Milford sound It is one of the places that every traveler marks in red in their notebook when visiting New Zealand and reasons are not lacking. We knew it would be spectacular, we knew we would like a lot, we knew we would have a great time ... what we did not know was that the magic would begin much earlier. Next we tell you our experience in navigating Miford Sound on a cruise and all the tips to prepare the visit for free:
We arrived to Anau te and, after living a little drama with the agency with which we booked the cruise (in the useful info we tell you) and eat the richest meat pie in the world, we began the journey through one of the most impressive panoramic routes in the country. The road we take from Te Anau, the last inhabited center before the Milford Sound fjord, is simply spectacular. One of the best we ever went through (we always say the same thing but it is that New Zealand is getting better ...).
Km and km between forests full ofsilver fern, of rivers of blue waters, next to snowy mountains, yellow fields, rock valleys and even the occasional glacier. That's how nice to travel, even if Jairo drives 😉
The region of Fiordland, with an average of 180 days of rain a year, it is one of the wettest areas in New Zealand and we were going a little tad. All our fears vanished upon arrival: Milford Sound (or Piopiotahi, in Maori) received us dazzlingly. The landscapes are those that impose How not to be stunned by this spectacle of granite mountains covered with a green mantle, from which waterfalls are born that are thrown directly into the arms of the Tasmanian Sea?
Milford sound It is a fjord that extends 15 km inland and we climb on our little cross with the desire to discover each and every one of these km ...
We ride the cruise and begin our journey between the waves and with our mouths open "alaaa que bonito!", "Buaaah look at that waterfall!", "Ohhh a penguin, ah it's not a sea lion!" At one point the captain of the ship warned us to be careful ... that we were going to get right under a waterfall. "Hahaha" we laughed, until "hell that's true!"
Well yes, often waterfall waterfall rained on the boat! Luckily the captain had warned us and we were able to protect the cameras.
We continue sailing between the fjords and we encounter a piece of yacht (which an Italian man told us to be owned by Abramovich), with a few more waterfalls and with a few sea lions (as always sunbathing / sleeping). Obviously we did not see the penguin half penguin, and we have assumed: the pingus hate us!
Sailing among the waters of Milford sound it's not hard to understand why Rudyard Kipling called him the eighth wonder of the worldNo doubt Milford Sound is a must stop on any trip to New Zealand.
Useful information
:: How to get to Milford Sound?
With your own car it's about 3 hours from Queenstown without making many stops. The last gas station is in Te Anao and has the same prices as Queenstown. You can also hire the trip with a bus agency (such as Naked Bus or Kiwi Experience), or through tour websites such as Civitatis or Getyourguide.
:: How much does the Milford Sound cruise cost?
It depends on the schedule, if you catch the morning / afternoon cruise it costs about $ 50, however to do so you will have to sleep in Te Anau if you do not want to get up early or return home too late. We chose the midday option ($ 70) for comfort: we left Queenstown at 07.00 and returned around 19.00.
There are 50% promotions and others on the website www.bookme.co.nz in several companies.
:: Is it necessary to book or can you hire there?
Our feeling has been that you can hire there without problem, in fact there were people who did it. The price, however, is the same online or live (except if you benefit from a promotion). However, if you are traveling in high season or want to avoid running out of space, the ideal would be to book in advance (and if you get a better offer, better than better!
:: Trekking by Milford Sound
In order to enjoy one of the best trekking in the world you will need only one thing: planning, and this track is very much in demand!
:: Panoramic flight
If your budget allows it, do not hesitate: a flight over the Fiordland area has to be something spectacular. Prices from Queenstown are around $ 200-300.
:: Our experience
We get one of those 50% discounts with Go orange. Although there was a misunderstanding when picking up the ticket at his Te Anau office (we were told that the ship was broken, but we saw that other passengers with the discount ticket went smoothly), the experience was wonderful. We had an unbeatable sunny day, the captain of the ship approached to the foot of two waterfalls, we enjoyed a divine fish & chips, they gave us an orange ice cream and the boat makes the longest route ... So it is worth it.
This was ours visit to the Milford Sound fjord by cruiseWe hope these tips can help you plan this great adventure!
