Cruise Day 3: Milford Sound

Milford Sound is a fiord in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island.  It’s known for towering Mitre Peak, plus rainforests and waterfalls like Stirling and Bowen falls, which plummet down its sheer sides. The fiord is home to fur seal colonies, penguins and dolphins.  It has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey (the 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards by TripAdvisor) and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination.  Rudyard Kipling had previously called it the eighth wonder of the world.

Mitre Peak on Milford Sound

Milford Sound is named after Milford Haven in Wales.  The Māori named the sound Piopiotahi after the thrush-like piopio bird, now extinct.  The Sound runs 15 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 1,517 metres (4,977 ft) and The Lion, 1,302 metres (4,272 ft).

Milford Sound sports two permanent waterfalls, Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls.  After heavy rain temporary waterfalls can be seen running down the steep sided rock faces that line the fiord and on rainy and stormy days tourists can admire the play of the wind with the numerous waterfalls in Milford Sound. When meeting the cliff face the powerful wind often goes upward and waterfalls with a vertical drop get caught by wind, causing the water to go upwards.

The 151 metre (495 ft) Stirling Falls were named after Frederick Stirling, Captain of the HMS Clio.

With a mean annual rainfall of 6,412 mm (252 in) each year, a high level even for the west coast, Milford Sound is known as the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world.  Rainfall can reach 250 mm (10 inches) during a span of 24 hours.

Seals, penguins and bottlenose dolphins frequent the waters, and whales, especially humpback whales and southern right whales are increasingly observed due to recoveries of each species.

Milford Sound was initially overlooked by European explorers, because its narrow entry did not appear to lead into such large interior bays.  Sailing ship captains such as James Cook, who bypassed Milford Sound on his journeys for just this reason, also feared venturing too close to the steep mountainsides, afraid that wind conditions would prevent escape.

Milford Sound attracts between 550,000 and 1 million visitors per year.  This makes the sound one of New Zealand's most-visited tourist spots even with its remote location and long journey times from the nearest population centres.