Milford Sound
A fjord with four-thousand-foot walls, and waterfalls that blow back upwards in the wind.
Duration
10 hrs – 12 hrs
Best time
In rain, for the waterfalls
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
Milford Sound is a fjord, not a sound — the name is a piece of terminology that stuck: a sound is a drowned river valley, a fjord a glacial one, and this was carved by ice. The walls rise twelve hundred metres vertically from the water.
It receives between six and eight metres of rain a year, making it one of the wettest places on earth. Rain is not a problem: it sets off hundreds of temporary waterfalls down the walls. In strong wind, some are blown back upward before they reach the water.
Getting there
Two hundred and ninety kilometres from Queenstown, four to five hours by road via Te Anau. Cruises leave from the terminal at the head of the fjord.
What the price covers
the road and lookouts are free; the fjord cruise is ticketed
What to bring
- Headlamp
- Windbreaker
Rules on site
The road is long, winding and has no phone signal: allow ten to twelve hours return from Queenstown, or sleep at Te Anau. The Homer Tunnel closes for avalanche risk in winter, and chains may be required.