Day 11 — Milford Sound & Fiordland National Park
While technically a sea day, this was a major milestone: our first glimpse of New Zealand. Just before sunrise, led by a pod of dolphins, we entered Milford Sound, and it was everything I hoped for — and then some.
Milford Sound is a narrow passage lined with towering cliffs, all draped in dense green forest. From the middle of these cliffs, waterfalls seem to burst out of nowhere, tumbling down into the dark water below. The whole place felt almost otherworldly. It reminded me a bit of Antarctica, only with less snow and far fewer penguins. (Crested penguins do live here, but we didn’t manage to spot any.)
Milford Sound is a dead end, so once we reached the back, the ship turned around and gave us a second pass through the scenery. From there we cruised through several more sounds — all beautiful, though none could quite top the breathtaking introduction of Milford itself.
Day 12 — Dunedin
Dunedin was one of the stops we hadn’t firmly planned out. I had a beach hike loosely in mind and some general sightseeing. But then Mom discovered that yellow-eyed penguins lived in the region, and that was that — my plans went straight out the window.
We booked with a small, family-run company that takes guests onto their private lands, home to yellow-eyed penguins, New Zealand fur seals, and sea lions. Our guide warned us early on: the penguin population is in steep decline, and sightings aren’t guaranteed. And since Mom and I historically have terrible luck with wildlife tours, we kept our expectations low.
Dunedin itself has a population of about 130,000, but it feels much smaller — almost like a fishing village nestled into rolling hills. The hillsides are grass-covered (not native) and speckled with sheep (also not native), giving the place a look more akin to Edinburgh, Dunedin’s namesake. Paired with the dramatic coastline, it made for a gorgeous setting.
Along the drive we saw a variety of local bird species. At the farm we got excellent views of the fur seals before heading toward the beach where sea lions and, with luck, penguins live.
As we approached the sand, our guide set expectations:
“If you see one penguin, consider yourselves lucky. If you see two, go buy a lottery ticket.”
Not the most encouraging pep talk.
But just moments later — mid-sentence about sea lions — he stopped, lifted his binoculars, and redirected us toward a penguin on the hillside.
Yellow-eyed penguins are very shy, and human presence stresses them, so responsible tour groups observe from blinds set well back from their favored spots. Fortunately, our penguin stayed put as we settled into the blind. Our guide suspected he was a solitary male whose mate had recently abandoned him. Apparently, this male lingers onshore while the ex is out feeding, then harasses her when she returns.
After watching the forlorn bachelor for a while, we moved upslope toward the nest area — and were promptly told to buy our lottery tickets. A second penguin poked its head out of its nest, giving us an even better sighting.
Then, as we walked back, we hit the wildlife jackpot: the ex-girlfriend was coming ashore. True to form, Romeo dashed toward her, and she unmistakably ignored him while continuing up the beach.
Who knew we’d witness a full-blown penguin soap opera today?
We headed back to town, did a bit of quick sightseeing and shopping, and made our way to the ship. As we sailed north, we passed the Royal Albatross Centre, and I finally got to see royal albatrosses in flight — a species I’d missed entirely in Antarctica.
Up Next
Christchurch — and a journey into the mountainous region where many Lord of the Rings scenes were filmed.