Milford Sound claims to be the 8th wonder of the world. Evidently, many places make that claim, but I can surely see why the folks in Milford Sound feel that way!
We take an amazing tour with Southern Discoveries Tour. We hop on a bus in Queenstown (that has a glass roof, bathroom, and reclining seats). It takes 6 hours to drive the 291k to Milford Sound with several stops along the way for photo opportunities, bathroom breaks, and snacks. We then board a boat and take a cruise of Milford Sound by sea, and then back on the bus for a 5 hour return to Queenstown. A very long day.
We meet before dawn to load onto the bus with 43 other people. Our driver, Brad was amazing. He shared stories and the history of places along the way. A constant narrative with just enough humor to keep you interested.
We had beautiful views along the way to Milford Sound with low clouds, fog, and mountains.
And the landscape keeps changing.
Mirror Lakes
On the way, we stop the iconic Mirror Lakes which were absolutely stunning! I think this is what Lake Matheson would have been like had we been there on a sunny day.
I asked as stranger to take our photo and unfortunately she didn’t capture the mirror lakes behind us. But it still is a pretty picture.
This view certainly takes your breath away.
Pride of Milford Sound
After almost 6 hours in the bus we finally arrive in Milford Sound. We move from our bus to our boat, the Pride of Milford. This boat must hold well over 500 people. You get in the buffet line immediately upon boarding. Food wasn’t terrible for a buffet but it was a true buffet.
The very first thing we see as we leave the dock is the beautiful Bowen Falls. It is a very powerful waterfall that was stunning thing to see.
It is a quick trip out to the Tasman sea and then past another spectacular waterfall called the Sterling Waterfall.
The Sterling Waterfall is beautiful and even more so when you are up close and personal. The captain nosed the boat close enough to the falls to feel the spray on our face. Ignore the label on the bottom of the photo as this is the Sterling Falls (not the Bowen Falls).
A Plane Ride Home
We decided to take a flight home rather than sit in the bus for another 5 hours. We hopped in a GA8 Airvan that showed us around Milford Sound from the sky. Oh my goodness, I highly recommend seeing Milford Sound by air as it is far more impressive than by sea!
There are so many lakes, rivers, and waterfalls.
After about 45 minutes, we arrive back in Queenstown and get a pretty view of this lake side town from the air.
An absolutely spectacular day in Milford Sound.
- Kilometers Traveled: 0 Arrived the day before
- Hotel: Whistler Holiday Apts.
- Total Traveled: 291km by bus, 20km by boat, 310km by airplane
- Kilometers Walked: 5.4 (on a bus and boat most of the day)
Events from this blog occurred in early March. Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind live events. Be sure to read about our escapades in Queenstown in our last blog.