Days 5 and 6: We headed down through Te Anau
towards Milford Sound and were fitted with mountain bikes for
a spectacular ride through the Eglinton and Hollyford Valleys
to The Divide. It was a rather strenuous ride and the 25 miles
that I did were more than enough (think long, steep hills). It
was then a short haul through the Homer Tunnel and through the
Alps where we descended over 3,000 feet into Milford Sound. We
spent the night at Milford Lodge, the only accommodations in the
entire valley.
We woke rather early the next day and were suited up and floating
in kayaks by 8 AM. The first 30 minutes or so on the sound were
tranquil and beautiful, but the winds increased throughout the
morning and we were soon being battered by 4 foot waves of frigid
water. It was nice to be back on land and have a warm shower.
After cleaning up we spent most of the day driving to Queenstown
for our last couple of days together.