Singapore Slingers

Chris and I went to eat at a local food court a few days ago and due to a lack of seating ended up asking a guy to join him at his table. We got chatting and it turns out he and his friends that joined moments later play for the Singapore Slingers, the national basketball team! He very graciously offered us tickets to the next game and of course we said yes more! They haven't been having too great of a season but last night they worked extremely well as a team won against the Saigon Heat.  We got to sit in the VIP Hospitality box; amazing front row seats at half court, you can't get a better view that that. Thanks again Rashad, we'll come cheer you guys on again at the next game!

Milford Sound

Continuing on from yesterdays post... after hours of driving, stopping for photos and playing with tricksy kea's we finally arrived at our destination: Milford Sound!

We arrived to beautiful sunshine and were greeted by this view:

But the weather here changes at the blink of an eye and the clouds and wind moved in almost immediately.

 We took a Jucy Cruize to see Milford Sound but booked our tickets with BookMe where the tickets are 75% cheaper! The boat is smaller than most of the ones in the harbor owned by some of the other companies but they all do the same exact tour so just go by what's cheapest and not what the description says. The smaller boats sometimes are able to get a bit closer to the mountains so in that way they're better, but they all take you underneath a waterfall and more times than not you get to spot some seals (we did) or dolphins.

The weather was cloudy and drizzled the whole time we were on the boat and everyone was starting to get a little restless. The area is really mystical and looks like something out of a movie; the waterfalls evaporate into thin air, the sea creatures playing around you, it's very special. Overall it was a really good trip. We saw some seals, got soaked underneath the waterfall, and learned a bit of history about the area, but it would be much more beautiful with the sunshine out. (They tell you it's just as beautiful in the drizzle but having seen it in both I think people only tell you that so you don't feel so bad when you happen to get shit weather.) I hear Doubtful Sound is nicer but it's a little harder to get to. Either way it's a great day/weekend activity to do on the South Island.

Till next time!

The Fiordlands

Milford Sound is one of the wettest places in New Zealand and is therefore green all year long. It's one of the biggest tourist destinations on the South Island and can be reached by car or (private charter) plane; we chose to go by car.

I think the drive down is as good as the actual destination. At almost any time of year you can see snow covered peaks surrounding you, cattle and sheep grazing, rushing rivers, cliffs and frozen waterfalls! The following pictures were all taken on the same day just to show you how different New Zealand looks within a 4 hour drive!

There is also a bird called the Kea who is said to be the smartest bird on Earth and causes loads of trouble because of its sneakiness! They're illegal to kill, love sitting in the middle of roads, demand snacks from you when you pull over near them, and if you leave your car doors open and walk away they will jump inside the car and destroy everything with their sharp claws and pointy beak. Dave thought it might like some crisps, and Chris decided my sandwich was the perfect thing to feed it.

After a bit more driving down single lane roads at 70% decline we finally arrived at Milford Sound! I'll put photos of it up tomorrow as I think this would be a behemoth of a post that not many people would enjoy :) TTFN! (Ta-ta for now, Tigger style)