Most beautiful fjords located in Fiordland National Park (south island)
FYI
- Rains 250 days per year
- Says area is cash only but I only used cards
- Café & gift shop near paid parking opens 830am serves hot food
- (gmaps “perm closed” but nah)
- Last town with gas and accommodation 2hrs away- Te Anau
Transport
- Driving: Long drive-Winding and steep road (take meds if easily car sick)
- Hard to pass slow drivers AND a One-way tunnel traffic light causes delays
- Te Anau: 2-2.5hr drive one way
- Queenstown: 4-5hr drive one way
- Or Small engine flight $$$ to & from Queenstown- includes the boat tour
- VERY dependent on weather- always random rain @ sound
Parking: No overnight
- Free parking: “Deepwater Basin”- left turn before main Milford Sound.
- Limited
- Paid: right in front of café- $10nz per hour! Card only @ meter
To do
1) ***Get your guide boat tour: includes underwater observatory- 3hrs
- Company- southern discoveries
- Meeting point: Milford Sound Visitor Center.
- Walk time from paid parking-10 min, free-30min
- 5 stars, takes you right up to waterfalls
- Underwater observatory- added bonus that’s worth it
- Usually raining, windy and cold= hold on to your camera
- Has snack and coffee on board if you want
- Wildlife: Milford Soud Wildlife
- We saw dolphins swim with the boat
- See Fiordland penguin- one of two places in the world
2) Milford Sound Swing
- “Milford Sound Foreshore Walk” on maps- 2min walk from paid car park
- Add on look out points and short walks along the road outside of Milford
- DO NOT stop on the way to Milford-
- Secure parking before AM rush @ Sound-
- If you want to stop at points on the way out afterwards
- Overall not worth the time- nothing compares to Fjord views
NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR INSTAGRAM
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