An early start today. Up, out and on the road by eight o'clock this morning. We had a long drive ahead of us so needed to get going.
The frustrating thing is that our destination today is only about 50 miles away as the crow flies. However, because of the geography of our region and in particular a collection of mountains, our driving route is actually 155 miles and would take us the best part of three and a half hours.
Our destination was Milford Sound - the essential experience for all South Island visitors. From the town, visitors embark on a spectacular cruise through the sound to admire the stunning scenery and dramatic coastline.
En route, we stopped off at various photogenic locations - it's hard to drive past without the urge to stop and admire!
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| The Key, Southland |
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| Te Anau, Southland |
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| Henry Creek, Southland |
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| Fiordland National Park |
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| Fiordland National Park |
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| Fiordland National Park |
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| Fiordland National Park |
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| Fiordland National Park |
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| The Chasm, Fiordland National Park |
Probably the best way to describe our Milford Sound cruise is to show you (yes the weather wasn't being kind!):
For those that want to know more, Milford Sound is also known by its beautiful Māori name Piopiotahi and is a breathtaking fiord etched deep into the heart of Fiordland National Park on New Zealand's South Island. Now that's not a spelling mistake. Here Fjord is spelt Fiord - the Viking spelling didn't get this far south!
Imagine towering, glacier-carved cliffs rising 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) from the inky-black waters, cloaked in lush rainforest that spills down to meet the sea. Waterfalls plunge hundreds of meters like silver ribbons, and the iconic Mitre Peak pierces the sky, its jagged summit often shrouded in mist. It is quite the geological wonder.
This dramatic landscape owes its existence to glaciers that carved their way through the mountains millions of years ago. My A level geography kicked back in! As the Ice Age retreated, rising sea levels filled these valleys, creating the stunning fiords we see today. Milford Sound is a place of superlatives: it's the wettest place in New Zealand, receiving an average of 6,813mm (268 inches) of rain annually, and boasts the country's tallest waterfall, Sutherland Falls, which cascades a staggering 580 meters (1,903 feet). We saw it on one of its wetter days!
Here was one particularly wet waterfall!
It was interesting to learn that the name "Milford Sound" was bestowed by English explorer Donald Sutherland in 1877, in honor of Milford Haven in Wales - you couldn't get two more different locations! However, the Māori name Piopiotahi holds deeper meaning, translating to "place of the Piopio," a once-abundant but now extinct thrush. This dual naming reflects the respect given to both the European and Māori cultural heritage of this awe-inspiring place.
On the way back, we stopped off at the Mildford Sound Observatory. Now I know what you're thinking - it's daylight, how could we see the stars. Well this was an underwater observatory for watching the fish! We descended a spiral staircase 10 meters below the water to watch the fish in the fiord. Sorry about the green hue - that's due to the water colouring the light.
It was very relaxing to watch the fish come and go. There were "gardens" that had been created just outside the viewing windows, to encourage the wildlife to come and pay us a visit.
Then we returned to shore and found that in our absence, our car had attracted some foul attention:
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| Fiordland National Park |
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| The Mirror Lakes |
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| The Te Anau Downs |
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