Simply put, cruising the Milford Sound in pristine weather must be the most stunning vista one can achieve in New Zealand. Mitre Peak rises from the water, so steep it’s impossible to fathom that what you’re looking at is a mile above your head. Cliff-side waterfalls 3 times the height of Niagara Falls are made to look like achievable cliff jumps as they’re dwarfed by the sheer size of the surrounding fjord walls carved long ago by massive glaciers. The (incorrectly named) “sound” opens up at the Tasman Sea, and as the boat turned around to head back in through the mighty mountain gates, we were greeted with the view as seen by early explorers meandering their way along the coast. Oh, to happen upon such a jaw-dropping scene on their journey. What a rush it must have been, finding yourself in a place never meant to be found.
The entire cruise heightened my desire to explore. Perhaps when I’m an astronaut someday, I’ll find something similar on Mars, or one of Saturn’s moons. Until then, I must settle for imagining I’m the first to ever lay eyes on these beautiful veins of still water amidst monstrous rock.
My day will come...