COOK DAY WALKS

     SPEND A DAY IN THE NATIONAL PARK BY TAKING A GUIDED WALKING TOUR IN HOOKER VALLEY. OPT FROM HALF DAY 7 KMS TOUR OR TAKE FULL DAY 14 KMS TOUR WHICH GOES TILL TERMINAL LAKE OF HOOKER GLACIER AND BACK. ON THE WAY ENJOY THE AWESOME VIEWS OF MT COOK,AND LISTEN TO THE INFOMATIVE TALKS OF GUIDE ABOUT FLORA FAUNA AND HISTORY OF THIS VIRGIN PLACE.

HIKING IN MT COOK

 5) FOUR WD AND ARGO TOURS

   ARGOS ARE ALL TERRAIN 8 WHEELS VEHICLES WHICH CAN TRAVEL ON WATER ICE AND STEEP TERRAIN MAKING THEM IDEAL VEHICLE TO EXPLORE THIS RUGGED TERRAIN. SIMILARLY ONE CAN TOUR THIS TERRAIN ON 4WD ALSO.

ARGO RIDES

AFTER THE  UNFORGETABLE EXPERIENCE WITH BEAUTY,ADVENTURE AND AMAZING NATURE AT MT COOK, ITS TIME TO CONTINUE THE JOURNEY AHEAD IN THIS WONDERFUL COUNTRY.

AN APT AND PEACEFUL STOP WOULD BE A DAY SPENT AT TWIZEL OR ON SHORES OF LAKE TEKAPO ,SOAKING IN THE PEACEFUL BLUE SKIES AND EQUALLY BLUE WATERS OF THE LAKE. HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!!!

                                                                

                                                                   LAKE TEKAPO