Milford Sound

Milford Sound is the most famous and breathtaking sight in New Zealand, a fiord of staggering beauty carved by glaciers deep in the Fiordland wilderness. Sheer rock walls rise over a kilometre straight from the dark water, waterfalls plunge from hanging valleys, and the iconic peak of Mitre Peak towers above, often mirrored in the still water. Reached by a spectacular road and explored by boat cruise or kayak, it is a UNESCO wonder.

History

Local Māori knew the fiord well, its tides and fish, and named it Piopiotahi after a single piopio, a thrush-like bird now extinct, said to have flown here in mourning after the death of Māui; a pounamu outcrop used for tools lies at Anita Bay, though the stone proved poor when Europeans later mined it. European sailors, James Cook among them, passed it by, its narrow entrance hiding the bays within and its cliffs threatening to trap ships, until the sealer John Grono found it and named it Milford Haven after his Welsh birthplace, around 1812 by one account and in 1823 by another; John Lort Stokes later renamed it Milford Sound. In the deed of sale to the New Zealand Company in 1848 it was misnamed, and after the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act of 1998 its official name became Milford Sound / Piopiotahi; it lies within the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Milford Sound).

What's there

• Mitre Peak - the iconic peak towering over the fiord.
• The waterfalls - the cascades plunging from the sheer cliffs.
• A boat cruise - the classic voyage out along the fiord to the sea.
• The road in - the spectacular drive through the Fiordland mountains.

When to go

November to April for the mildest weather, though Milford is one of the wettest places on earth, and rain, far from spoiling it, brings hundreds of temporary waterfalls thundering down the cliffs, so a wet day has its own magic. Book cruises and check road conditions ahead.

Good to know

It is extremely wet, raining most days, but rain actually makes it more spectacular, unleashing hundreds of waterfalls, so do not be put off by a grey forecast. It is very remote, a long, winding drive from Te Anau or Queenstown, and the road can close for avalanches. Sandflies are a fierce nuisance, so bring repellent.

Nearby

Te Anau, Doubtful Sound and the rest of Fiordland are nearby; Queenstown is a few hours away.

Key facts