Te Anau is a lovely destination on its own, and we took advantage of the lakeside setting for a morning walk.  After checking out road conditions (there has been snow and sleet), we rented snow chains from the service station and head north 119k to Milford Sound.  It was still quite cold, so we bundled up on our several stops and one hike (A mossy, bird-filled one to a lake).  The scenery was stunning, with snow-capped mountains around every twist and turn, glacial creeks, sparkling lakes and beech forests.

The Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area includes Fiordland National Park, New Zealand’s biggest.  Nearing Milford, around the Divide (the lowest east-west poss in the Southern Alps) and further up near the famous, rough-hewn Homer Tunnel, we watched the olive Alpine parrots, the kea, teasing tourists who tried to get too close.  There’s a lot of signage and reminders in New Zealand (along with what seem to be strong efforts at sustainable tourism) not to mess with nature, but some folks never get the message.

The underwater environment of the fiords is unique too, as a high amount of rainfall filters through forests, picking up dark tannins before draining back into the fiords.  This dark water sits on top, blocking out light.  This situation allows otherwise deep-water species like red and black corals, some sponges and fish to thrive at much shallower depths than they ordinarily would.