Dramatic Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) is the emblem of Fiordland National Park. In 1993, the sound (actually a fjord) received designation as a marine reserve in recognition of its abundant sea-life, including unique waterline flora, bottlenose dolphins, fur seals, and the occasional Fiordland crested penguin. Sheer cliffs and snow-capped summits rise from the sound and its photogenic focal point, the rugged Mitre Peak (1482m), while trees grip rock faces in defiance of gravity. Waterfalls cascade from dizzying heights—at 146m, Stirling Falls is among the most spectacular. Scarcely marred by a century of eager tourist eyes (commercial guided walks to the area began in the 1890s), Milford Sound retains its majesty despite the droning fleet of cruise ships and the buzzing swarm of scenic flights.
Transportation. The best way to reach Milford Sound is to drive, but those without cars won’t be left in the cold. The variety of tours to Milford Sound is overwhelming—in peak season, as many as 70 buses head up the Milford Rd. in the morning and back in the afternoon. Daytrips depart Queenstown or Te Anau early and don’t return until evening; book well in advance and bring lunch with you—or prepare for high-priced mediocrity. Leaving from Te Anau rather than Queenstown is preferable, as Queenstown Trips take up to 12 hours with six hours of driving. Most Queenstown operators pick up from Te Anau along the way. The following operators run daily in summer (Oct.-Apr.) and at least a few times per week during the rest of the year.
The tongue-in-cheek local guides from Trips ’n Tramps run small (max. 12 people) and unhurried tours from Te Anau; some of their trips allow several hours for tramping along the Milford and Routeburn Track. (☎249 7081; www.milfordtourswalks.co.nz. From $136, children $75.) The BBQ Bus, flavors its commentary with optional bushwalking along Milford Rd. and a hearty barbeque lunch. (☎442 1045 or 0800 421 045; www.milford.net.nz. $189 from Queenstown, $145 from Te Anau.) Kiwi Experience (☎442 9708) and Magic partner Kiwi Discovery (☎442 7340) offer comparable daytrips from Queenstown ($159). Kiwi Experience allows one-way sector fares with unlimited stopping time along the course of the Milford Sound trip. (Queenstown to Te Anau $40, Te Anau to The Divide $20, The Divide to Milford Sound $15.) Real Journeys also offers large capacity coach-cruise-coach excursions. (☎249 7416 or 0800 656 501. From Te Anau $127-147, children $63-73.) Milford Wilderness Explorer runs a similar coach-cruise-coach service. (☎249 7505. Book through Air Fiordland in Te Anau. From Te Anau $125, children $80. Max. 8 people.) Rosco’s Sea Kayaks, Fiordland Wilderness Experience, Tawaki Dive, and some of the scenic flight operators also offer packages that include transport to and from Te Anau; see Outdoor Activities. Although Let’s Go doesn’t recommend it, hitchhikers claim that standing on Milford Rd. just past town is the best way to catch a ride to Milford Sound.
Accommodations And Food. Due to Milford Sound’s hit-and-run brand of tourism and the DOC’s control of real estate, there aren’t many lodging and dining choices around the sound. However, the few places in town carry off their duties with admirable charm, making an overnight stay in the sound a pleasure. About 1km before the sound, the Milford Sound Lodge (BBH) , is luxury incarnate for weary trampers with a toasty gear drying room, free shuttles to the wharf and pub, and modern bathrooms, and comfortable beds. The massive lounge offers free board games and a giant Fiordland track map for geographical brush-ups. (☎249 8071; www.milfordlodge.com. Breakfast bar. Unlimited wireless Internet $20. Dorms $28; twins and doubles $70. Tent sites $15. $3 BBH discount. MC/V.) The Blue Duck Cafe , (☎249 7982), just before the wharf on the main road, has reasonably priced food. The cafe features a lunch buffet ($15-19). The bar serves mains ($21-28) and local brews. (Internet in Cafe $1 per 10min. Cafe open daily 8:30am-4pm. Bar open 4:30pm-late. Dinner closes at 9pm. Cash only.)
By Boat. Boat tours are the most popular way to see the sound and the only way to view its entirety. Most trips depart 9am-5pm and last 1-3hr. If possible, take advantage of early morning cruises; they’re often cheaper than those offered once the buses start rolling in. Most boat companies offer a trip to Milford Deep, the world’s deepest underwater observatory, which floats more than 8m below the surface of the sound. The observatory allows visitors a peekat cool critters like black coral and snake stars, which grow close to the surface, thanks to the light-repelling layer of fresh water that Fiordland’s heavy rainfall deposits on the sound. Milford Deep cannot be visited independently, so check with boat operators for package prices. Cruising Milford Sound is the newest, cheapest company on the wharf. (☎249 7735 or 0800 500 121; www.cruisingms.co.nz. 4 per day, 9:30am-3:15pm. $50-65, children $15.) Real Journeys sends out 1hr. scenic cruises and 2hr. nature cruises daily. The tugboat-like Mariner and the Milford Wanderer, as well as the Friendship, offer relaxed overnight trips that include a hearty dinner, breakfast, and kayaking . (☎249 7419 or 0800 656 501; www.realjourneys.co.nz. Nov.-Mar. 8 per day. Apr.-Oct. at least 3 per day. $55-80, children $15. Overnight trips from $205, children $102.50.) Red Boat Cruises runs a fleet of modern cruise boats decked out in their namesake color, offering an additional “encounter” cruise that uses smaller boats to get closer to the wildlife. (☎441 1137 or 0800 264 536; www.redboats.co.nz. Oct.-Apr. 11 per day 9am-3:45pm. May-Sept. 4 per day 9:30am-1:30pm. Regular cruises $55-75; Encounter cruises $65-80; children $15.) Mitre Peak Cruises’ boats carry 75 passengers, keeping things cozier. (☎249 8110; www.mitrepeak.com. 7 per day in summer 8:55am-4:30pm, 3 per day in winter 9:55am-2:45pm. $56-68, children $25.)
Other Aquatic Activities. Kayaking may be the best way to comprehend the Milford Sound’s vast scale, too great to see in a single day’s paddle. Rosco’s Sea Kayaks, which meets at the Milford Sound Lodge, runs half-day “sunriser” and “twilighter” kayak tours; the sunriser can be paired with a short Milford Track walk or transport to and from Te Anau. (☎249 8500 or 0800 476 726; www.kayakmilford.co.nz. Sunriser $105, from Te Anau $135; twilighter $149; sunriser plus Milford Track combo $159.) Operating out of Te Anau, Fiordland Wilderness Experiences offers coach-kayak-coach tours. (☎249 7700 or 0800 200 434; www.fiordlandseakayak.co.nz. $130. From Milford Sound $100. Not always available in winter.) Meanwhile, diving in the sound allows firsthand encounters with black coral and other creatures of the deep; Tawaki Dive runs great personalized excursions from Te Anau and comparable snorkeling trips for those without certification. (☎249 9006; www.tawakidive.co.nz. 12hr. trip with a 5hr. cruise and 2 dives $274, from Milford Sound $244. $75 less without gear rental. Snorkeling $69. 6-person max. 4-day PADI scuba certification classes available for $525.)
Airborne Activities. Helicopter and flight tours are dazzling but expensive. Wings and Water runs floatplanes from Te Anau over the sound. (☎249 7405; wingsandwater@xtra.co.nz. 1hr. $395. 3-person min.) Air Fiordland features similar trips, as well as a posh flight-cruise-flight combo from Queenstown or Te Anau. (☎249 7505 or 800 107 505; www.airfiordland.co.nz. Milford Sound Overflight $315. 2-person min. Combos $375-415.) Milford Sound Helicopters (☎249 8384; milford.helicopters@xtra.co.nz) take off straight from the sound; trips range from a 10min. flight to Mitre Peak ($130) to flights landing on the Tutoko Glacier (22min.; $205) . You can even coach, cruise, and then meet your bus via helicopter (25min.; $250) along the return trip. (3 person min. Landings subject to weather.) Southern Lakes Helicopters also runs 80min. trips to Milford Sound from Te Anau, with free bubbly along the way ($670).
Despite the generations of trampers, the Milford Track, has lost none of its charm and grandeur. Over four days, the walk leads those lucky enough to garner a ticket through waterfall-laden valleys, up a blustery alpine pass, and along crashing mountain rivers, from Lake Te Anau to the Milford Sound. The track itself is not complete without its annual 8m of rainfall, and few escape without a damp day or two. However, with tightly regimented scheduling and over 12,000 walkers per year, choice in weather is not an option. Rest assured that no matter when you go, it will be well worth it. Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise is just jealous that they couldn’t get a ticket.
Glade Wharf To Clinton Hut. 5km, 1hr . On the boat over to Glade Wharf on Lake Te Anau, don’t miss the eerie memorial to Quintin MacKinnon, the founder of the Milford Track who later was shipwrecked and never seen again. With that disquieting thought in mind, trampers arrive at the grand entrance of the Milford Track, surrounded by tall, slender beeches and the occasional totara. The width of the track at this point may make things as difficult as following the Yellow Brick Road toward Oz, but don’t worry Dorothy, just enjoy the forest scenery and ever-twittering birdsong on this short leg. Just shy of the hut, the boardwalk Wetlands Walk (5min. round-trip) provides educational displays on multi-colored mosses and a bizarre array of carnivorous plants. Clinton Hut (40 bunks) is a corrugated outdoor mansion near the clear Clinton River. Those on the morning boat generally reach the hut very early in the afternoon and have time for a dip in some nearby frosty swimming holes.
Clinton Hut To Mintaro Hut. 16.5km, 6hr. The second day starts off relatively flat through more beech forest and groves of bizarre lancewoods as trampers follow the Clinton River toward Lake Mintaro. This track crosses several small streams along the way, which in very wet conditions can become a challenge to ford. After a few hours, the track opens up dramatically, allowing views of the surrounding rocky valley and even a far-off look at MacKinnon Pass. Waterfalls spill over the edges of the valley in several locations, offering several small lakes for swimming or a snack break. The alternate track via Hidden Lake is worth taking, but its resident eels may make a swim at forthcoming Prairie Lake a better choice. Ask the sandflies in which location they’d prefer to devour you. Many walkers along this open stretch may wonder why the DOC has marked the trail so frequently with large posts; walkers in heavy rain won’t. As the track meanders back into the bush, it starts climbing uphill and passes Hirere Falls, a lunch stop for the guided walkers. Feel free to use the water tap out back, and enjoy the first of what will be many encounters with local keas. The way gets rougher and steeper just before passing the dank Bus Stop shelter and remains so as it approaches Mintaro Hut (40 bunks). A cozy, two-story affair, Mintaro offers the best accommodation on the track and access to a great swimming hole a few minutes down the track by the helicopter pad (past the sign marking Lake Mintaro). Use the provided ladder to climb back out, but keep the helipad clear for rangers to come and go.
Mintaro Hut To Dumpling Hut. 14km, 6-7hr. This stretch is the most taxing and most incredible, and inclement weather can make it even more so. Twenty minutes after departing Mintaro Hut, the track begins a switchback ascent, which runs about 2hr. to the top of the pass. The Mile 15 marker indicates the halfway point to MacKinnon Pass, where spectacular panoramic views and a cliff with a 12sec. drop make the climb a hazy memory. An army of keas protect the imposing monument to Quintin MacKinnon, the Scotsman who discovered and first guided people over the pass. Before continuing over the pass for the 20min. journey to the shelter, be sure to pile on your warm gear and steel yourself against strong winds. The MacKinnon Pass Shelter, a cheerless but safe place sheltering gas cookers, is a welcome retreat from the elements, featuring a pit toilet with 2-ply toilet paper and the best view you’ve ever seen with your pants down. Heading back down, the track winds beneath a cliff topped by the Jervois Glacier, where wispy waterfalls are but a prelude to the crashing waters to come. This downhill stretch is the most difficult, punishing part of the walk, descending 970m over several hours to the Dumpling Hut. Once the trail enters the trees, the Arthur River makes a powerful entrance, fueled by several crashing waterfalls that cross your path and make dryness a faint memory. Further down the way, a series of solid staircases travel along the cliff-side river banks until reaching Quintin Hut, the next guided walkers’ accommodation. At the junction with Quintin Hut, independent trampers can stash their packs in the kea-proof day-shelter while they wander down the 1hr. round-trip side trail to the three-tiered, 580m Sutherland Falls, the highest waterfall in New Zealand and the fifth highest in the world. The crashing waters blow out enough mist to drench anyone within 10m, to say nothing of those who make the chilling and slippery venture behind the torrent. One more hour along a muddy riverside detour, which may become permanent due to recent rockfalls on the main trail, leads down to Dumpling Hut (40 bunks). While the indoor/outdoor design is baffling, the Dumpling Hut does feature a lovely swimming hole perfect for icing sore knees.
Dumpling Hut To Sandfly Point. 18km, 5-6hr. This final leg of the Milford Track is relatively straightforward in sunshine, though it is particularly prone to flooding in wet weather. Additionally, since the boats at the end depart precisely at 2pm and 3:15pm, speedy trampers will need to space out their walking in order not to end up waiting around at Sandfly Point. An excellent landmark timing guide is posted on the wall of Dumpling Hut for this purpose. Fairly flat, the home stretch passes the historic boatshed shelter (for guided walkers) after 1hr. 20min. past the shelter, trampers reach Mackay Falls and Bell Rock, the latter of which can be easily explored with a flashlight to see the water-carved interior. The next two hours of tramping cross low and close to the Arthur River. The track ascends over a series of cliff-side rock carvings blasted out by prison gangs and contracted workers in the early days of the track. Other than the path to Sutherland Falls, these cliffs are the only remaining original stretch of trail. The shelter near Giant Gate Falls is a welcome toilet stop, but the swarms of sandflies may demand skipping lunch until the enclosed shelter at the track’s end. From the falls, the track traces the Arthur River, becoming rocky while navigating the shoreline of Lake Ada. The final stretch of trail widens considerably to become as comfortable as the beginning, while the proverbial finish line at Sandfly Point glitters in front of you. Although the glittering may actually be caused by the swarms of namesake residents awaiting your arrival. Here, a stout shelter protects trampers as they await transport to Milford Sound and fresh food. Upon reaching the wharf at Milford Sound, yellow and blue free shuttles lead you to the carpark and airport, and the Milford Lodge shuttle will take you to the Blue Duck Cafe and Bar and the lodge itself. Pre-arranged bus connections await out front at the appointed time.
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