Next day morning we started our remarkable 291 km drive to Milford Sound. Without stopping, the journey to Milford Sound from Queenstown is 4 hours. The road from Queenstown to Milford Sound is closed occasionally due to rock fall, heavy snow or bad weather. But we were lucky enough to go on that breathtaking route though it was a little rain. There are so many beautiful sites to see along the way though and it is the greatest scenic drive I have ever experienced, and hard to put the beauty into words. It seemed like there were waterfalls everywhere I looked. You will never see anything as beautiful as this drive. The kids loved it.
We had our morning coffee break in Te Anau after enjoying halfway our journey. Just before the Milford Road begins its descent through the Cleddau Valley into Milford Sound, it passes through the Homer Tunnel opened in 1954 a 1270m long tunnel through solid rocky mountain. Construction of the tunnel started in 1935 and opened in 1953. This is the only access road to Milford Sound. This tunnel links Milford Sound to Te Anau and Queenstown. It is one way that was controlled by traffic lights as you wait for your turn to enter and it is indicated how long you have to wait.
View Amazing Homer Tunnel drive, Click Here....
We got lucky and only waited for 5/6 minutes. We enjoyed everything about going to Milford Sound including the wonderful tunnel drive,sharp bends and surrounding eye catching scenery. There are plenty of marked stops along the route to see and enjoy. Driving yourself gives you more freedom to explore.
Milford Sound is located in the Fiordland National Park and surroundings are lush green and cool wet. It is acclaimed to be the most popular tourist destination in the world, and the one of the wettest places in the world raining around 200 days of the year. Unofficially the 8th Wonder of the World and one of the world's most beautiful places a UNESCO World Heritage place. Believe me, It is a masterpiece!
My husband booked Southern Discovery cruise tour with meal before start our journey and we reached there on time. A crew member explained about Milford Sound weather, environment, natural beauty and many more things clearly. Our curious son listened it carefully and asked more questions time to time until finish our 2 hour journey around the sound.
Amazing Experience
Milford sounds is a must see if you visit New Zealand. We took the cruise on a rainy day, which increased the number and volume of the waterfalls and creates a network of falls that are quite amazing to see. It is just so amazing to see all the waterfalls coming down the mountains.This is one of my favorite places I've ever been. The views are unbelievably spectacular with steep cliffs,lush green mountains with white snow on top and wildlife. There are so many marvelous waterfalls all over the place that will take your breath away surprising to see the fjord end up meeting the Tasman sea. We got up close to some of the larger ones.We saw dolphins and sea lions. It is often called one of the most beautiful places on Earth, it’s a sight that shouldn’t be missed.Milford Sound was carved out by an erosion of glaciers during the ice ages.
No matter what the weather Milford sound is a joy to the senses, an amazing natural wonder. There is no road toll on the Milford Road, you can drive straight into the National Park at no charge. The Milford Road offers a spectacular journey into the heart of Fiordland National Park. This is a fabulous place to come and see true beauty of nature. A trip to Milford Sound is unforgettable experience which you won't want to miss. In my opinion, one comes to New Zealand to see the breathtaking scenery. A truly amazing experience with the most stunning picture perfect views. However, I'd like to return again on a sunny day.
Next Time Tips
After enjoying that wonderful nature gift we returned back to Queenstown. It was getting dark and cold there when we came to the hotel. So tired. Going to Milford sound from Queenstown in one day is feel very rushed. I would like to recommend you to better stay in Te Anau or Milford Sound over night and get the early bird cruise journey. I think the most popular and probably the cheapest way to see Milford Sound is via a cruise. It may be relax and rest of the day you can visit more places along the beautiful Milford Road. If you travel in New Zealand South Island, Don't forget to visit Tasman Glacier as well.
To get more details about glorious Tasman Glacier..... Click Here
2 comments:
Very important blog to get information about interesting places.
Thank you very much for your nice comment.
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