Milford Sound is one of the most famous natural wonders in the world, and for good reason. In fact, it deserves (and will get – stay tuned!) its own post on this site.
Less well known but equally incredible, is the journey you take just to get to the sound. From the last point of civilization – the town of Te Anua, pop. ~3,000 – you drive 118 km (73 miles) through the wilderness to reach the sound.
This whole area – and indeed a large portion of the South Island’s southwestern coast – is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it shows. There are plenty of gorgeous places to stop and/or hike to along the way.
We didn’t stop at every point of interest in our travels (got to leave something to come back for!) but saw a fair portion. Indeed, “seeing” many of these wonders is as easy as pulling your car to the side of the road to take in the view.
First we stopped at Eglington Valley – this is an ancient landscape, carved out by glaciers during the last Ice Age. you can see wide expanses of meadow for miles, and are surrounded by mountains in the distance.
Next up was the Mirror Lakes – these are on the edge of the valley, created centuries ago when the river shifted course and left these small lakes (known as “oxbow” lakes) on the edge. On a calm day – which we were lucky to have – you can see perfect reflections of the Earl mountains.
Also – the water in these lakes is so clear and still you can actually see fish swimming beneath the surface.
Next along our journey, we passed by The Divide (where there is some good hiking) and made our way to Lake Marian. This involves a fairly tough 1.5 hour hike uphill (I will post a video of the hike separately in the future) to get to the lake, but it is more than worth it. After initially running along some impressive river rapids, the trail shoots straight uphill until you arrive at the lake.
Next up is Monkey Creek – a glacier fed stream where you can drink water right from the stream! This is nestled in right among the mountain ranges on either side (noticing a theme here?). There were also some Kea hanging around when we stopped – these are the worlds only alpine parrot species (rare overall, but doing well in this park), and quite a sight to see. They also apparently love rubber – and will even hop onto your car trying to get some from your windows!
Next we made a quick stop at Falls Creek Falls – this impressive waterfall is easily viewable right beside the road.
Finally, we drove our van through the Homer Tunnel. This is a 1.2km long tunnel blasted right through the mountain, running in a straight line and sloping downhill (or uphill on our way out – happy our old van made it!). The tunnel was opened in 1953, and there are no lines on the road. Going through this was impressive in itself, and of course it opens up to amazing mountain views on the other side!
Milford Sound is indeed unbelievable, and very much deserves its title as a natural wonder. If you ever get there, however (which you must do in any New Zealand adventure), make sure to include some extra time to explore along the Old Milford Road!
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