Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound
Friday 13 March 2020
It was a particularly lazy start to the day aboard Chimere, with the morning sun highlighting different faces and angles of the mountain-tops forming the backdrop to our new world; at least our world of the past 18 hours or so.
The highest priority was to check out the water and diesel situation over at the fisherman’s wharf; while it was still and calm, and the many other working-boats seemed inactive.
On our way over to the dock, John and I spied the enormous outline of a cruise ship out in the Sound, and a short time later I think I saw a second ship. It seemed they didn’t stick around. Their strategy possibly being to provide their passengers with a “drive-by-look”, rather than an “off-the-boat-walk”.
Still, there was a steady stream of light planes, helicopters, coaches, mini-buses, tour boats and even kayak flotillas (including pre-training onshore) getting underway by 9:30am; when John and I checked out the wharf office
“Sure, you can fill up with water … just tie up alongside. And we’ve got diesel at $2 per litre. No Eftpos, or electronic transactions though, unfortunately. Cash is preferred here”, explained the guy in charge.
Fortunately, I had a bit of cash, and so was able to top the tanks up with 150 litres of diesel … to be sure, to be sure … and we were even able to offload two week’s of accumulated rubbish in an onshore dumpster.
The water tanks overflowing, and the diesel reserves replenished, John and I put Chimere back on the mooring, while Linda, Matt and James went for a walk down to the waterfront, with the plan being to meet up at “The Lodge” accommodation facility, a short distance up the road.
As John commented, as we walked back past the air strip, after spending a few hours partaking of “civilisation”, in the form of WiFi and Lodge/Hostel facilities … “it’s good that the development here – the buildings and structures – are situated in a way that doesn’t dominate the environment. The powers-that-be haven’t destroyed the pristine look that everyone comes to see and enjoy”. Which is actually quite true. The development is of a more subtle and eco-friendly type; in contrast to the likes of, say, Queenstown.
On arrival at “The Lodge”, John and I found a table with a nearby power point, so that I could plug in my computer and we could each enjoy a coffee. Unfortunately, it was in a room just off the main reception and restaurant area, so that when Linda, Matt and James duly arrived at the appointed time, they didn’t find me. Meanwhile John had gone for a walk, intending to meet our other crew members, so as to point them in the right direction. As it turned out, John didn’t realise Linda, Matt and James were already in the building, sitting in a further alcove, just off reception. Consequently, our 1:00pm reunion didn’t occur until closer to 2:15pm, and only then after Matt wandered into the room, where I’d set up the laptop, so as to have a lie down on the couch – now that was a bit awkward. If only I’d remembered to take my mobile VHF radio …??!!
After lunch at the Lodge/Hostel establishment, it was back to Chimere, and then up the Arthur River as far as the rapids, for a quick explore, making it back to the boat around 5:30pm for a rest and in the case of Linda, Matt and James gathering up all their belongings in readiness for catching the bus, from here to Queenstown, tomorrow afternoon.
As for me and John, it looks like we’ll start the process of heading up the West Coast soon after our travelling buddies have gone. We are now starting to look more seriously at the 5-day weather forecasts, plus anchorages and potential stopping points along the way.
Stage 4 of this 113-day NZ 2020 voyage is about to come to an end, with the 460-mile Stage 5 “hop”, from here to Porirua Harbour (near Wellington), about to commence.
Once in Porirua Harbour, (in about 6 days) we will tie up at the Mana Cruising Club Marina, before being joined by friends to commence Stage 6 … the voyage north to Opua, via the east coast of the North Island.
For now, we’ll just enjoy this beautiful part of the world, for a little while longer.
Smooth seas, fair breeze and rest day at Milford
Rob Latimer
NZ2020 