Tag Archives: Milford Sound

The 119 km Te Anau to Milford Sound highway winds its way through majestic alpine scenery  and warrants a day just to explore all the many walks and viewpoints along the way.  But we are booked on the 3:15 pm cruise of Milford Sound and don’t set out until 12 (Tottenham match being shown on TV at 9am) which leaves time to make  only  a couple of stops along the way;  at Mirror Lakes, a series of pools with crystal clear waters and near perfect reflections of the surrounding snow-capped mountains, and for lunch at a viewpoint looking out onto the  towering snow-capped peaks.  The highway winds down the Eglinton and Hollyford Valleys then through the the Homer Tunnel  hewn through1200 metres of  mountain. Emerging from the tunnel the highway makes a steep descent into the spectacular Cheddau Valley.

Nestled in the Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound is the most accessible of the 14 Sounds along New Zealands south-west coast, and the best-known of all the glacier-cut fiords.  In fact it isn’t a ‘sound’ at all, sounds being the result of river rather than glacial erosion.  The weather is perfect for our trip – blue skies and sun.  The first view of the Sound is breath-taking, with Mitre Peak rising dramatically out of the water to a steep snow-capped point.  Once on the water it is difficult to grasp the vastness of the Sound and the height of mountains that rise perpendicular from it’s deep black waters.  The cruise boats are like matchbox toys against the sheer immenseness of the landscape and judging distances becomes impossible. 

The cruise takes us the 16 km from the head to the Tasman Sea.  Awe-inspiring peaks, hanging valleys, waterfalls cascading over sheer granite cliffs to the sea below and seals basking on the rocks.  There are only two permanent waterfalls in the Sound all the many others come to life only after rainfall. This is one of the wettest places on earth receiving seven metres of rain a year!

At the mouth of the Sound the swell of the Tasman Sea  causes the boat to pitch  throwing spray over the bow soaking those of us who remain on deck despite the captain’s warnings!  Ah, what fun!

Word of the day:  Hokey Pokey – iconic vanilla ice cream with honeycombe chips much loved by kiwis

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