From Queenstown we set off for an overnight tour of Milford Sound. I’d visited Doubtful Sound last time I was in NZ (18 years ago – gosh that makes me feel old) so this time I wanted to see the more famous one.

I got lots of knitting done on the bus, on both my travelling socks and the first few mitre squares of my knee rug. In Te Anau I found yarn in a tourist shop – Shepherd 12ply Lambswool – and bought two balls of blue, only to realise later they were different blues. At Milford we boarded a ship and headed out into the sound. When it grew too dark and cold the beau and I settled in the mess hall with a glass of wine and more sock knitting, which got some curious looks from other passengers.

The next day was appropriately wet. You really have to see the sounds when it’s pouring, as only then do you get all the waterfalls. But it does mean low light which makes it hard to get good photos.

More knitting on the trip home. We arrived back in Queenstown mid afternoon and I sought out the local source of yarn I’d found during my research. Called The Kiwi Gift Shop I’d assumed it was another souvenir shop selling yarn. But it was a yarn store, with plenty of interesting stock. I bought some Supreme Possum Merino in navy for the rug, and in black for Le Slouch and to knit a hat for the beau, who’d requested one after he found his $5 cheapie hat from Knit Works was horribly scratchy.

It was VERY cold in Queenstown the next day, with snow down to 400m. We drove a hire car north, stopping at the Perendale Wool Shop in Wanaka. I bought some royal blue yarn for my rug, and a ball of the Shepherd Lambswool in white to go with the blues.

We headed through the Haast Pass into lovely, clear weather. All the way I knit on the beau’s hat. I decided to copy the shaping of the one he’d bought, figuring there might have been something about the shape he liked. It was more like a fisherman’s hat, which is a shape that suits him better than the usual round beanie (which makes him look like he’s a crim in a Brit cop show). I finished it that night, in our hotel at Fox Glacier. I shifted from reverse stocking stitch to stocking stitch in a triangular pattern reminiscent of the Milford peaks, so I’m calling it the Milford Sound Hat.

The next day we rose at dawn to walk around Lake Matheson and take photos. Then we did a helicoptor flight up Fox Glacier…

… to Mount Cook. The weather was perfect. It was exhilarating.

Afterwards we did a quick walk to see the glacier from the ground, then picked up our bags and drove north again. A few hours later we arrived at Hokikita. The beau had booked a hotel offering a free bottle of wine, and they also upgraded us to a spa room. So after a hot bath to ease sore muscles from all the walking that day, we relaxed with a glass of wine and this view…

… and, of course, I knit.

Next we headed across the mountains to Christchurch, then up to Picton.