Today, I would visit Milford Sound—a long-awaited moment. It promised a remarkable day, likely yielding the most breathtaking pictures I’ve captured thus far. With over 800 shots taken, the experience was truly wonderful. The beauty of this country is simply astounding. Let’s begin at the start.
As planned, I roused myself at 5:30 am, feeling a bit groggy and exhausted. Despite the weariness, I pushed myself to wake up. Yvette was also up, prompted by the alarm. I informed her that I would be waiting in front of the hostel with the car in 10 minutes.
Embarking on the Enchanting Journey
Heading towards the car, I placed my belongings on the back seat and cleared some space in the trunk for Yvette’s luggage. Once ready, I drove back to the hostel. By approximately 5:50 am, we departed Queenstown, embarking on the lengthy journey of 285 kilometers to Milford Sound.
The journey commenced in the pitch-black darkness as we departed Queenstown. After thirty minutes, the sun began to rise, unveiling the breathtaking landscape around us. It was then that we could finally see our path, tracing the shores of Lake Wakatipu, the very same lake that graced the front of Queenstown.
Engaging in conversation with Yvette, I learned more about her adventurous spirit. She had undertaken numerous solo backpacking journeys, exploring Europe, Africa, South America, North America, Asia, and now, Australia. Antarctica remained the only continent on her checklist, and when I inquired about it, she responded with a determined “One day.”
The journey pressed on, and after an hour of driving, we bid farewell to the lake. With the sun now high in the sky, I switched off the car lights. Ten minutes later, an enchanting fog unveiled itself before us. Excitement filled the air as we both exclaimed, “Wow, look at that!”
Weathering the Fog
Navigating through dense mist, I switched on my lights again. After 20 minutes, I remarked to Yvette, “Well, that was fun for a moment, but now I want the clear views of the landscape again.” Despite the misty conditions, we pressed on, and after another 30 minutes, we reached Te Anau, marking the halfway point. We made a stop at the gas station for a restroom break, and I grabbed some Red Bull to combat the fatigue from last night.
We circled around to the lake in front of Te Anau, and I captured just one picture. Feeling a bit disheartened that I had only taken one photo of such a beautiful place, my spirits sank further as the weather appeared gloomy. Expressing my disappointment to Yvette, I shared my observation that it seemed likely to be cloudy instead of sunny. “Let’s press on to Milford Sound and hope for better weather there,” I suggested to Yvette.
We headed to another gas station to refuel and stopped by a supermarket to stock up on supplies since we were planning to spend the night at Milford Sound, where there were no supermarkets. The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound was another 120 kilometers.
Sunshine After Setback
I felt disheartened at that moment. Google’s forecast, which had been consistently accurate in Sydney, was wrong this time. In Sydney, Daniel often checked Google for forecasts, and it was never inaccurate.
We continued driving, and after covering 30 kilometers, I noticed the mist becoming brighter. Before long, the sun emerged, and I felt ecstatic in that moment—clear views! It was incredible. I had initially pictured a cloudy day at Milford Sound, not sunny weather. Finally, I could appreciate the views of the surroundings.
The mountains drew nearer with every passing moment. The road became increasingly winding, yet it still allowed us to maintain a speed of 90 kilometers per hour. Occasionally, we traversed small pine forests. After a while, the breathtaking meadow unfolded on both sides of us, offering clear views. We decided to take our first roadside stop to capture a few pictures of the picturesque surroundings.
Brooks and Breathtaking Views
Following this brief stop, we resumed our journey. I photographed the river in the distance and wondered if driving a bit farther would allow us to get closer to it. After another five minutes, we reached a point where it was still impossible to access the river directly. Technically, one could reach it by crossing a small brook, but it meant getting our shoes wet. We opted not to retrieve our sandals from the car, choosing convenience over the potential adventure.
After five minutes, we halted at a camping site. Once again, crossing the river without getting wet proved to be impossible. After a brief 10-minute pause, we resumed our journey.
Ten minutes later, we made another stop. My desire to approach the large river was thwarted by small brooks adjacent to it. Despite this, the scenery at this stop was breathtaking, and I captured some beautiful pictures. We lingered here for 15 minutes before pressing on. I jokingly told Yvette, “Okay, we really need to continue our journey now, because there’s still another 100 kilometers to Milford Sound.” In total, I believe we made five more stops along the way, haha.
Five minutes later, I discovered a spot with a good view of the river. Once again, we stopped, capturing some pictures. Having the flexibility to stop whenever we pleased made the journey even more enjoyable.
We resumed our journey but stopped again after 5 minutes. The landscape had flattened, offering a stunning view of the meadow. Despite some photobombing by Chinese tourists, we managed to capture a few quick pictures before moving on.
Mirror Lakes Marvel
After 20 minutes, we reached the Mirror Lakes, an amazing natural phenomenon that I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, the tranquility was disrupted when tour buses arrived after 5 minutes. I found myself waiting at certain points for the Chinese tourists. Annoyingly, I bombarded Yvette with questions like, ‘What are they saying?’ and ‘Are these people also Chinese?’
I wandered around, and Yvette was somewhere else. When I found her, I joked around, saying, ‘I had trouble finding you, but here you are!’ I could see she didn’t like it, so I stopped with my jokes from then on. In total, we spent 15 minutes at the Mirror Lakes. We drove, and after 10 minutes, we had a big lake (almost all the beautiful landscapes and scenery were on our left side) on the left side of the road. We stopped and took pictures again.
After passing the big lake, we pressed on, knowing we had around 80 kilometers left. The terrain transformed as the roads began to twist and turn, causing our average speed to decrease to 60 kilometers per hour. A road sign indicated that this winding path would continue for the next 50 kilometers. The landscape started to slope, revealing cliffs to my right. The trees gradually vanished, unveiling a breathtaking sight of two large mountains adorned with dense foliage. Spotting a lookout point, I decided to pull over and take in the view.
Final Stretch towards Milford Sound
The journey was still substantial, approximately 60 kilometers from this point. I accelerated the pace; it was around 11 am by then. The mountains surrounded us, and suddenly, one loomed ahead, enclosing us. A tunnel lay ahead, and we had to wait a few minutes at a traffic light before proceeding. Beyond the tunnel, a final winding road unfolded for 10 kilometers (as depicted in the last picture below).
Capturing the Essence of Mitre Peak
Finally, we arrived. I inquired with Yvette if she was comfortable having lunch here, and conveniently, there were picnic tables next to the car park. We settled in, and it was here that I captured my first stunning pictures of Mitre Peak. The lighting was ideal, creating a perfect moment for me. Little did I know at that moment that I had just taken one of my most beautiful pictures so far (as seen in the first picture below). For the more experienced climbers, ascending Mitre Peak is a perilous but achievable endeavor. Numerous online videos highlight the breathtaking views from the summit.
A beautiful tiny peninsula graced the lake, and we planned to visit it later. Following lunch, we gathered information about the available cruises at the information center. Despite various companies, we opted for Southern Discoveries, selecting the last cruise of the day departing at 3:45 pm. By that time, all the tour buses would have departed, ensuring a more serene experience with only 20 people on board. We purchased the tickets for 76 NZD per person.
After purchasing the tickets, we decided to embark on two short hikes. The first was just beyond the information center. Following the path for about 3 minutes, we reached the lookout, capturing pictures of Mitre Peak. Eager to explore further, I continued along a small path that suddenly ended. Undeterred, I kept climbing and persuaded Yvette to join me. Without a defined trail, we navigated through the mud, searching for roots to avoid slipping. I even stepped into a muddy pool, soaking my foot. Unfazed, I pressed on. At the mountain’s summit, we found a reservoir that puzzled me—I initially thought it was a hidden waterfall due to water flowing from it.
Savoring the Last Hour Before the Cruise
The reservoir emitted a steady flow of water, creating soothing sounds. After capturing images of the reservoir and glimpsing the airfield through the trees, we descended. Returning to the car, I grabbed a drink, and we opted to embark on the second hike immediately, considering we had around an hour left. We needed to be at the port by 3:30 pm, and fortunately, it was just a 10-minute walk from the car park.
The stroll was effortless, and we reached our destination swiftly. From this vantage point, we admired a beautiful waterfall.
We encountered a couple in the vicinity, and they requested me to capture their photo. The gentleman aimed to provide insights into camera focusing. “Don’t worry; you guys will get amazing pictures,” I assured. I snapped 15 incredible shots of the couple, and they were thrilled. Our conversation veered into discussions about tourists with large cameras who struggled with their usage. I couldn’t help but envy those tourists with their hefty single-lens reflex cameras. The couple shared their recent cruise experience, mentioning that they had run out of memory due to the multitude of pictures they took. They advised us to bring warm clothes as the shadows of the mountains could be quite chilly. We expressed our gratitude and walked back to the car, where I retrieved my winter coat and grabbed two cokes.
Nature’s Symphony: Rainbows and Waterfalls
We departed, and the cruise was truly delightful. We sailed past the waterfall we had glimpsed earlier, marking the first of many scenic views. To streamline this report, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. As we navigated toward the Tasman Sea, the favorable weather allowed the boat to venture a bit farther into the sea than usual, depending on its roughness. The waterfalls were awe-inspiring, and I was particularly thrilled to capture a beautiful rainbow at Fairy Falls. I felt immense joy that my photograph turned out so well. Truly an incredible day.
As we returned from the Tasman Sea toward the port, we made a stop at Stirling Falls. The boat gradually approached until the front deck was right beneath the cascading water. Some individuals remained on deck, donned in raincoats. After capturing images of that waterfall (last picture above), I hurried to the back of the ship and headed indoors. The water intensity was significant, posing a risk to my camera—a chance I didn’t want to take after such a day, haha. By 6 pm, we had reached the port, and darkness fell within 15 minutes.
Dorm Life by Milford Sound: A Cozy Evening
I had conveniently parked the car nearby, and I was grateful for that decision. After such a long and impressive day, we secured accommodation at the tour desk inside the information center. Checking in at the Milford Sound Lodge, located just one kilometer from Milford Sound, we were pleased to have a five-bed dorm to ourselves. It was a chilly night, so I took a shower right away. Following that, I purchased some muffins and retrieved drinks from the car, which was conveniently parked right in front of our dorm. Nice and easy.
I worked on some reports and explained the website to Yvette. She showed a keen interest in the website and how I operated it. Around 11 pm, I called it quits. Writing became challenging, so I made the decision to get some sleep.
