27 December 2024 -New Zealand- South Island -Milford Sound

We were up at 6.30am and left at 7.00am on the dot for Milford Sound some 291km away. It was a blue-sky morning and we had chosen a fantastic day to see the Sound. As it is often wet some say well it is as beautiful as you see more waterfalls when it is wet whereas others say it is rare to get a blue-sky day.

The drive can take 3.5 hours but some say leave 4.5 -5 hours. We had a boat at 1.15pm and we needed to be there by 12.55 latest. We hoped by leaving early that we would miss the coach tours etc. Alas not.

The road goes south of the lake and follows its south side. In fact, the drive was part of the whole experience and you go through some amazing countryside. The road around the lake is quite meandering and you curve through the sides of the lake. We met some coaches but they obviously know the road and were going fast. The scenery was stunning and we were looking up at high mountains with snow on them and hills with steep faces and green slopes with not many trees initially. The lake looked black and still. Once we passed the end of the lake we were into vast valleys.

These valleys were very wide and went on for miles with cattle ranches and farms spread sporadically across the base. The road is only single track so you go with the flow and whilst there are opportunities to overtake this can depend on the trail of traffic you are in. There were Police around checking you were not doing more than 100km.

The road continued and there were lots of mountains which had snow on them providing the outside frame of the beautiful scenery. These mountains I think are called The Remarkables and as you get closer to Milford Sound you meet the Southern Alps as they are called.

We had a coffee and a break after a couple of hours and filled up with fuel as petrol stations are few and far between as you near the Sound. As we got closer the mountain size increased and the valleys narrowed and the mountain rivers started to appear. We followed them along the road and various photo points and stops began to appear. We stopped a couple of times but stopped properly at the Mirror Lakes. This actually was a still river flowing but as it was so still it mirrored the beautiful mountain scenery. We took some nice pictures and carried on. 

The last town is Te Anau and it is a two-hour drive from there through valleys, mountain countryside and woodland where the trees cover the road with a sort of canopy. It is stunning scenery and so vast in terms of size of the valleys and the mountains. We had to go through a 1.4 km tunnel which was interesting as it was one way traffic with traffic lights. You wait to be let through as one line of traffic goes while the other waits and vice versa. The tunnel essentially goes downhill on the way through. Once through you descend for quite some time and then eventually come to the Sound with a little airport on the left where all the helicopters and planes bring their passengers for those who do these private flights. This could have been us had we still been in Wanaka.

We drove round to the car park and eventually found a place. This is a serious tourist spot. It had taken us 4.5 hours despite the couple of small stops. We went to the terminal and found our ferry, the Milford Sovereign, and we boarded at 1.00pm and set off at 1.15pm.  

Milford Sound is a fiord (carved out by glaciers) not a sound (carved out by rivers) and is a large ocean inlet surrounded by rock faces and peaks. It was created by glaciers eroding the land over 600 million years ago. Milford Sound is one of the wettest places on Earth, receiving an average of 6,813 mm of rain per year and sometimes up to 9m of rain. Apparently the record is that they had 1m of rain in one day. The rain creates a layer of fresh water on top of the ocean, which stains the water with tannins from the forest, giving it a unique black appearance. 

Milford Sound is a fiord in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s known for towering Mitre Peak, plus rainforests and waterfalls like Stirling and Bowen falls, which plummet down its sheer sides. The fiord is home to fur seal colonies, penguins and dolphins. Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory offers views of rare black coral and other marine life. 

Milford Sound is a popular destination, with nearly 1 million visitors per year.  It is celebrated for its awe-inspiring landscapes, pristine environment and remote and rugged beauty.

We had booked a buffet lunch on the boat and had this once we were on board. Once out of the wharf we were right into the sound (or Fjord). There was a large waterfall just on the righthand side which was very fast flowing. The sound is about 10nm and winds its way between steep mountain ridges and rocks. The surprise was the wind, as when we boarded there was none but on the water it was very evident. The captain explained that the widest point of the Sound was 2.7km but at the end where it meets the Tasman Sea it is only 500m across and so the wind funnels down and accelerates its force. The scenery was vast and memorable with steep cliffs and mountains and evidence of the former glacial movement as we meandered through. We were so lucky to see it in its sunny glory and after about an hour we came to the Tasman Sea which today was calm. As we passed down the sound we saw a number of waterfalls and cliffs.  

The glaciers came out to the Tasman Sea many years ago. We then turned round and went back passing the Northern side more and the waterfalls and bays and sea lions sunbathing on the rocks.

We came back to the dock having had a good trip round the Sound. The scenery was impressive but it was very touristy and busy. Once we docked we got back in the car and set off back again retracing our steps. It was a lovely scenic drive back and it took us 3 hours 45 minutes. I think the drive is as impressive in a way as the Sound. It is the whole experience which makes the day. We arrived back at our villa at 7.00pm having left at 7.00am. We had a drink and it was still very sunny and hot and we had a light supper and the temperatures were very high until about 8.15pm.

It had been a great long day and well worth it. The picture of the day is looking back down the sound bit so many pictures we took during the day could have qualified.  

Need/Opportunity Year Two

I am in need of more crew from April to September so if of interest do email me at  hine.nick9@gmail.com  

In year two I will be going from New Zealand to Sydney and hen up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and then through Bali, Singapore and on to Thailand to end year two about the end of November 2025.

The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com