The longest conversation about organising this holiday was about how we would fit in Milford Sound (Ross is just along for the ride most other days!). He wasn’t keen on a big day of driving to get there, so I booked a coach/cruise day tour leaving from Queenstown at 7am this morning. By 8am I was motion sick and vomiting into plastic bags borrowed from the driver (surprisingly, he didn’t want them back…) 😬😬

Our first stop was at Te Anau at 9.30am. Ross went shopping for plastic bags while I enjoyed he fresh air and walked the Main Street with the kids, stopping for the obligatory tourist photo with the model Takehe.

The next leg of the journey was three hours with stops for scenic walks and photo ops, then we boarded a boat for a 2 hour cruise of Milford Sound. 

The boys enjoyed a lesson in Economics – we brought lunch from home to avoid paying an extra $29 for the buffet meal, the driver offered it to everyone on the bus for an extra $35, and the cruise staff offered it again for $25. Supply more than demand, perhaps? 

The cruise was great, scenery beautiful of course, and the kids enjoyed the drenching by standing at the front of the boat as it went under the waterfall. 

They did not so much enjoy the news that there was a four hour coach ride back home. Again we were offered the upsell of a return trip by small plane (for $399) or helicopter (for $750). We all came to Sydney from Queenstown for that! And anyway, Ross found me a miracle cure in Te Anau so I was ok to travel back by coach: a ginger tablet, that I was popping every two hours – he is a lifesaver!!

We disembarked in the Main Street at 8pm to explore some shops and have dinner. We went to a pizza and pasta restaurant called The Cow on a recommendation, which was lovely but small and very busy! And then trekked up the very steep hill of Lake Street back to our house, and straight to bed!