New
Zealand's most famous visitor destination - Milford Sound is 307 km from Queenstown and it takes about 4
to 5 hours one way depending how many stops you take. The spectacular Milford
Sound is within the Fiordland
National Park. We were
there during the summer time and we got up early in the morning to avoid the
traffic. We were warned to fill up the tank before leaving Te Anau because
there is no gas station on the way. You need at least 2 persons who could drive
on the left hand side of the road in order to drive there due to the long
journey. The benefit is you have the freedom to decide where and how long to
stop along the way. Of course, you can take the coach or flight to Milford
Sound.
The drive
to Milford Sound passes through unspoiled mountain landscapes before entering
the 1.2 km Homer
Tunnel which emerges into rain-forest-carpeted canyons that descend to the
sound. The Milford Sound is a beautiful place and because of the remoteness, it
only allows you to enjoy one of the boat tours unless you plan to stay
overnight. We must be lucky; it was sunny with few clouds. We took the
unforgettable Real Journeys Natural Cruise and it allowed us about 2 1/2 hrs to
enjoy the picturesque sceneries. The ship we took was Milford Mariner; you
could stay either inside the cabin or outside deck. Coffee and tea are
complimentary on board. It offers a close-up experience of rainforest, soaring
rock walls and wildlife. Thanks to the rain in the past days, there were
numbers of waterfalls that only appear in the raining days. The wild life we
saw only limited to the seals basking on the rocks. The dolphins and penguins
were no-shows during our tour.
More photos please click the photo below for larger picture
James Huang - All rights reserved.
Nice post & photos.
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