milford.

Oh my gosh, okay. I just got back from the dreamiest day trip of my life: across the Milford track from Te Anau to the sound. I managed to get a nice tour within my budget which was small-- five other couples joined my lonesome self, and I was the youngest there by at least thirty years but no where near the liveliest. 

Seeing Milford Sound was my true dream for my time here in New Zealand. It's probably the reason I'm here at all. Nestled into Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound (it's not really a sound, but a fiord-- rather than being carved by a river, it was carved by a glacier) is without a doubt the most special place on these islands. It was a rainy day, so the mountains weren't as clear as in the tourist pictures I've been drooling over, but I preferred it that way. I think fog is probably my favorite aesthetic, so quiet and dark and heavy. it affects you like that.

We made tooonnnss of pit stops along the way to itty bitty places with weird histories and gorgeous scenery. Some waterfalls, cascades, historic camps of famous travelers...

We spent so much time in the rainforests here, and I'm covered in sandfly bites now. The mossy, rich landscapes were worth every one, no doubt.

 

 They're hard to see, but there's a whole colony of baby boy seals on that rock, ahhhh

I've been in a daze ever since.