Today we spent the day "scenic cruising" in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park and it was INDEED scenic! The cliffs are incredible in both number and size. It is hard to properly convey the sense of awe that the views inspired. We went up three different sounds: Doubtful Sound in the morning, Desperation Sound in the early afternoon, and Milford Sound in late afternoon. Each was more impressive than the one before. We saw waterfalls and cliffs, and row after row of mountains (some with glaciers on top). One of the pictures has a boat in it; to give you some idea of the scale, it is a small cruise ship that carries about 100 passengers (probably about 50 or 60 feet high and 300-400 feet long).

It was interesting to note that we were not the only ones doing scenic cruising in the fiords – not by a long shot! However it also became obvious after a while that to most of the other tourists, we were almost as big an attraction as the natural ones . We had helicopters and small planes buzzing us several times during the day.

Words are not sufficient for today's experiences: enjoy the pictures. Fair warning: I have lots more to show you when I get home!