Milford Sound

I once read an article about the road to Milford which made the bold statement that you would run out of surpurlatives trying to describe the scenery along this road, long before you even reached Milford Sound. The article wasn't wrong.

We opted for the scenic coach trip and longer nature cruise aboard the Milford Wanderer on Milford Sound, which meant an early start from Te Anau. We were the first to be picked up, so had the added bonus of a scenic tour as we drove around town picking up everyone else. The schedule also allowed for several stops along the road to allow time to absorb the grandeur of the mountains..

John, our driver, explained that these coaches had been specially designed to allow everyone to enjoy the scenery to the maximum. Each row of seats was slightly higher than the one in front and the seats were angled slightly towards the windows to make it easier to look out. The glass panel down each side of the roof also allowed you to look up. The designers definitely got it right.

The morning was overcast with low cloud but John assured us would burn off as the day progressed. By the time we reached Lake Gunn, a bit over half way to Milford Sound, the clouds had dispersed to reveal the full splendour of the scenery we were travelling through..

The countryside varied from open farming country near Te Anau, to beech forest, flat grassy valleys surrounded by mountains, and sheer rock, some of it capped with snow. Scattered amongst this varied terrain were small lakes reflecting mountain peaks, meandering streams and torrents thundering through narrow chasms.

High in the mountains was a natural amphitheatre surrounded on three sides by cliffs capped with snow. At the base of the cliffs was the entrance to the Homer Tunnel. A concrete arch extended out from the cliff face to protect the entrance from falling rocks. At 945m above sea level, we were well above the tree line and the only vegetation was tussock grass clinging tenaciously to the rocks.

The tunnel is 1.2 km long and has a gradient of 1 in 11, dropping towards Milford . It is unlit and unlined. John said the tunnel was supposedly wide enough for two coaches to pass each other - but he'd never had to, and didn't want to. Construction of the tunnel was commenced in 1935 as a Public Works scheme employing 5 men using picks, shovels and wheelbarrows. Although construction was fully mechanised in 1946 the tunnel wasn't completed till 1953. It was later widened to its present width.

Arriving at Milford Sound, we were struck by the stark contrast with Doubtful Sound. Milford Sound has truly spectacular scenery, with mountains of bare rock rising sheer out of the water for thousands of metres.Mitre Peak, opposite the boat harbour, is 1,694m above sea level. It's cliffs drop a further 1,000m to the seabed below.

Milford Sound It is also highly commercialised with a large visitor centre and a boat harbour which services several large tourist boats. There is an underwater observatory, although we didn't have the opportunity to visit this. And, surprisingly, there is even an airport. The air is alive with the buzz of light planes and helicopters. If you are looking for a wilderness experience, go to Doubtful Sound instead.

Our good fortune weather-wise continued and we were blessed with a clear, calm day. The nature cruise allowed for close-up viewing of this magnificent area. We got so close to several waterfalls that everyone on deck got wet. Being such a calm day we were able to go right out to the Tasman Sea.

On the return journey to Te Anau we took advantage of the optional helicopter ride and glacier landing. I wasn't expecting there to be glaciers in the mountains near Milford Sound. After landing on a glacier and throwing a few snow balls at each other we flew between jagged peaks and over knife-edge ridges. Hidden amongst the peaks were several small, almost perfectly round lakes. We finally met the coach just on the Te Anau side of the Homer Tunnel. It was an exhilarating flight and capped off the day perfectly.