Jan. 2

Te Anau to Milford Sound, and back

More rain, but it's hard to complain - parts of the area average more than an inch of rain a day.
The 75-mile drive to Milford Sound is billed as one of the most scenic in the world, and it certainly has a lot to look out - following a mountain valley up until finally reaching the head of the valley, then driving through about a mile-long tunnel to get to the other side and a swift drop down to Milford Sound, one of several glacier-carved sea inlets, lined on all sides with sheer vertical natural walls.
The end of the road, Milford Sound's visitor centre, is one of the major tourist destinations of New Zealand, but it's somewhat of a letdown. Unless you're planning on taking one of the many cruises through the sound, it's the drive and the many walks along the way that make the journey memorable.
Everywhere you look in Fiordland there's a waterfall, especially if you're there when it's raining, as we are. We walked to several waterfalls, and lakes, and other points of interest - it took us nearly six hours to go from Te Anau to Milford Sound, and an hour and a half to get back.