Milford Sound

Our last adventure of the South Island was a trip to the Fjordland National Park which is home to the famous Milford Sound. For only $150 bucks which is roughly only $120 US we booked a full day  trip including the 4 hour bus ride to/from Milford Sound, a 2 hour boat cruise through the sound to the Tasman Sea, and an all-you-can-eat buffet! But this is an all day trip from 8am-8pm so if you plan to do the same cruise, schedule nothing but dinner for when you return to Queenstown. So you have a better understanding of why this place is so popular I’ll provide you with some facts, features, and pictures of this beautiful National Park. Fjordland National Park is the largest park in New Zealand and easily in the top 10 largest parks in the world. It consists of 13 different fjords, which are glacier carved rivers, and expands over much of the southern area of NZ’s South Island. There are many hiking trails and campsites throughout the park. The Milford Sound Hike is so popular that you would need to book it 6 months in advance just to trek the 4 day hike. However if you are a fan of hiking and are keen on doing this hike then you better bring your rain gear. Milford sound is also well known for its tremendous amounts of rainfall. For every two days of rain there is only one day of clear skies. With this being the case, it receives 30 metres(35 yards) of rain in one year!!! THIRTY MITRES!!! Just picture that right now…35 yards which is 105 feet. The NC State bell tower is 115 feet tall. That’s a lot of rain! One statistic also states the sound can rain more in a 12 HOUR period than London does in a ONE YEAR. However, because of our great planning skills and tactics when listening to local radio station’s weather forecast we caught an outstanding day where we gazed in amazement at the steep mountains protruding from the crisp, blue water of the fjord. Fjordland National Park is rated #1 in many magazines and even AAA’s Travel Guide as Best Places to See. And after experiencing it… I agree.