As we started on our two hour drive to Milford Sound from Te Anau it was pouring and we worried that it would be a miserable and soggy cruise on the fiord. As it turned out it was all for the best. The Sound has, apparently, only one “full time” waterfall. The rest only work either when it is raining or when there has been a recent rainfall. As a result, we were treated to the drama of hundreds of waterfalls cascading into the Sound.
Called Piopiotahi in Maori, Milford Sound, was once deemed the eighth Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling and it’s easy to see why. It is one of those places that surpassed the hype. It’s hard to describe the grandeur of the place and the photos certainly don’t do it justice. Our suggestion is to visit it in person. And if you are in New Zealand do it before the travel ban ends. The dozens of empty bus parking spots and hundreds of empty car spaces at the boat dock suggests that the place would normally be packed with tourists.
It’s hard from the photos to show the dramatic heights of the cliffs that rise over a thousand feet straight up from the fiord but if you look at the following photos you will see two tiny boats at the bottom. They are, in fact, huge tourist boats.
The boat nosed in underneath two of the waterfalls which left us drenched but exhilarated.
You can see clear lines where the fresh water from the waterfalls and salt water from the ocean meet.
Walking back to the car from the boat, we enjoyed some beautiful New Zealand native plants and a view of iconic Mitre Peak.
The drive in and out of Fiordland is also very dramatic. At one stage you drive through a long, wet, and steeply sloping tunnel.
Mal and Lauren 