Aircraft Departing Milford Sound Airport Viewed from Norwegian Spirit

For the first of three fjords, the ship entered Milford Sound on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island. This stunning glacier-hewn feature introduced me to my 36th nation's riveting beauty. Much like its Norwegian counterparts, the sheer walls of Milford dwarfed our Norwegian ship. It had several waterfalls lining these steep walls, most notably Lady Bowen at the end and Stirling about halfway down. The ship did a 540 degree turn with the bow and stern thrusters to give us a slow panoramic view in the cul-de-sac fjord. Milford Sound sits beneath the towering Mitre Peak at 5,600 feet. Due to Milford's accessibility (with a road and local airport), it has the most activity of the three fjords the ship entered. Suffice to say, the scenery captivated us and left us wanting more (which we encountered on the next two fjords).