Andy had his alarm set for 8am this morning but did not need it. He slept hard and uninterrupted by bugs and was up by 6am.

Laurie and Ani were awake by 730am and when Andy started the van at 830am Miles woke up, somewhat startled.

We left camp early in hopes of finding a parking spot at Milford Sound and to ensure we made our 2 hour boat cruise at 1045am.

It was cloudy with some blue patches when we started our drive, so we were hopeful for views on the boat ride.

The road to Milford Sound was incredibly pretty and wild – with many hairpin turns, narrow sections and a long one lane tunnel.

It rained for most of the drive but the skies were a light gray rather than a thick dark gray the day prior.

There are two parking options at Milford Sound, one that’s closer to the boats and costs $10 per hour, and one that’s free but is about a 25 minute walk to the boats.

We chose the free option and parked in a smaller parking area as the main one was already pretty full. Our van is long and we would rather walk a few extra minutes to have space to ensure others driving large vehicles won’t bump into our van.

Right as we parked a gentleman approached Andy’s window with jumper cables, the universal sign for needing car help. It was raining steadily, there were a ton of sandflies and Andy was still in his pjs and flip flops, but he got out and helped.

It took a few tries but eventually they got a proper ground on our van and got the stranded tourist going again.

With our good deed for the day now completed, we turned our attention to breakfast.

After multiple attempts to find a food that both kids wanted to eat, eventually everyone was fed and dressed and we were ready to go.

We were running a bit late and walked hurriedly toward the visitor center. Andy had hoped there would be a trail from the parking lot so we wouldn’t have to walk alongside the busy road and thankfully there was.

The trail was really pretty, with old growth trees and huge ferns hugging the trail. We took in the views as much as we could as we hurried through. Some of the trail was on a boardwalk which we knew the kids would enjoy but time was of the essence.

Laurie carried Ani for most of the walk and Miles walked like a champ until the last 500 meters at which point he rode on Andy’s shoulders.

At 1040 am when Laurie and Ani got to the ticket counter without Andy and Miles in view, the lady behind the counter paused. She seemed hesitant to give us our tickets since we had cut it so close. In the end she did and we hurried to pier #3 to board our 150 person vessel.

We had walked so fast that both Laurie and Andy were sweating. The kids were in their rain suits with long johns and sweatpants and fleeces underneath.

Laurie was shedding layers like an animal during early spring and Andy was in his T-shirt, the only person on the boat in a T-shirt and he was still sweating.

We found some open seats on the covered deck at the back of the boat. Laurie sat with the kids and Andy sat behind them. Andy started chatting with the Aussies sitting next to him and the older man asked with a smile if they sold jackets where we lived.

Andy and the folks had a good laugh and Andy explained how they were walking hastily and he was still very warm.

The rain from earlier this morning was a distant memory and it was now cloudy with very little wind. Waiting an extra day paid off. Sure it wasn’t as good as a sunny day, but in one of the wettest places in the world, where it rains an average of 264 inches every year, we were very happy with just cloudy skies.

Our boat left the harbor and into the Sound, passing by impressive Bowen Falls almost immediately.

We read on our walk to the harbor that a fjord is a valley carved out by glaciers, then submerged by water. Milford Sound is a stunning fjord with waterfalls big and small, tall and short, falling in every direction. There must be over a thousand waterfalls in this fjord alone.

We walked around the boat, trying out all the spots and ended up claiming a spot in the front of the boat. Eventually the kids got cold so we went inside and the kiddos ate their lunches that Laurie had made for them.

As they ate, the skipper slowed alongside seals resting on rocks. We went outside to get a closer view, then back inside to finish their lunches and eat their complimentary cookies.

The skipper then stopped at a sizable waterfall and warned that everyone outside would get very wet. Most people retreated inside or to the right side of the ship, but Laurie chose to stay out and within seconds was absolutely soaked.

When the boat turned around to return back to the docks, the kids ate another chocolate chip cookie (likely the highlight of the boat trip for them).

With more sugar in their system, the kiddos kept from being bored by doing laps around the boat fans walking up and down the stairs.

Before we knew it, we were back at the harbor. We were pleased with how well the kids did on the boat. Laurie thought this was their first boat ride but Miles corrected her that we were all on a fishing boat last summer in Alaska. We disembarked and went in search of the Milford Sound swing.

The swing was underwhelming and Miles complained about wanting to be carried from the moment Ani asked to be carried. He wants everything to be fair and equal and doesn’t understand about their age difference, differing capabilities and expectations.

We left the swing quickly and went to play on the low tide beach instead. Anticipating meltdowns on the way back to the van, Andy left to bring the van closer.

When it was time to leave the beach and meet Andy in the closer parking lot, Miles remembered Andy promising to carry him back and refused to walk the short distance.

Laurie navigated the needs and emotions of both kids and eventually got them to the parking lot right as Andy arrived.

We drove back toward Te Anau and got to see all the views we missed yesterday. This is a stunning place and stunning part of the country and we’re grateful to have seen it.

We had also hoped Ani would fall asleep as we drove. Thankfully she closed her eyes about 10 minutes into the drive.

After driving uphill on the really twisty road out of Milford Sound, and while waiting for our turn to go through the tunnel, a kea bird landed on our hood and started pecking at the windshield.

Keas look like oversized parrots. They are very pretty and unique. Miles was sitting in the front seat and tried to scare it off but it was too interested in the freeze dried strawberry bag we had on the front dashboard.

We all had a laugh as it hopped to the mirror and then onto the ground as Miles successfully slapped the window.

We let Miles watch on the iPad with headphones on to maximize Ani’s nap but after a short 20 minutes she stirred. Unfortunately she saw Miles watching and that was the end of her nap. She was suddenly awake and wanted to watch too.

Our 2.5 hour drive went by fast. We gave both kids a break from watching and Andy entertained Ani by ticking her feet and making funny faces while Miles napped.

As the road became more narrow and windy, we let Ani watch so Andy could focus on driving. Miles woke up 2 minutes before we parked in Lumsden and screamed and cried because he wanted to watch too.

These outbursts are a very clear indicator of how addicted he is to watching. And if we say no to watching he literally melts down.

In moments like this we know we need to change things up. Andy came up with a new rule for the rest of the trip; they watch one day, they don’t watch the next. One day on, one day off. Hopefully this will help Miles regulate more.

Once the screen was off and we were level ish, we encouraged the kids to go play at the playground which was literally outside the sliding door. Miles screamed and shouted some more about not wanting to go to the park. He was in a “NO” mood!

Eventually we all went out and played. Miles enjoyed the swing and Ani loved driving the train. Laurie did the teeter totter with Miles and jumped on the in ground trampoline with Ani. Around 6 pm we went across the street to the 4 Square Market to buy more bread and inquire about the pool which we had read about.

The town of Lumsden allows campervans to park in any public parking lot (or carpark as they call it) and give you access to the public pool and showers for $5 per person. Most people take advantage of this for the shower, but we were more excited to go swimming.

The pool was large and empty of people except for one other local family. Laurie hopped in first and encouraged Miles who was hesitant because it wasn’t as warm as the thermal pools but once we saw a squirt gun he was game.

Ani immediately started shivering so Laurie took her out and they went to take a warm shower. Andy and Miles stayed in the water for another 30 minutes playing a game where Miles sat on a kick board and attempted to spray Andy who dove under water and popped up in a different spot.

We warmed up leftover soup for dinner and ate in the gravel parking lot of the pool. Once done we drove back to the playground to park for the night.

The kids colored for a bit as a form of a wind down activity.

Moments into the activity, Ani bumped her chin attempting to get onto the bed. She slipped and fell, hitting her chin on the way down.

We pondered taking her to the doctor the next day in Queenstown since her chin started to bleed a little bit but upon looking under the bandaid and steri strips the wound was mostly dry.

So we put on a new bandaid and calmed her down with nursing and snuggles. Ani bumping her chin again sombered the mood in the van. We were all ready for bed. After brushing everyone’s teeth, the kids were finally asleep by 1045pm.