Milford Sounds, New Zealand
Declared the eighth Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling Milford Sounds is New Zealand’s most famous tourist destination, and not without good reason. Probably my highlight of a trip to New Zealand, located in the Flordlands of the South Island of New Zealand, Milford Sounds has got be some of the best scenery I’ve ever seen.
An early morning cruise with dolphins bow-riding boats as you pass through huge peaks emerging straight out of the sea is an awe-inspiring experience.
Getting there
We stayed over in Te Anua, 121 km away rather than the 295km to Queenstown. The drive to Milford Sound is fantastic in itself. It passes through great mountain landscapes and the 1.2 km Homer Tunnel which is cut straight through the rock face of a mountain. It then emerges into rainforest canyons that descend to the sound. The winding mountain road however can be treacherous so look out for warning signs and you may need to use chains in the winter.
The majority of tourists visiting Milford Sounds travel the 295km from Queenstown on an organised tour. The tours depart very early in the day and arrive around midday. To avoid the hoards leave we stayed in Te Anua and left nice an early, in time for a relaxed boat trip at about 10 am.
After the boat trip we stopped at the mirrored lake and for a walk on the alpine trail, both recommended.
were the animals tame? i think i read once that there are no predators in the Flordlands so all the animals are quite tame.
Not sure that Dolphins have predators any where in the world?
[...] your way back from the awe-inspiring Milford Sounds, stop off right after you exit the Homer Tunnel for a cracking Alpine Trail. Keep an eye out as [...]
Looks like you had great weather. Most photos from Milford Sound are from days that are cloudy and gray. I am am thinking of making the boat trip on Doubtful Sound instead of the popular Milford Sound. When I return to New Zealand again, I want to do the Milford Track. It looks amazing!
I am spending 39 days in New Zealand with my 7 year old daughter as we travel around New Zealand and throw our support for Canada during the Rugby World Cup in September and October 2011.
Cheers and great blog!