Circumnavigating New Zealand — Fiordland 2020; Entering Milford Sound

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

In March 2020, after our circumnavigation of Australia aboard Royal Caribbean’s ship Radiance of the Seas, we returned to Fiordland National Park. You’ll recall from the past two weeks that we made a similar journey through Fiordland aboard Majestic Princess, but under much better weather conditions.

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

We arrived very early in the morning at the first of two fiords we would travel this day, so the low sunlight hidden behind inclimate weather only added to the sense of dreariness.

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

But fortunately, dreariness does not mean the absence of drama or interest. While the images captured this day had a different mood, they were no less interesting that those taken twelve months earlier. And in some ways the low clouds actually added to some of the imagery.

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

Our first fiord this day was Milford Sound, which English writer Rudyard Kipling proclaimed as his choice for the Eighth Wonder of the World. On this day it was easy to see why he thought that.

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

Before entering the fiord the water was just a tad on the choppy side, with waves crashing along the distant shoreline:

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

But once we entered Milford Sound the waters calmed to the nearly glass-like conditions we experienced in 2019 aboard Majestic Princess:

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

Milford Sound extends deeply into the South Island of New Zealand. The fiord is 9.4 miles/15.1 kilometers long, and at it’s widest point extends over 1.2 miles/2 kilometers. The maximum depth is 955 feet/291 meters, and the surrounding mountains rise to nearly 4,800 feet/1,520 meters.

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

But this day was mostly about the peaks and the clouds topping them:

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand