Stewart Island

The ferry ride to get from Bluff (at tip of the South Island) to Stewart Island was terribly rocky, and people were getting sick left and right (yes, some threw up). It's an hour-long ride, too. There was a storm going on so we couldn't see much outside of the windows with the crashing waves and rain. I usually don't get seasick, but I did this time and almost lost it. The boat was battered hard several times by big waves -- I suddenly had even more sympathy for the people who immigrated to New Zealand via a three-month boat ride that we had just learned about at the Otago Settlers Museum in Dunedin. There's a recreation of the sleeping quarters there -- no windows, just a small hard bunk.

little town of Oban, the only on Stewart Island

We made it to the hostel (a small, quaint place where they don't even give you keys because there is a trust policy that seems to work alright) after toting our luggage in the rain and later headed down to the dock again to see the little blue penguins come in for the night. There were only three, but they were cute to watch as they swam up then hurriedly slipped behind the rocks to make it to their hidden nests on shore. We came back the next day too and saw three again, but one did a little show and jumped off a rock into the water before disappearing.

 

The next day we lingered in the hostel waiting for the rain to let up. We darted over to the visitor center, me trying in futile to use an umbrella and having it not work at all and then expressing my anger at NZ weather. I'm not a fan of being wet. By mid-day the rain had cleared enough that we suited up in our rain gear and went out for a walk along one of the shore paths. It was nice enough and we saw some NZ birds along the way and some cool seaweed on the rocks. At dusk, we went to a nearby area that is known for kiwi sightings, but unfortunately we didn't get to see any -- just lots of other birds hunting for worms in the rain-soaked field. The short rainforest trail we took was cool though, and haunting at night. It's nice to not have to worry about predators here.

 

naughty kea birds about to be fed on someone's porch

New Zealand wood pigeon (so big!)

rainforest walk

 

treated ourselves to fish & chips after the hike

The ferry back the next day was much better and calmer. We all stood at the back in the fresh air to avoid the claustrophobic feeling of the cabin, and it seemed to work and no one got sick this time.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is one of the top tourist destinations in New Zealand, but this was the first time I made it there because it is so remote and difficult to access. We were treated to snow-covered valleys on the drive in because a big storm had rolled through very recently. The waterfalls were extra powerful and loud, too. We stopped off at The Chasm on the way in, which had rushing water under a bridge and a cool rock with a hole worn through it.

 

The big waterfall that you can see from the shore when you get to the sound is named Lady Elizabeth Bowen Falls or Hine Te Awa -- the Maori saw that it resembled the white plumage on the New Zealand wood pigeon (kereru). It is the highest waterfall in Milford Sound (162 m or 531 ft) and provides the area with power and water.  

Hine Te Awa waterfall

Believe it or not, the sound from the waterfalls was so loud that it and the wind woke us up several times during our first night there! There were waterfalls all over the mountainside next to the lodge. The following day was when we were supposed to go on our evening kayak tour. The weather was drippy in the morning but we went out for a short nature hike anyway. We hiked a little ways on a very rain-drenched trail, with puddles and slick branches everywhere. It was one of, if not the most rainforest-y spot we had been to -- very wet! We also walked to the visitor center (the only thing in Milford Sound apart from lodging and tours) and found some cool orange lichen-covered rocks on the way back.

view from Milford Sound Lodge

the shores of Milford Sound

Thankfully the weather cleared up in time for the twilight kayak tour, so it wasn't cancelled. They gave us a safety briefing and then took us via boat aways out into the sound, and then we spent the next few hours kayaking back. It was a workout for sure! The views were amazing, and being on a kayak makes you feel so small compared to the sheer cliffs and giant waterfalls. We put all the kayaks together and went under the spray from the second highest waterfall, Stirling Falls. It is 151 m (495 ft) tall - three times that of Niagara Falls. The cold water pelts you with incredible force -- I had to close my eyes for fear of my contacts falling out. It was super cool and an unforgettable experience. Our guide told us some interesting stories and we would go near the shores to look at various features. It was cool to see the pink from the sunset over the mountains.

preparing to go under Stirling Falls

successfully made it through Stirling Falls!

The next day, the sun was out and the mountainsides had a lot fewer waterfalls. It was almost a different place, and it is constantly changing like this all year round, no matter the season. We really lucked out with the bad weather having come in right before we arrived and staying away so we could enjoy this remote place (no cell reception or free internet).

Sydney's Blue Mountains at Katoomba

The cheap flights to Sydney are very early in the morning, so we had to get up before 3:00am to make it to the airport on time. Then, with the time difference, you arrive about the same time as you left, so your internal clock is confused. We took the train at the airport out to the Blue Mountains, but unfortunately there was track work that weekend so we had to transfer to a bus for the last leg of the journey. Once in the town of Katoomba (the biggest tourist spot at the Blue Mountains), we walked the short ways to Echo Point to view The Three Sisters rock formation which was lovely, then walked about a mile and a half to the downtown area to get dinner. We got caught in a thunderstorm and had to wait underneath an eave while lightning displayed above and thunder pounded and rain poured -- some of us were more enthused than others about that scenario!

The next day we went to Scenic World, which is the easiest way to explore the rainforest down in the valley of the Blue Mountains. It has the steepest railway in the world (52-degree angle), along with two cable cars: one that goes into the rainforest and one that goes across the valley and has a glass-bottom floor! The train ride down was pretty scary because it is so steep you feel like you're going straight down, but it was fun. It's like a roller coaster but without the drop. The area used to be a big coal mine, and the miners had it a lot worse back in the day when they took that trip in a dinky mine car. Taking the train back up was actually scarier I think, because you feel like your body is falling the wrong way and it feels very weird.

 

Gold Coast and Springbrook Mountain

We drove down to the Gold Coast and went to Springbrook Mountain which was inland a bit. It was covered in rainforests with several waterfall lookouts within easy driving distance from little parking lots, as well as the "Best of All Lookout" at the top with great views of everything. It was a bit freezing when the fog was rolling through, but otherwise not too bad. On the way in, we stopped at the visitor information center and the old man guide told us what sights to see. He was perpetuating the koalas-are-drunk-because-of-eucalyptus-leaves myth, but we didn't correct him. 

 

view of Surfers Paradise from the park

When we had our lunch at a picnic bench, I took some "artistic" photos of my strawberries against the foliage. They must be in season somewhere in Australia because they have been on sale at every grocery store so I haven't been able to resist buying them. 

After the park we headed to the famous Surfers Paradise on the coast. It was like a smaller Vegas or Miami with huge skyscraper hotels lining the beach and lots of shopping and restaurants. We walked along the waterfront where there was a classics car show and then through the mall before driving back to Brisbane.