It had been a stressful week at work (as this seems to be a recurring theme in the past few weeks) and a great Friday night sounded like curling up and watching a movie at home – and that is what happened.

I had been wanted to get away and see some mountains for quite some time now. Saturday morning I woke up with the sun and checked the weather. Turns out it was due to be a beautiful weekend in Milford Sound (which is a rarity). Packed a quick go-bag and set out for the long drive.

I keep a running to-do list of NZ adventures on my phone for spontaneous trips like these. Lake Marian is an alpine lake on the way to Milford Sound and has absolutely stunning views (esp. when there are snow covered mountains). With a full tank of petrol, I set off with a destination.

After a 4.5hr drive, I ended up in the Lake Marian carpark where a kea (alpine parrot) plopped down on my car roof not 5 minutes after arriving. Kea bird flew away and I started the 3hr walk up. The first  20min, easy part of the walk arrives at Marian Falls where there is a boardwalk for some photo opportunities. The track then steepens and has some climbing over branches and fallen trees. The highlight of the trip comes at the top when the path opens out into an alpine valley with a crystal blue lake framed by snow-capped mountains. Wow!

I perched myself on a rock with an amazing view and soaked up some sunshine while chopping down on an apple. It is exactly what the doctor ordered. I couldn’t think of a better way to de-stress.

Because it was just turning into springtime, the risk of avalanche was very high and walking around the lake edge was not recommended. As I was sitting on my rock, I heard a firecracker sound and looked up to see an avalanche coming down the mountain side – though still in safety.

By late afternoon, the sun started to retreat behind the clouds and it was time to make my way back to the carpark. Being so close, I drove the rest of the way into Milford Sound – the drive is recommend. The drive through the Homer Tunnel is is the passage through the mountains before the dive into the sound. Waiting at the stoplight to go through the tunnel, there were a few more keas having a play with us on the road – they are quite smart. Coming out of the tunnel, the view is spectacular. The mountains towered over the road and the snowy peaks were sublime (for there had been an unseasonal dropping of snow the week before). It was quite a treat to take it all in – I wanted some mountains, and boy they did not disappoint.

The sun was setting and I look some twilight photos at the iconic Mitre Peak in the inlet to the sound. What a great end to a nearly perfect day? All that was left was a good night sleep under the stars and a long drive back to Dunedin, feeling more refreshed 🙂