Day 51 Scenic Cruising of Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

It was a perfect, albeit chilly, day for sailing thru the Fiordland National Park. We sailed through (in order) Milford Sound, Thompson Sound, Doubtful Sound & Dusky Sound. The scenery is just magnificent! Tomorrow we arrive into Dunedin around 0700 and I have a tour down the coast. Here is the description: Otago Coastal Scenes--- Driving north from Port Chalmers to Palmerston you will have panoramic views over Otago Harbour and Taiaroa Head. At Shag Point, walk along the beach to see a large colony of fur seals lying on the rocks. You may also catch a glimpse of the increasingly rare yellow-eyed penguin. Continue on a few more miles to one of nature’s most spectacular sights--the Moeraki Boulders. These geological curiosities each weighing several tons, and measuring up to 12 feet in circumference, lie on Hampden Beach much as if a giant, weary of his play, has walked away from a game of marbles. These spherical, grey, septarian boulders were formed on the sea floor about 60 million years ago. After lunch at the Boulders Restaurant, you will take a look at TrottersGorge. This fragile fragment of native forest, flanked by towering limestone cliffs, contains a fascinating array of features of botanical and geological interest. Return to Port Chalmers via the city of Dunedin, where you will pass through the main shopping district and the Octagon, Dunedin’s cultural heart lined with graceful buildings such as the Town Hall and Modern Art Gallery.