Milford Sound, NZ

Piopiotahi, the Maori name given to Milford Sound, means thrush or place of the singing thrush. Legend states that when Maui lost the treasure of immortality for mankind to the goddess of death, Hine Nui Te Po, a thrush flew into Milford Sound to sing and mourn the loss. Maori legend also says it was the god Tu Te Raki Whanoa who sculpted the mighty landscapes of Fiordland, using powerful incantations and his magic adze.

After having been delayed for days due to a large avalanche blocking the road there, I was worried that it wouldn't live up to the the legend. I needn't have worried, Milford Sound's saturated color pallet alone was breathtaking.