Visiting Milford Sound
If Milford Sound is not on your bucket list...write it on there, now! One of the reasons I moved to Southland was for all the amazing places to visit, but I didn’t realise how blown away I was going to be by all the beautiful, untouched and rugged landscapes. Milford Sound - in the Fiordland National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site - didn’t disappoint, and I would even say is one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been!
My partner Nick and I started off by driving to Te Anau for the weekend, which is a great place to base yourself, with plenty of accommodation options and amenities. Visiting there mid-winter we were greeted with spectacular views of Lake Te Anau and the snow-capped Murchison Mountains. Wanting to get a bit of local knowledge to plan the weekend, I first headed to the Fiordland National Park Visitors Centre. I was given a free map of the road to Milford Sound, which showed all the lookouts, attractions, walks and campsites etc along the way. I could also check for any weather warnings and ask the ladies for their recommendations, which I found very useful. For the bird lovers, you can take a 10min walk along the lakeside or a short drive from the visitors centre to the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary. There you can see some of our special birds including Takahe, Ruru, Kaka and entry is by koha (donation). Pictured is the Antipodes Island parakeet.
On a drizzly, grey morning, after packing lots of snacks, warm waterproof clothing and supplies, we hit the road for the 120km drive to Milford. The trip is one you won’t forget, with lots of stunning places to stop along the way; highlights for us were the Mirror Lakes, Knobs flat, and we will definitely be going back again to take advantage of all the beautiful bush walks too. Being a single road in and out of Milford, be sure to leave plenty of time to get there in case of traffic (especially in peak tourist season and/or icy conditions), and of course, having time to stop and appreciate all those incredible views. You journey through lush bush, past picturesque lakes, waterfalls and travel up high into the snowy mountains. At an altitude of 945m above sea level you drive through Homer Tunnel - an unlined, granite, 1.2km (0.75 miles) tunnel which has been dug through the Darran Mountain range which is pretty thrilling! There are cheeky Kea (the only alpine parrot in the world) which hang around the tunnel, so take care when driving, as they are fearless, very inquisitive, and like to stand in the middle of the road...
The on-and-off rain created misty, enchanting scenery, and actually made it the perfect time to visit, which we found out later! Arriving in Milford was simply breathtaking, with the calm inlet, deep blue waters and narrow valley surrounded by the towering, snowy cliffs on either side. Milford was mistakenly called a ‘sound’ but is actually a ‘fiord’; instead of being formed by rivers, the mountains were carved out by ancient glaciers. To explore the fiord, there are lots of different cruises and scenic flights, so you can see it by water or by air. We went on a 2 hour Jucy cruise which took us the 16km length of the fiord, which after all the rain was full of gorgeous cascading waterfalls! The two permanent and main waterfalls are Stirling Falls, and Lady Bowen Falls - which is a towering 162m high. My favourite part of the whole weekend was Stirling falls, where we were invited onto the front of the boat to experience a free shower standing beneath falls (makeup wearers - wear waterproof mascara!). Legend has it that the water makes people feel 10 years younger….so how could you really not! If you’re lucky you might spot dolphins, fur seals, or even the Fiordland Crested Penguin. When we got back to the dock, we thought the day couldn’t get any better, but to top the whole day off Nick spotted a (very rare) White Heron (kōtuku)! Of course, I took full advantage and snapped lots of photos of him perched both in front of the magnificent backdrop and then also later at the inlet too; it turns out he’s famous in Milford, and the locals have named him Herman.
After an action-packed day in Milford we had a pretty relaxing Sunday and went for a stroll along part of the Kepler track, from Rainbow Reach carpark. We saw lots of amazing moss, ferns and also bumped into some Tomtit, Fantails and Waxeyes too! Overall it really was a perfect weekend, and I can’t wait to go back again hopefully soon.
Recommendations/tips
If you would prefer not to drive, there are multiple coaches and bus tours. If you drive, there’s also a lot of roadworks and grit, so I probably wouldn’t take out a fancy new car!
Allow at least three hours to get there, for slow drivers, icy conditions, and lots of stops along the way to check out the scenery.
There is no phone coverage along Milford road and no petrol stations, so fill up before you go and charge all your batteries.
Road condition information can be found www.milfordroad.co.nz or 0800 HIGHWAYS
In the winter, chains may be required and can be hired in Te Anau at petrol stations.
What to take:
Insect repellent
Warm and waterproof clothes and walking shoes (especially if you want to get up close with the waterfalls [and a zip-lock bag for your phone if it’s not waterproof])
Camera (and waterproof case if you have one)
Snacks for the drive (just make sure you don’t feed anything to the Kea!)
Links: