By Liz

12th March (happy birthday mum!)

We understood now how diverse this country could be, crossing from the lakes to the wild jungle of the Fiordland. It was magical. And of course, bugs everywhere!

Our first posh coach from Queenstown to Manapouri:

The boat that took us to the power station. It was stunning weather.

We arrived at the power station, and got onto another coach to drive over Wilmot Pass. The driver was quirky, and told us all about the hydraulic power station that had been put in. 10m diameter tunnel was bored through the mountain to funnel water. Incredible really.

We all were told there was a view. The mist and clouds prevented that though, didn’t stop us from looking!

We were told to wait on the ‘fully air conditioned’ platform for our boat that would take us on the Sound.

It was windy!

This was our tour guide, he was amazing. He had a good sense of humour too! We managed to spot some dolphins in a bay, and saw seals on the island closest to the Tasman Sea.

There was a moment when the captain turned off the engine and we came to a stop. The bird noises above the pressing silence was all you could hear. The outside world just disappeared. Utter calm.

It was an incredible day.