The Eagle Has Landed

Last night we were in Te Anau and went out to dinner with the members of our group who are going to share the Fiordland adventure with us. We are a group of eight and six of us know each other but Martin and Grant we have only communicated with through email.  Martin is a keen photographer of birds and Grant is a free diver.    
This morning the adventure began with a 40 minute helicopter flight across Lake Manapouri and the rugged tops of the Fiordland mountains. There was cloud and light rain so at times the pilot hugged the hillsides.  The pilot landed on a small beach at the head of long sound.  This is the last of our luggage being unloaded and carried to a small inflatable boat that ferried us to the 26m boat we would stay on for the next six nights.