Cruise to New Zealand and Australia

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Thursday, 6 February 2025 - Cruised through Fiordland National Park, navigating Dusky Sound and Resolution Island amid clouds and fog, enjoying misty waterfalls, rugged fjords, and glimpses of mountains, then reached Milford Sound where Bottlenose Dolphins and Fur Seals were spotted, with dramatic cliffs, Bowen Falls, and Stirling Falls providing stunning scenery throughout the day.

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It was a very cloudy day and threatened rain.

This is a rock formation at the entrance to the Dusky Sound called the Five Fingers.
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The Seabourn Quest moved slowly along the Dusky Sound with mountains on both sides.

Of course, we cannot see the tops due to the clouds and fog.
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Now and then the fog lifts and shows the green shoreline.
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The observation deck is not crowded as there is a fine mist. There are many people on the inside looking through the glass at the dramatic landscapes.
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The water is serenely calm and the vistas moody.
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We turn after traversing Long Island to travel to the east side of Resolution Island.

These islands float in the still water.
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A branch, we depart, to the right is Wat Jacket Arm, another fjord.
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One of several small waterfalls we pass.
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Steep mountains frame the channels created by glaciers.
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The day continued to be foggy, and misty rain kept Cal's camera damp.
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Emerging from the fjords, we are met by Breaksky Island. It is also covered in clouds.
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The very menacing shoreline of Mount Richards, which rises from here over 3,000 feet.
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Easy to understand how ships wrecked along the coast with these wicked rocks covered in fog.
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This interesting cross between clouds and fog hung in the hills.
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Now and then sunlight breaks through the clouds.
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A mix of sunlight and fog.
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Sunlight touches a set of hills with a low mist created by crashing waves.
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The mountains must be spectacular, but we see only fog-shrouded foothills.
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Suddenly a gap in the fog/clouds lets us glimpse the mountains for the first time.
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A juvenile Southern Black-Backed Gull caught while flying near the ship, we spend hours watching the beautiful vistas.
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Then the big attraction of the day, Milford Sound. This is the entrance to the fjord.

Initially overlooked by European explorers, Milford Sound with its narrow entry surprisingly leads into large interior bays. Sailing ship captains like James Cook, bypassed Milford Sound for just this reason. They also feared venturing too close to the steep mountainsides and with poor wind conditions might prevent escape.
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A fog covers the cliffs on each side of the sound.
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As we progress inland in Milford Sound, the fog lifts, revealing the high mountains on each side of the water.
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Several Bottlenose Dolphins were right off the front of the ship.

With the improving weather and the fact we are in Milford Sound, the Observation Deck is very crowded and the sighting of Dolphins makes it difficult to move around.
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Two rocky outcroppings on either side provide a place for Fur Seals to relax.

They are hard to see, and many on the ship miss them completely. They are in the foreground at the edges where the rock changes from dark to light, and look like brown blobs on the rock.
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The rugged mountains of Milford Sound.
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Looking to the end of Milford Sound.
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The mountains of Milford Sound still have clouds in them.
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Bowen Falls tumbles 531 feet into the sound.

The river and waterfalls were named for Lady Bowen, wife of George Bowen, the fifth governor of New Zealand. The governor visited Milford Sound aboard HMS Clio in 1871, and Bowen Falls was named to mark the occasion.
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Rugged ridge line marches right into the clouds.
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Mount Pembroke at over 6,600 feet is in the background with snow.

In the foreground is Mount Kimberley.
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As we head out of Milford Sound, another large cruise ship enters.

The ship gives some perspective on how large the cliffs are reaching into the sea.
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The green cliffs of Mount Kimberley.
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Stirling Falls is 508 feet high.

The waterfall is named for Captain Stirling, who sailed the HMS Cleo into Milford Sound in the 1870s.
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Stirling Falls, with a tour boat for scale.
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Just could not stop taking pictures of Stirling Falls, it is so pretty.
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