We left the Lakefront Apartments at about 5am this morning. The lack of sleep and long drives were beginning to take their toll but the excitement of a day of shooting at Milford Sound made the dusty feeling a lot more tolerable. It is a 2hr drive from Te Anu to the sound...the day had begun.
In 2008, Milford Sound was voted the world's best travel destination! It is named after Milford Haven in Wales, while the Cleddau River which flows into the sound is also named for its Welsh namesake. The Māori named the sound Piopiotahi after the thrush-like pippin bird, now extinct. Piopiotahi means "a single piopio", harking back to the legend of Maui trying to win immortality for mankind—when Maui died in the attempt, a piopio was said to have flown here in mourning.
It wasn't our plan to make the Sound for sunrise and we stopped at a few places along route 94 that weren't worth it so we pushed on. In the end we were a little late for sunrise but it was still magnificent.
This was to be our base for the day.
This area would be swallowed up by the tide during the day.
Canon 5Dmiii, 16-35L iii @ 16mm, ISO250, f/5.6, 1/60s & B+W CPL
It's a fair walk to the water's edge at low tide
Canon 5Dmiii, 16-35L iii @ 16mm, ISO250, f/6.3, 1/250s & B+W CPL
A stitched panorama. The middle is actually looking away from the sound.
Canon 5Dmiii, 16-35L iii @ 16mm, ISO200, f/5.6, 1/125s & B+W CPL
Calm pools ready to be swallowed by the incoming tide.
Canon 5Dmiii, 16-35L iii @ 16mm, ISO200, f/6.3, 1/50s & B+W CPL
The boardwalk from the carpark.
Canon 5Dmiii, 16-35L iii @ 16mm, ISO200, f/5.6, 1/00s & B+W CPL
Water flowing to the sea.
Canon 5Dmiii, 24-105L IS @ 24mm, ISO50, f/22, 4s & B+W CPL
The Chasm. 10km back up the road from Milford Sound.
Canon 5Dmiii, 100-400L iii IS @ 107mm, ISO50, f/13, 15s & B+W CPL
There's and airfield right at Milford Sound that allows you to take a flight through the hills.
Canon 5Dmiii, 100-400L ii IS @ 400mm, ISO800, f/6.3, 1/2500s
The Sound around midday.
Canon 5Dmiii, 24-105L IS @ 100mm, ISO800, f/6.3, 1/2500s & B+W CPL
I walked the boardwalk at lunch time.
Canon 5Dmiii, 16-35L iii @ 16mm, ISO50, f/8, 1/200s & B+W CPL
We took at cruise on the Sound. These cliffs were incredible!
Canon 5Dmiii, 24-105L IS @ 105mm, ISO400, f/5, 1/250s & B+W CPL
Fur seals.
Canon 5Dmiii, 100-400L ii IS @ 400mm, ISO640, f/6.3, 1/400s
Torrents of water flowing into the Sound.
Canon 5Dmiii, 24-105L IS @ 99mm, ISO400, f/5, 1/125s & B+W CPL
Fjordland Crested Penguin. We were so lucky to see this cutie!
Canon 5Dmiii, 100-400L ii IS @ 400mm, ISO640, f/6.3, 1/250s
Rumour has it that if a woman is touched by these waters then she appears 10 years younger. It was funny watching the women get drenched as the captain stuck the boat's nose into the waterfall.
Canon 5Dmiii, 100-400L ii IS @ 400mm, ISO640, f/6.3, 1/640s
Fjordland Mountains
Canon 5Dmiii, 100-400L ii IS @ 114mm, ISO640, f/6.3, 1/640s
The sun starting to set behind the hills. The clouds were very bright unfortunately.
Canon 5Dmiii, 16-35L iii @ 16mm, ISO50, f22, 1/0.5s & B+W CPL & Nisi 0.9 Soft GND
A few minutes later...
Canon 5Dmiii, 16-35L iii @ 16mm, ISO50, f22, 1/0.5s & B+W CPL & Nisi 0.9 Soft GND
Later still as a last shaft of light slid in behind the mountains.
Canon 5Dmiii, 16-35L iii @ 31mm, ISO50, f/7.1, 3.2s, B+W CPL & Nisi 0.9 Soft GND & 0.6 ND
The sun disappeared.
Canon 5Dmiii, 16-35L iii @ 31mm, ISO50, f/5.6, 0.8s, B+W CPL & Nisi 0.9 Soft GND & 0.6 ND
Behind the scenes.
Canon 5Dmiii, 16-35L iii @ 31mm, ISO800, f/4, 1/160s, B+W CPL