New Zealand part 3: Milford Sound
Deep within the heart of New Zealand’s South Island lies a place of unmatched beauty — Milford Sound. Known as the 8th natural wonder of the world, you can either reach this incredibly remote location by a long drive (3+ hours) or by a scenic flight. Lucky for us, we had the time and opted to do both!
While I’m typing this, I’m listening to the soundtrack of Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogy which captures the feeling of New Zealand stunningly and takes me right back.
Fly-cruise-fly
During our stay in Wanaka, we decided to embark on a fly-cruise-fly adventure. The weather had been rather gloomy in the days leading up to our tour, but on the morning of our excursion, we woke up to clear blue skies and sunshine. After a late breakfast in town, we made our way to a small airport just outside Wanaka, where we boarded a charter plane.
The flight itself was nothing short of spectacular. For about 40 minutes, we flew above the UNESCO World Heritage area of Te Wahipounamu, which encompasses the landscapes of Mt Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks. The scenery below was remote and unspoilt.
Our journey took us out towards the Tasman Sea before turning inland towards Milford Sound, home to just one runway nestled into the mountainside. The flight was smooth for the most part, although we encountered a bit of turbulence as we approached this rugged terrain.
Upon landing, we hopped on a short bus ride to take us to the ferry terminal where we departed on a 2-hour cruise taking us through the 16-kilometer-long sound, all the way out to the Tasman Sea and back. Despite its name, Milford Sound isn’t actually a sound but a fiord carved by ancient glaciers. On clear days like ours, only two permanent waterfalls, Stirling Falls and Lady Elizabeth Bowen Falls, can be seen. Though on rainy days, the landscape transforms with thousands of waterfalls cascading down the steep rock faces. There’s also plenty of wildlife around; we were lucky to spot a playful baby seal and a pair of dolphins.
After the cruise, we boarded our plane once more, this time flying over Dart Valley, Glenorchy, and Queenstown’s Shotover River. The fly-cruise-fly experience was undeniably another highlight of our trip, one we wholeheartedly recommend to anyone visiting the area.
Queenstown to Milford drive
Because one day in Milford Sound wasn’t enough, we also embarked on a road trip from Queenstown. The drive, which wound through landscapes that seemed straight out of a movie (clearly the scouts for Lord of the Rings had the same thought!), took us about 3.5 hours. Surprisingly, despite Milford Sound’s popularity, we encountered very few cars along the way.
Upon arriving at Milford Sound, we opted to explore two of the shorter hiking trails, soaking in more of the area’s natural beauty. We began with The Milford Foreshore Walk, which, as its name implies, winds along the shore of the sound. For our second hike, we ascended to higher ground on the Lookout Track, both offering equally stunning views and easily manageable in a day trip. After a late lunch, we made our way back towards Queenstown, ensuring we made the most of the daylight with a few scenic stops along the roadside.
Both our fly-cruise-fly adventure and our road trip to Milford Sound were unforgettable experiences, each offering a unique perspective on this stunning corner of New Zealand.
