New Zealand  

      South Island 

-Fiordland National Park, Including: Te Anau, Milford and Doubtful Sounds 

Milford Sound

One of the most iconic sites in all of New Zealand is Milford Sound within Fiordland National Park.  So when putting this trip together, I knew that Milford Sound was a must see.  We also scheduled ourselves a significant amount of time in this area as the weather is notoriously unpredictable.  The second major consideration is where we were going to stay in order to be able to maximize our time exploring this National Park.  There are several options, including staying in Queenstown and Te Anau.  Milford Sound is approximately 4 hours from Queenstown and 2ish hours from Te Anau.  There are options to take helicopter or airplane flights into Milford Sound from Queenstown, as well as, bus day trips.  We decided, as we had a rental car, that we wanted to have the ability to adjust our schedule based on the weather, so we chose lodging in Te Anau.

Milford Sound

The road north from Te Anau ends in Milford Sound, but to truly experience Milford Sound you need to get to see it from the water.  There are many options to get out into the sound, including helicopter and float plane tours, and boat tours which range from a few hours to overnight.  

Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Milford Sound

We chose to do the overnight boat tour of Milford Sound to maximize our time in the fiord.  We had the best time!!  The day we boarded the ship was bright and sunny and the next morning it was dark and moody, so we got to experience both sets of conditions.  

Our cruise for the overnight in Milford Sound, RealNZ Milford Mariner

Here is a short compilation of videos I took during our overnight tour in the fiord.

Harrison Cove with Glacier sitting high on the mountains above

One unique feature that Milford Sound can claim is the presence Glacier, rainforest and fiord all in the same photograph.  The only other place in the world that you can capture this is in Patagonia.

Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls

Penguins!!  Well just one penguin.  We were so lucky to see a Fiordland Crested Penguin in the early morning of our cruise.  It is the very end of the breeding season, but we did get to see one penguin.  He was so small, only standing about a foot tall.

Fiordland Crested Penguin

Fiordland Crested Penguin

Fiordland Crested Penguin

Fiordland Crested Penguin

Cruising along the sound

Cruising along the sound

Mouth of Milford Sound as it meets the Tasman Sea

Milford Sound

Milford Sound

We actually were so excited to see Milford Sound that we drove up the very first day and that day was rainy, dark and moody, which meant that so many temporary waterfalls and cascades were still flowing when we were there.

Water cascading down wall by the tunnel

Water cascading down wall by the tunnel

Water cascading down wall by the tunnel

Water cascading down the bare rock walls

Water cascading down the bare rock walls

While it is a two hour drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound, there are a few sights along the road and many places to pullover to enjoy the view.  There are also many hiking trails all along the road with varying difficulties.  The trails are very well marked by the New Zealand Department of Conservation.  Here are some photos from sights along the road to Milford Sound.

Eglinton Valley

Mirror Lakes

Bowen Falls

Bowen Falls

Bowen Falls

White-faced Heron

Falls Creek

Falls Creek

South Island Robin

Monkey Creek

Marian Falls

Marian Falls

Stirling Falls

We did an easy 30 minute hike to view Humboldt Falls. 

Humboldt Falls

  

Humboldt Falls

Cool tree stump on Marian Lake Track

Cool tree stump on Marian Lake Track

Cool tree stump on Marian Lake Track

We did the Lake Marian Track and it was a tough scramble up rocks and along a rocky riverbed.  It was a 5.6 mile out and back track with 1,312 ft elevation gain.  It was not easy, but beautiful at the end of the trail as the forest opens into Lake Marian with the mountain peaks all around.

Lake Marian

Lake Marian

Lake Marian

Lake Marian

Lake Marian

Lake Marian

Here are just a few more pictures from the Marian Falls and other things along the path.

Marian Falls

Marian Falls

Fantail

It is very difficult to catch a shot of the fantails, they flit all around so fast never staying in one place too long.

Ferns are everywhere

Also in Fiordland National Park is Doubtful Sound.  It is equally as pretty, but definitely more serene than even Milford Sound.  It is a journey to reach Doubtful Sound which begins in the town of Manapouri where you board a ferry for the 1 hour journey over Lake Manapouri.

Lake Manapouri

Lake Manapouri

Once you cross Lake Manapouri, you disembark the ferry and climb onto buses which will drive you another 45 minutes over a mountain pass to the west coast and the start of Doubtful Sound.

Overlook of Doubtful Sound from bus ride over the mountain pass

Part of the reason that Doubtful Sound is perhaps more serene lies in the fact that is not as easy to get to and you don't have all the helicopters and planes flying above and through the sound.  It is just so peaceful.  

Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound

There was a point when the captain turned off the engines and the generators and we just sat there in utter silence.  Silence that I have rarely heard in my entire life.   

Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound

Fur Seal sitting on some rocks looking back at us

Then of course you have to reverse the process, disembark the tour boat, board buses, then board ferry to cross Lake Manapouri to where you parked your car.  It was quite a lot of steps, but definitely worth the journey.

We were also able to get onto Lake Te Anau which is a very large fresh water lake created by glaciers.  It is the largest lake on the South Island of New Zealand and has three inland fiords, the only in all of New Zealand.  Lake Te Anau sits at the eastern edge of Fiordland National Park.  The fiords are named North, Middle and South Fiords.  We explored the southern fiord.  

Southern Fiord in Lake Te Anau

It had rained a bit the previous few days, so we were rewarded by many waterfalls.

Gorge Falls (raging due to the recent rainfall)

Gorge Falls (raging due to the recent rainfall)

Gorge Falls (raging due to the recent rainfall)

There were so many waterfalls within the fiord, most of which were not named.  Some waterfalls only flow when there was recent rain, so we were so blessed to see so many falls.

Trying to beat the rain heading out of the southern Fiord

One of the nights in Te Anau was perfectly clear, so John decided to go out and take some photos of the Milky Way.

Large Magellanic Cloud

While he was out taking photos of the Milky Way, he happened to look down at the horizon and was rewarded by southern lights!!

Southern Lights

Southern Lights

I was even able to catch the southern lights with my iPhone from our Airbnb with all the street lights around.

Southern Lights

Southern Lights

Southern Lights

 

Final thoughts on our visit to this area.  We are very glad that we stayed in Te Anau.  It allowed us to be as close as possible to all of Fiordland NP.  There were a couple of hotels in and around Milford Sound, but after visiting we would never stay at these lodges.  When the weather is good, it is nonstop helicopters and float planes.  You really could not see very much from the shore, you really need to be on or over the water to really experience Milford Sound.  We would definitely recommend the overnight cruise at either Milford or Doubtful Sounds, if you are able.  By staying in Te Anau, we had the flexibility to explore any of the tracks along the road to Milford Sound, Lake Te Anau and Doubtful /sound.  So we definitely would use Te Anau as a home base if we visit again.  

Things in the Fiordland National Park area that we enjoyed most and would do again:

1.  Milford Sound overnight cruise

2.  Lake Te Anau cruise

3.  Lake Marian Track

4.  Doubtful Sound (but as an overnight cruise, rather than an day trip) 

Additional Costs (in NZD):

Real NZ Milford Sound overnight cruise - $799pp

Real NZ Doubtful Sound Wilderness tour - $349pp

Cruise Te Anau Waterfall tour - $250

  - We are blessed currently with a great exchange rate for NZD to USD (1NZD = 0.57USD),

     so most of these costs were much less with this exchange rate.

Coming soon...

The South, including Invercargill, Bluff, the Catlins and Dunedin