No gardens were viewed today but we had a beautiful cruise on Milford Sound. There was a 2 hour drive with many scenic stops before we got on the ship.

FARMLAND VIEWS

Red Tussock Grass (Carex sp. ) Some brown grasses for the garden: Carex testacea, Carex buchananii, Carex flagellifera, Carex secta.

These are Russell Lupines which have become weeds along the highways of Southern New Zealand. What a beautiful weed! (Photo provided by Bruce Wakefield)

VIEWS OF THE SOUTHERN ALPS

These mountains are about 9000′ tall. The tallest mountain in New Zealand is Mt. Cook at 12,000′ which is about 100 miles north of this place.

MIRROR LAKES

Photo courtesy of Bruce Wakefield

KEA BIRD

This is where the Kea lives:

The Kea is the world’s only alpine parrot. It likes to steal things from tourists such as pieces of fabric or plastic. Someone left their car door open and it stole a piece of the waterproofing gasket around the door.

MILFORD CRUISE

Milford has long been called a sound but it is actually a fiord which is a glacial valley that has been filled with seawater. A sound is a river created valley that has been filled with seawater. Milford Sound is part of Fiordland National Park.

Our cruise was about 2 hours long and it included lunch:

The Milford Sound is part of the Tasman Sea which reaches over to Tasmania and Australia. It comes several miles inland into Fiordland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand.

There are many waterfalls along the edge of Milford Sound:

Some dolphins started following our ship. They were happy to see us. We are part of the first wave of tourists that have returned to New Zealand after the pandemic.

Our ship stopped to let off some hikers:

Other views of Milford Sound:

Leaving Milford Sound and entering the ocean:

Tomorrow – Queenstown Gardens