Thursday, 16 October 2025
Another day, another sound. This morning we were off at 8.00am, to drive to the end of the Milford Road (State Highway 94) on the shores of Milford Sound. It was another gloomy morning so I had my waterproof overpants on again, aiming to keep warm and dry rather than look like a fashionista.
We had decided to time our journey for a drive straight out to the sound, with no stops at any of the scenic lookouts. With the weather very overcast and rainy that was looking like a good plan, because the weather just might be better for stopping at the view points when we drive back to Te Anau this afternoon?? Fingers crossed.
Despite the weather, we could still appreciate just how BIG the scenery is around this area. Such huge, snow capped mountains looming over us. Just near the entrance to the Homer Tunnel, we spotted something much smaller, a couple of keas on the road. We couldn’t stop though because we were right at the tunnel entrance and we had a green light, plus we had a date with a boat to go out on the sound.
Arriving at Milford Sound we paid the $$ to park in one of the parking areas closer to the cruise terminal. We could have parked for free but then you have an almost half an hour walk to the boats. On a cold, wet morning we decided we could pay to park closer. Even the closest car park is still a ten minute walk from the harbour. They save the closest parking for all the people being brought in by coach from Queenstown!
We walked to the terminal and checked in at 10.00am for our 10.30am cruise. There’s that half hour buffer again. Having half and hour to fill is OK if the weather is fine, but it’s a bit tedious on a wet morning. Never mind, we walked over to the waterfall at the side of the coach parking area and then headed onto the harbour to photograph our boat, the Milford Mariner … with masts! When we started boarding, the people behind us asked if the sails would be used today. Not today, was the response. When we arrived up on deck, where we were closer to the sails, we decided that the wrapped up sails might be more for show than actual use??
As we headed out of the harbour, our first sight of the morning was of the permanent waterfall, the Lady Elizabeth Bowen Falls. With a fall of 162 metres, Bowen Falls is also Milford’s highest waterfall. Our outbound journey took us along the left hand (southern) side of the sound. Again, on a wet day, we were treated to hundreds of waterfalls, not just the few that fall all year around. We soon passed a group of four identically sized waterfalls, lined up along a mountainside, that are known as the Four Sisters. A plus of visiting in the wet, as these falls only appear during Milford’s rainy days.
A little further into our cruise, we arrived at the sound’s widest point which was quickly followed by its narrowest point. This narrow point is also the sound’s windiest point as it funnels the wind through it. Today it was blowing through the channel at 30-38 knots but often the wind howls through at over 100 knots. That’s going to see your hat blown off for sure!
We passed yet another ephemeral waterfall that the Captain didn’t name, before coming aside the Bridal Veil Falls. The Captain pointed out that these falls fall from a fault line in the mountain. He then mentioned how unstable the area is, with small earthquakes occurring frequently.
At about the half way mark of our cruise, the Captain showed us the glacial valley that meets the sound at its shallowest point. He told us that the rocks along the shoreline here were deposited as the glacier met the warm Tasman Sea and deposited the rocks it was carrying as it melted.
Now in the Tasman Sea, we sailed past the sheltered waters of Anita Bay before arriving at St Anne Point, where we could see the St Anne Point Light Beacon Station. Funnily enough, the weather was much clearer out at sea than it had been in the sound! At this point, our Captain turned the Milford Mariner to commence our cruise along the northern side of the sound.
And, sure enough, as we re-entered the sound, it started to rain again. I guess it’s the water laden clouds, arriving from across the Tasman Sea, being forced up the mountains and dropping their load onto the mountains and waters of the sound. Milford Sound is one of the wettest places on earth, receiving around eight metres of rainfall each year!
We were told that there is a colony of NZ fur seals opposite St Anne Point but we didn’t see – or smell – any out there today. Apparently when the wind blows a certain way it can be a bit stinky. Inside the sound again, we pulled alongside Seal Rock, where seals also like to haul out but, there were none there today. Our next stop was at another permanent waterfall, Stirling Falls. Our Captain encouraged us out onto the front deck, telling us that legend has it that if the mist from the waterfall falls on your face, you will wake up the next morning looking 10 years younger. Yes, please!
Next we motored into Harrison Cove where we were treated to a view that included: the Harrison River, Mount Pembroke, the remnant Pembroke Glacier and temperate rainforest. We were also treated to a good look at a Fiordland Penguin. I was scanning the shore with my telephoto lens and the penguin literally jumped up from behind a rock into my viewfinder. Awesome! As our tour concluded we sailed back past the Bowen Waterfall and into the harbour.
The weather had been improving since we disembarked, so we headed out the Breakwater Walkway to photograph Mitre Peak. From the harbour we walked around to the Milford Sound Cafe. As we walked past the car park we saw a couple of keas atop a car pecking at the roof rails. They had quite an audience photographing them. Arriving in the café we enjoyed a delicious lunch of toasted smoked chicken and pesto rolls – the bread/roll had a fancier name but I can’t recall it. I take back everything I have ever said about restaurants/cafés with a view not really trying with their food offerings.
With the weather getting better and better, it was time to start driving back to Te Anau via all the scenic viewpoints that we drove past this morning. We stopped briefly at the Tutoko and Gulliver Rivers before pulling into the car park at The Chasm. There was another pair of cheeky keas here, pretty much posing for the tourists. These birds are not shy at all. After watching their antics and taking photographs we headed off on the walk to The Chasm.
Hmmn, it was a bit underwhelming because it was not possible to get a really good look with lots of barriers in place. Hmmn, we should have read the board BEFORE we went in then we would have known that severe damage was caused by a storm in 2020. Although the board went on to say that phase 2 of the restoration works was due to be completed in 23/24 so we would still have been optimistic. It would seem that the works are well behind schedule!
Waiting to go into the Homer Tunnel we were watching a kea on top of the car in front trying to rip a rubber strip off the roof. Even after the car started to move it was pulling, pulling, only flying off as the car actually entered the tunnel. At the other end of the tunnel, another car waiting, another kea attacking its roof!!
We made stops at the Gertrude Valley Lookout at the Hollyford River and Monkey Creek. The keas had all the scenic car parking spots staked out today. There was another pair of birds at Monkey Creek, with one so tame that it came right up to me and decided to have a go at my waterproof overpants! I discouraged it and walked towards Bernie and the next thing we knew the kea was on our car pulling rubber lugs off the nuts holding the windscreen wipers on and tossing them off into the car park! We shooed it away before retrieving and refitting the lugs.
Another stop at Falls Creek where we encountered yet another kea. There are only supposed to be about 5,000 of these birds left in the wild, yet we were lucky enough to see about a dozen of them today. Finally, a kea-free stop where we looked out over the Hollyford River and Mount Christina, Mount Crosscut and Mount Lyttle and the Humboldt Mountains and Ocean Peak.
We also stopped at The Divide hoping for an interpretative board that explained what it was. There was information about lots of tracks that start from this point and the birds and animals to watch out for, but nothing to say what, if anything it was dividing?? Google tells me only that it is the lowest pass in the Southern Alps.
We travelled back past Lake Fergus and Lake Gunn, stopping for quick photos at each. We pulled in at Cascade Creek, but found only a camping ground. At Mirror Lakes they lived up to their name, providing amazing reflections of Mount Eglinton and the Earl Mountains opposite. The lakes were formed from the Eglinton River in the early 1970s after a large storm event severed bends from the main watercourse, leaving behind oxbow lakes.
So many opportunities for photos of the amazing scenery along the Milford Road, with our last photos taken of the Eglinton river between the Totara and Walker Creek campgrounds. The weather had continued to improve all afternoon, so we very happy to be clicking away with some blue sky over the snow capped mountains.
Back in town we had a couple of hours to fill before our dinner booking at The Fat Duck gastro pub. With the weather much finer this evening than it was last night, we walked into town via the Te Anau Gardens. Our second delicious meal for the day. Bernie enjoyed a seafood linguine and I devoured some scrumptious gnocchi with a pumpkin, spinach and feta topping. They were keen for us to order dessert afterwards shoving the dessert menu under our noses almost as soon as they cleared our plates.
At nearly $20/each we decided that we would try to make it to the ice-cream shop before it closed at 8.30pm. We made it! The brand was Tip Top New Zealand which was not nearly as good at the Kapita Ice Cream we enjoyed last week. No waffle cones either. Boo! But … it was much more economical than dessert at The Fat Duck.
Steps: 14,346 (9.34kms)
