What a day for us in New Zealand! This morning, students
went on some early explorations for breakfast. Some discovered the Sandfly Cafe
which served delicious breakfast dishes like eggs benedict and buttermilk
pancakes, as well as unique coffees. We then enjoyed a short morning walk to
the Te Anau visitor center where we boarded a tour bus to Manapouri Lake. At
Manapouri Lake, we boarded a ferry where we sailed for nearly an hour before
arriving in the other-worldly Fiordland National Park. We boarded a second bus
which took us through a luscious, green tunnel of rain forest reminiscent of
prehistoric times. The dense fog and waterfalls were only a preview of what
magical things were to come. Upon arriving at the mouth of the Doubtful Sound,
we boarded our second ferry and embarked on our adventure through the fjord.
Low-lying clouds enveloped the peaks of mountains and silky water carried us
along. Before we knew it, we were greeted with dolphins dancing around our
boat, which hadn’t been seen on the Doubtful Sound tour for months. As we
approached the great Tasman Sea, the water became “rough” (four-five foot
swells), taking us all on an exhilarating, stomach-dropping ride (an expected
part of the tour unbeknownst to us). When we thought we couldn’t handle the
waves any longer, the boat stopped and approached two small rock islands
inhabited by seals. Here, we turned around and explored more facets of the
fjord. In an area called Crooked Arm, our Captain encouraged everyone to put
their phones away, stay silent for a few minutes, and simply enjoy one of the
last untouched places on earth. He joined us by shutting off the engine and
letting the entire boat live in the moment. If magic exists, it exists here.
After our moment of respect for nature, we then tiredly retraced our steps back
to Te Anau. In lieu of a long blog post today, we invite our readers to enjoy
and live through the photos taken by our students.
Written by Julienne and Hayden.
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