Milford Sound Things to Do

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There ae a variety of companies offering cruises on Milford Sound - some offer a buffet lunch for an extra cost.

Regardless which boat you use you will enjoy your trip. The fjord is spectacular in all weather.

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The Homer Tunnel, opened in 1954, allows New Zealand State Highway 94 to pass under the Homer Saddle, linking Milford Sound to Te Anau and Queenstown. It the Eglinton and Cleddau valleys.

The tunnel is straight and the road now sealed although the walls remain unlined granite. It is about 1300metres long and has a 1 in 10 gradient down to the west.

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Mirror Lakes is a set of small lakes on the road from Te Anau to Milford Sound. They are in the Eglinton Valley in Fiordland National Park.

The lakes are set back from the road but there is a well maintained track. If you are not aware of them it is easy to overlook the stop.

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There are few cruises to choose, whether you take it during summer or winter and how long is the cruise. I took the scenic Milford Sound Cruise which is NZ$76 (adult) and NZ$16 (child) for 1 hour 45 minutes which include of buffet lunch and the cruise start at 11am. Milford Sound has natural beauty and the waterway running 15km from the Tasman Sea and it is part of the Fiordland National Park. It is worth every penny for this scenic cruise and at one point the captain will go so near the waterfall. I was so lucky to have seen the dolphins during the cruise. The fiordland is spectacular.

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There are a few of helicopters services round the area of Milford Sound. The prices are variable as it depands whether you want to take a short or long ride up the mountain. I took the 35 minutes Alpine snow landing and i paid for NZ$295. The pilot is very skillful and experienced, some more he explained in details from the start. If you can afford it, please do take the helicopter ride, it is fun and once in a lifetime experience. I love it so much.

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On my first Milford Sound visit I cruised with Red Boats and was happy with it, last time I opted for Mitre Peak Cruises and was even happier.

The two reasons for my choice:

1. Mitre Peak Cruises is one of the operators who only have relatively small boats on the water, so they are perfect for independent travellers. No risk of being flooded with bus tour passengers.

2. Mitre Peak Cruises is the only operator who ventures out past the lighthouse into the Tasman Sea, so you get more out of the trip – including rough sea, perhaps LOL And the cruise takes 2 hours instead of 1:45h, as with most other operators.

The atmosphere on the uncrowded boat was indeed very relaxed. It nearly felt like a charter trip, just for us and some other people we might have invited ;-) The onboard comment was good and informative, there was free coffee and tea onboard, and on the base first-come-first-serve we good a very nice picture calendar.

We were lucky enough to spot a lot of wildlife, from seals to dolphins to seabirds.

If you want, they drop you off at the Milford Deep Underwater Observatory shortly before the end of the cruise and pick you up at the end of the next cruise. (At an extra cost for the entry fee, of course.)

We went on the second cruise of the day at 10am (exactly: 9.55am…). This cost NZ$ 74.
The first (8.55am) and last cruise of the day (4.30pm) are discounted and cost only NZ$ 64. Children always pay NZ$ 26.

They also offer package deals from Queenstown and Te Anau.

All prices as May 2009.

Please note: A minimum of six passengers is required. (So if Mitre Peak Cruises do not operate, just book on site with another operator, or lure other arrivals to Mitre Peak Cruises LOL This is the advantage of competition.)

Contact details:
Free Phone (0800) 744-633
Phone (03) 249-8110
Internet: http://www.mitrepeak.com
Email: info@mitrepeak.com

Alternatives:

Pricing and discounts are similar with other operators. Just the cruises are shorter.

Operators:

Red Boats (from NZ$ 60 - 70) http://www.redboats.co.nz/home/

Update March 2011:
Red Boats have obviously become Southern Discoveries now:
http://www.southerndiscoveries.co.nz/

Cruize Milford (from NZ$ 55 – 65) http://www.cruizemilford.co.nz/

Real Journeys (from NZ$ 68 – 88) http://www.realjourneys.co.nz/Main/MilfordSound/

Also overnight cruises available, and packages (coach or flight from Queenstown).

A final word: Even at peak times you do not have to be afraid that suddenly one boat after the other starts to criss-cross the fiord and cause a traffic jam. The distances between boats are still large, as the companies do not have huge fleets. Mitre Peak Cruises, for example, has only two boats. When we cruised from 10am to 12noon, we barely saw a second boat, just at the very distance sometimes. I think it is the size of the boat that makes the difference to the passenger.

Photos 2 and 3 show the Mitre Peak Cruise boat with Mitre Peak.

On photo 4 you see the inside of the boat.

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We visited "the chasm" after following the signs on Milford Road.
The signs will lead you to a parking area, then you'll have to walk for 5 minutes into the wood (the path is well maintained and accessible even in rainy days!) to reach one of the most impressive nature wonders I've ever seen! The river passing through this area shaped the rocks of a cascade and created wonderful piece of sculpture.
Pictures are not enough to describe how impressive the Chasm is, you have to see it through your eyes!

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Milford Road is the 2-hour road leading from Te Anau to Milford Sound, there is no other way to get to the fiord, so you cannot make mistakes!
Being in the middle of Fiordland, a National Park, landscapes bordering the road are pretty impressive, mountains peaks are high, and the closer you get to the destination, the more you get the impression that they are swallowing you. If you drive there after rainy days, you are likely to see lots of waterfalls showering down from the mountains.
You'll be captured by the wonderful scenaries, but remember to keep an eye on the road!