The entrance to Milford Sound at Dale Point is approximately 548-metres wide and only 27-metres deep compared with the rest of  the fiord which is about 350-metres deep.

 

Out in the Tasman Sea we get views back into this dramatic fiord which is dominated by Mount Pembroke (2,000-metres high) and Mitre Peak (1,692-metres). The latter is one of the highest mountains in the world to rise directly from the ocean shore.

 

Milford Sound has some wonderful waterfalls including Lady Bowen Falls (right) which drops 160-metres from a hanging valley, and Fairy Falls (left) where boats cruise close enough for passengers to catch water in a cup.

 

With the prevailing wind behind us, it is a calmer journey back. We talk to two young backpackers, one of whom has broken bones due to an accident on a quad bike!

After this wonderful cruise, with its unexpectedly good weather, we reverse this morning's drive of Highway 94. Again, we make a number of stops to full appreciate the scenery between Milford Sound and Te Anau. At the chasm (left) we repeat this morning's walk to see the rapids, but the sun is still unable to penetrate into the very narrow water-shaped channel.

 

On the further side of Homer Tunnel, three keas are entertaining the tourists with their aggressive behaviour

We reach Te Anau just before 6pm after again crossing the 45° South line of Latitude

In Te Anau, we enjoy venison burgers at the Bailiez Cafe, then explore the town centre shops, including a branch of a department store we have seen elsewhere in New Zealand. The store is so old-fashioned that it seems to be stuck in a 1950s time warp. As we stroll along the lakeshore there is a very pleasant evening sky

 

Today, we are travelling from Fiordland on the west coast of South Island to New Zealand's fourth largest city: Dunedin. This is a drive of almost 400-kilometres, so we set out at 8am and take Highway 94 southeast through Lumsden to Gore, which we reach at 9:40am after driving 140-kilometres on an empty road through pleasant countryside. In Gore (the brown trout capital of the world!), we get coffee then explore this small town that spans the Mataura River. As well as an enormous fish statue, the town boasts a large sheep statue in acknowledgment of this animal's contribution to the local economy. After purchasing (and then eating) some enticing buns from a local bakery, we drive on Highway 1 through Clinton to Balclutha. From Balclutha, Highway 1 turns northeast to Dunedin, so this is as far south as we go in New Zealand, although South Island's most southerly point is approximately 75-kilometres further away. At 46° 14' South (and 169° 44' East) this is the farthest point south we have ever been in the world. David marks the occasion by using the local public convenience, before we drive on to the Otago Peninsula

Almost at the end of the Peninsula we find Penguin Place on McGrouther's Farm where we book for the 1:15pm tour. After a slide presentation and a talk about penguins and their conservation, we are the only people on a 1½-hour tour of the beachside penguin nesting area - a system of camouflaged trenches and hides amongst the dunes, mostly home to lethargic yellow-eyed penguin chicks

On the bus ride back, we are held up for a short while by a huge flock of sheep blocking the road, creating a scene we had imagined we would have seen on more occasions throughout New Zealand

We depart Penguin Place just as a big group of tourists arrive for the next tour. A few kilometres further towards the end of the Otago Peninsula we find the Royal Albatross Centre full of tourists. It is now almost 3pm, but both the 3pm and 3:30pm tours are fully booked. We therefore book for the 6pm tour including an optional visit to the tunnels of Fort Taiaroa which lie beneath the nature reserve.

 

In the meantime we visit Lanarch Castle which is situated on a hill above Otago Harbour. The castle is a bizarre 19th-Century Gothic Revival building created for an Australian banker and politician, William Lanarch. A video presentation provides a fascinating history of the Lanarch family, and a self-guided tour provided access to the sumptuous rooms on all floors. From the house's tower, there are fine views of the peninsula, the harbour, and the castle's attractive gardens.

 

Back at Taiaroa Head, we have time for cheese scones and coffee in the Royal Albatross Centre's Cafe, which has panoramic windows that exploit the views out to sea, before our tour commences