Day #12 - New Zealand Adventure - The Milford Sound

Today we headed to the Milford Sound from Te Anau (pronounced Tay Ah New). The distance is approximately 113 kilometers and it takes about 2 hours of driving through incredible scenery to get to the sound. In reality, it is not a sound which is a channel formed by the sea flooding a river valley. A fjord is formed by a glaciated valley.

During this transit to the Milford Sound here are some of the fabulous sights. Pictures do not do the sights justice.

Interesting little mountain parrots.

Kea Birds

A very scary and long tunnel- The Homer Tunnel

The Homer Tunnel

Waterfalls Abound

Beautiful crystal clear streams

We reached the entrance to the Milford Sound

First order of business after coffee and a 2 hour drive!

We got there with 1/2 hour to spare for a 9:45 am departure. There are about 5 boat cruise companies and they all seem to go to the same places so I am not certain I can make a recommendation that one is better than the other. However, I would recommend getting there early as the place really packs up for the 1-2 pm departures as all the tour buses from elsewhere arrive.

As we pull away from the dock for a loop to the Tasman Sea, you see mountains more than a mile high rising many thousands of feet from the ocean floor carved out from glacier action. Waterfalls fall from more than a mile up with crystal clear water. If you think Yosemite and Half Dome are great, they are but a speck when compared to the Milford Sound.

Our Captain

I will try to post some videos of what the trip was like at a later date when I can edit them and place them on youtube.

I would highly recommend you place a trip to the Milford Sound or to Doubtful Sound (a two day trip) on your bucket list.

Here is what jade looks like in the raw. The Maori called it Greenstone and it is mostly mined on the west side of the South Island.

On the drive back from Milford Sound, make certain you stop at a place called the Chasm. It is well worth a short walk to watch the water flow through a narrow gap in the rocks. The video will be much more impressive.