When we arrived to Milford Sound Lodge we got a small surprise. We found a young woman changing clothes in our room. She was surprised even more, because she asked for female dormitory and now she got two male snorers! I don't blame her for asking Zuzka in the morning when we are leaving :-) To her satisfaction, we left at about 10am.

Our Milford Sound cruise was booked at 11:45, but we wanted to take some photos around. It was cloudy with a prospect of better weather. But as we learned in Milford Wharf Visitor Centre any hints of blue sky do not mean anything here, because Milford Sound gets 7 metres of rainfall in 180 days. It proved to me Theory of relativity works - since then we were happy with weather we got.

We selected a cruise with BBQ lunch. It was very nice change after eating chocolate bars, dry meat and powdered soups for 3 days. I am not suggesting I would not be able to continue with that habit for longer, but it was not needed any more.

Milford Sound continues in good tradition of waterfalls that started during our Milford Track hike and for Zuzka and me it was not boring at all. Thanks to them and steep hills around it looks like Geirangerfjord in Norway. Very nice.

This is one of the places cruise operators help visitors to get wet.
    

Seals are resting on those rocks. They don't have many places around to do so, because water is deep right next to hills.

We have visited also underwater observatory, looking forward to see a sea life usually living at deeper places (the Sound provides good conditions just couple of metres below surface thanks to its murky water), but somehow we could see only one breed of fish. Conditions were probably not so good today. They gave us also some kind of excuse, but I forgot. So we looked at photos instead, imagining how those creatures would look like in life.

And it was time to get back. We went along the other side, so we could enjoy rest of waterfalls up close.

We had a few hours more before our bus to Te Anau was scheduled, so we waited in wharf and occasionally ventured out to take pictures. Weather got really better, but still I could only dream about nice view of Mitre Peak giving this place its typical look.

We have seen arrival of boat from Milford Track with hikers. It was interesting to see how we possibly looked like yesterday. All people tired and happy to be in civilisation again. Poor folks, they had really bad rain yesterday afternoon - exactly at place we have been lucky with sunshine and stunning scenery. Well, that's Fiordland!

Three views of Bowen Falls.

Wow, top of Mitre Peak is visible!

Milford Track is over there, where the hills are the bluest.