Sublimely epic Milford Sound

Dramatic, magical, sensational, epic – Milford Sound thoroughly deserves all the tributes bestowed upon it.

Milford Sound has a stellar reputation among cruisers, and with good reason – a cruise through here reveals a bevy of gob-smacking sights. From cloud-piercing cliffs and snowcapped mountains and waterfalls, this is a region drenched in beauty. Getting there on the two-and-a-half-hour drive from Te Anau is also worthy of praise. The Milford Road is a real head-turner of a journey and as spectacular as the destination itself. Take your time because the road can be icy. In winter, snow chains are a must. Milford Sound is also home to seals, dolphins and penguins, as well as the iconic Mitre Peak, a commanding sight that welcomes you at the head of the fiord, rising dramatically out of the water to a 1683-metre point.

Milford Sound cruise © Real Journeys

Popular walks

Among the most popular of the area’s walks is the Hollyford Track, a pleasant 56km year-round track that takes four to eight days to complete, depending on whether you walk it one or both ways, or take an air or jet-boat transfer. It follows the course of the longest valley in Fiordland National Park from the Darran Mountains out to remote and beautiful Martins Bay. It can be done either in style, with expert guides who bring the stories of the landscape and its history to life and private lodge accommodation, or under your own steam, staying at the Department of Conservation’s huts.

Highlights include two picturesque waterfalls, a huge swing bridge over Pyke River, a track of southern podocarp forest and two lakes, Alabaster and McKerrow. At Lake McKerrow you can choose to catch a ride on a jet boat, skipping the hardest section.

Discussing geological information, Hollyford Track © www.hollyfordtrack.com

Meet the wildlife

Milford Sound is The Promised Land for wildlife. Fur seals, once endangered, are now plentiful, and bottlenose dolphins too. The little blue penguin is relatively common, while the Fiordland crested penguin and blue duck make fleeting appearances. You’ll need a keen eye (and some luck) to see whales, but you’re almost guaranteed to meet kea parrots. The only true alpine parrot in the world, they’re notorious for stealing things.

New Zealand fur seal at Long Reef © www.hollyfordtrack.com

Main Image: Mitre Peak landscape, Milford Sound © Getty Images