Milford Sound Sunset

Milford Sound is one of the jewels in New Zealand's crown. Technically a fiord rather than a sound, the area was carved by glaciers during the ice ages and the sides of the fiord rise steeply from the ocean. Milford Sound is as amazing in bad weather as it is in good, with numerous waterfalls that form from nowhere whenever it rains, and then quickly dry up again when it stops. The village itself is basic, mostly catering to the up to 1 million visitors it receives per year, and is a hub for the multiple small-boat cruises into the fiord that leave from the cruise terminal. 

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Milford Sound has a way of drawing you back, and it's always a destination I try to put on my list. The photography options there are numerous, with different vantage points at high and low tide. I took this photo after a day spent doing some short walks and taking river photos nearby. The sky had been completely clear but clouds rolled in at sunset, just in time to pick up some great colour. The ocean was almost completely still at high tide, and so there were also some beautiful reflections. The colour in the sky became more and more vibrant, and lingered well past twilight until it was nearly dark. We shared this sunset with an international group visiting for a photography workshop, and the delight they showed on this evening really renewed my appreciation for this iconic New Zealand location.