• Mirror Lakes was our first sightseeing stop on our five hour bus ride from Queenstown to Milford Sound.

• Mirror Lakes

• A native Beech tree reaching out toward one of the Mirror Lakes

• The leaves of the native Beech tree are small, about 2 cm (0.8 in) long.

• A fern bench

• Another sightseeing stop enroute to Milford

• The Kea, the world's only alpine parrot, is native to New Zealand.

• Tunnel vision - Inside the Homer Tunnel

• A view of the winding road on the west side of the Homer Tunnel

• A stop at 'The Chasm' on the Cleddau River

• Our Real Journeys tour bus. This company is the largest tour provider in this part of New Zealand and we were very happy with the experiences they provided.

• Milford Sound is not truly a sound (formed by rivers), but a fiord (formed by glaciers)

• Real Journeys also provides the cruise portion of the Milford Sound tour

• The Lion

• A look back toward Milford

• A look north along the Tasman Sea coast near the mouth of the fiord

• We were fortunate to see two fiordland crested penguins. This is a heavily cropped long telephoto of one of them.

• New Zealand fur seals sunning on a rock

• New Zealand fur seals sunning on a rock

• Posing for the photo

• Complaining to the photographer

• Kathryn and Margaret getting wet in the spray of the waterfall. The Captain promised that this process would make you look ten years younger.

• They look younger, no?

• Doug on deck

• Kathryn & Doug in Milford Sound

• Bowen Falls

• Bowen Falls

• Bowen Falls

• Margaret & Keith with Bowen Falls

• Bowen Falls

• Bowen Falls

• Kathryn and Doug made the return trip to Queenstown on this airplane.

• Our pilot was Prince William, on leave from the RAF.

• Kathryn on board

• Doug on board

• Shortly before takeoff. Mitre Peak is just to the left of center. The peak farthest to the right is called The Lion.

• Airborne and looking out the fiord

• Looking back at the village of Milford and the airfield

• Looking out Milford Sound

• Lake Ada

• 130 knots. The flight is not only at higher speed than the bus, it is much more direct and took only 35 minutes compared to five hours by bus.

• Lake Wakatipu

• Lake Wakatipu

• Lake Wakatipu

• Walter Peak High Country Farm, located on Lake Wakatipu, is in the upper right of this photo.

• A companion aircraft

• The source of the Kawarau River at the northeastern 'knee' of Lake Wakatipu

• The confluence of the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers is just north of the Queenstown airport

• The confluence of the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers is just north of the Queenstown airport

• Looking back at a small part of Lake Wakatipu as we turn to land

• Landing!

• Kathryn, Prince Wiliam (aka Stephan - the Royals can't be too carefull), and Doug

• The aircraft control panel

• Our aircraft