New Zealand, 9-3-2017--Lake Gunn to Lake Monowai (via Milford Sound)

Sunrise from our camp at the south end of Lake Gunn.  Given that we were heading through some of the most spectacular scenery of the whole NZ trip today, we couldn't believe our good fortune when the sky rapidly cleared as the sun came up.    

Crossing the Southern Alps on the way to Milford Sound we encountered more keas.  This one was insistently chewing on the weatherstripping on the vehicle door, which the owner was doing his best to discourage.   

The highway to Milford Sound snakes through forests, over ridges and then up a long steep valley through the spectacular Southern Alps, eventually coming to a granite headwall.  There a 3/4 mile long tunnel has been drilled through the headwall. 
Above, Mr. Orange waits in line to go through Homer Tunnel.  The tunnel is single lane, like so many of the bridges in NZ, so vehicles queue up at either end and wait for the green light.   

We still can't believe our incredible good fortune to be travelling through the Southern Alps to Milford Sound on an absolutely clear day.  Given that we revel in such mountain vistas and that Milford Sound averages 252" of precipitation annually, we were so grateful to have been here on this day. 

Milford Sound in all its glory.  It was actually busier and noisier than the photo indicates.  Small planes and helicopters continually took off from a nearby airstrip.  Just as continually, busloads of tourists came and went and tour boats, sometimes 5 at a time, carried tourists up and down the fiord.  As if that wasn't enough, all the while a helicopter high overhead was dropping 1080 poison down on the scene.  Incredibly beautiful, but quite bizarre.  

More alpine scenery near Milford Sound.

Water rushes down everywhere it can from the snow covered peaks to the Sound.

Looking down on the crown of a fern tree.

Signs notwithstanding, a woman fed this kea some bread.  After that it wouldn't leave her alone, picking her out from the small crowd that had gathered and following her closely wherever she walked in the parking lot. 

Leaving Milford Sound, we stop at the west side of Homer Tunnel and take a last look down the valley toward Milford Sound. 

Leaving Milford Sound and the Southern Alps we headed south through the agricultural area just east of Fiordland National Park.