Milford Sound Tours

Milford Sound and Fiordland - Tour Highlights

Pretty crazy to imagine a European Settler sailed in and by accident, discovered Milford Sound. At that stage, there was no road access or walking tracks like there is today. In fact, to make Milford accessible, Donald Sutherland had to commission workers to literally dig through a solid granite rock mountain range in order to make a road through. He knew this place was special and was determined to bring people in to enjoy it. 

Milford is situated in our largest and possibly most dynamic New Zealand National Park. Fiordland National Park is over 1.2 million hectares of pure nature. Not only does it boast three “Great Walks” (Routeburn Walk is one of them), it is also proud to have Milford Sound which draws over a million visitors here per year. Why do they come? Well the sheer enormity of the scenery Milford provides. Milford Sound thousands of years ago was once permanently ice, however, it is now a peace of paradise, isolated and packed with nature. The drive alone is awesome. Imagine driving into a place so remote, that you had to drive through a mountain range, watching waterfalls cascade off towering sheer cliff faces, Milford really is, a special place.

A lot of New Zealanders dream of coming to see Milford Sound, however, it is pretty remote and therefore, often they don’t make the time to drive to the bottom of the South Island to see it.

Weather wise, Fiordland National Park has the highest recorded rainfall, approximately 7 metres on average per year. This is why the park is so dynamic with over 700 different species of plants as wells the wildlife that love to call this place home. Keep an eye out for the world’s only Alpine Parrot, the cheeky yet beautiful Kea (it is a very inquisitive bird and doesn’t mind posing for a photo). Rain or shine, this place will not disappoint!

Time spent here while on a Flying Kiwi tour:

We stay one night in the beautiful and remote Hollyford Valley

Tours that take you here:

Where we stay: 

Gunn’s Camp - is definitely the best place to overnight and get immersed in this enchanting area. The camp was created by the labourers who work in the construction of the Hommer Tunel, the main access to Milford Sound. It’s a 12-kilometer-long tunnel, finished after 19 years of hard and difficult work. One of our most authentic campgrounds with no doubts!

- Laundry
- On site shop
- No bedding/linen
- Cabin upgrades

Things not to miss:

We’ll stop in a very special place on our way to the Hollyford Valley. The edge of the Cleddau River, which has some of the purest water of the county. This is home to the cheeky Kea, the only alpine parrot in the world and more endangered than the kiwi, so keep your eyes open and follow their song: “Keeeeeea!”

 Insiders Tip:

Cycle Options:

Fiordland Ride – Enjoy a downhill beautiful ride through the bush alongside river and little waterfalls to tonight’s camp. It’s only 8km long, but it offers a lot of nice shots.

Our pick of Fiordland's Top Activities:

	Milford Sound Boat Cruise Highly recommended! During this Milford Sound scenic cruise, you'll marvel at Mitre Peak and feel the spray of Fairy and Sterling waterfalls on your face as you take in the spectacular and unforgettable Fiordland scenery!
	Routeburn Track Experience a walk of a lifetime on the Routeburn Track - a 32 km, 3 day track weaving through beech-forested valleys and alongside clear green rivers, glistening alpine lakes and breathtaking views from a mountain pass.