Day 48: Te Anau Glow Worm Cave, Milford Sound

We embarked at 7:00 for Te Anau, where we would be taking a boat tour of Lake Te Anau, then a gondola ride in a cave to see glow worms. Te Anau was another beautiful town located halfway between Queenstown and Milford Sound. Our boat departed at 10:15, and we rode it to a remote area of the lake, where we got off and split into groups for the cave tour. There are other caves in New Zealand, and we were glad we did this one, as the Waimoto caves on the North island were a group destination that got cancelled. We trekked into the front of the cave, and made our way to small gondolas, where our guide turned all the lights off and pulled us through the cave by chains attached to the cave walls. After our eyes adjusted to the pitch-black cave, the efflorescent worms seemed to slowly emerge into sight. After several minutes into the cave and eyes adjusted, it felt like we were gazing into a starscape on a clear night. These worms climb to the cave ceiling, creating strands that look like fishing line. These lines are extremely sticky, and catch anything that flies towards the worm's glowing tail. After the tour, we viewed a film about the insects, and I was fascinated with their life cycle and method of capturing food. These worms stay in caves for around nine months; then create a cocoon and through metamorphosis become flies for roughly five days. I attached pictures of what we saw, as we weren't allowed to photograph in the cave (I might have used my GoPro; however, it didn't pick anything up in the darkness of the cave...) With another item checked off the Down Under agenda; we returned to Te Anau, visited a quaint gift shop with great prices, and hit the road for Milford Sound.

Another two or so hours away, the mountains began to rise and cliffs seemed to get steeper. We drove until we reached Homer Tunnel, which was at the foot of a mountain range, and the only way through to Milford. After looking it up, construction started on this tunnel in 1935 with five men, shovels, and picks. They had to live in the wilderness on their own in tents and endure avalanches, floods, and the treacherous winters. Efforts increased slowly through the years, halted during World War II, and the tunnel was finally completed in 1953. This tunnel is a one-way tunnel with exposed granite walls and a gravel road. I had never experienced anything quite like it, because every other tunnel I've been in has been lined in concrete or another structural material. Water fell from holes in the rock and drained down the sides of the tunnel, and shields in select spots kept heavy water off vehicles as they passed under. 0.75 miles later, we emerged on the Milford side of the mountain, and I can honestly say I've never seen a mountainside as straight up and tall as this one. The drive was incredible, and the pictures I took do it no justice (then again that seems to be the entire trip so far). Another 45 minutes or so later, we reached Milford Sound. Some dub it an 8th Natural Wonder of the World, and I can understand why. The green peaks soared above the water nestled between them, and the sight was breathtaking. Biplanes hugged the mountains, and boats took visitors out towards the ocean to see the the beautiful area. We hung around for a while, found a walking trail, and took it all in. I knew this was basically the end of our study abroad adventure, and life could not have been better.

This trip has taught me so much about myself, others, God, and life. I've learned that it's much better to listen than it is to talk, and being single is a blessing in this stage of my life: not a curse. I've learned that traveling is something that my soul yearns for, and adventure is a requirement which can take place across the globe or five miles down the road. There's always a way to do the things you want to experience in life, and only excuses can hinder them. With all this in mind, we returned to Queenstown, just in time to catch another amazing sunset. New Zealand is definitely the my favorite one yet, and apparently citizenship isn't too hard to obtain... Tomorrow we set out for Sydney, where we will spend the last five days of our trip before returning home.