Going on an overnight Milford Sound cruise amongst Real Journeys was 1 of the best experiences during our whole fourth dimension inwards New Zealand.
New Zealand is fortunate plenty to remove keep some of the most beautiful too awe-inspiring landscapes on the planet, amongst glacier-carved valleys, acute peaks too glistening lakes drawing over three 1000000 visitors every year.
From Queenstown to Rotorua, Abel Tasman National Park to Stewart Island, in that location are no shortage of gorgeous spots to banking venture check out inwards the country. But 1 identify rises higher upward the rest.
Milford Sound, on the due west coast of the country, is the northernmost fjord inwards the violet Fiordland region.
It was known to the Maoris past times the name Piopiotahi, after the piopio bird. They believed the demi God ‘Tuterakiwhanoa’ carved the landscape out of shapeless rock, too was a spiritual identify for the indigenous people for centuries.
In 1812 Captain John Grono visited the percentage too renamed Piopiotahi to Milford Sound, after Milford Haven inwards Wales.
Milford Sound too then became a pop small town for whalers too fisherman inwards the years that followed. Today it is a protected area, too the evolution of tourism has seen millions of people autumn inwards beloved amongst its mystical landscape.
Sailing The Fjords – Our Overnight Milford Sound Cruise
Milford Sound was 1 of those New Zealand destinations that nosotros had ever heard about, applauded past times previous travellers who brutal inwards beloved amongst its striking scenery.
As our plans formulated for the South Island nosotros knew nosotros couldn’t skip this magical place.
After spending a few days doing the best things to produce inwards Queenstown, nosotros started our query on Milford Sound, too constitute a span of dissimilar options to visit.
You could either produce a hateful solar daytime trip too add together a fleck of hiking around the area, produce a hateful solar daytime cruise, or pass the black on a boat. Having done a few epic boat trips inwards other beautiful parts of the world, such every bit our Patagonian fjord cruise, nosotros knew the overnight alternative would live epic.
Us beingness us though, nosotros left things to the finally minute, too speedily constitute out that the best overnight Milford Sound cruises are ordinarily booked out weeks inwards advance during the high season.
We constitute out that the companionship Real Journeys were the leaders inwards trips through the fjord, thus nosotros called them upward hoping nosotros could crush into 1 inwards the side past times side few days.
As luck would remove keep it they simply had a cancellation inwards 1 of their berths for a trip leaving inwards 2 days. We jumped at the chance without hesitation, too made plans to caput to Te Anau, the finally town earlier Milford Sound, the side past times side night.
The have to Te Anau was pleasant enough, too nosotros booked ourselves into a elementary cabin at the Te Anau Kiwi Holiday Park, thus nosotros could leave of absence early on inwards the forenoon to brand the most of the views into Milford Sound.
We were told to run across the boat inwards Milford Sound at 4pm, which gave us lots of fourth dimension to taste the beautiful have from Te Anau.
The ride is entirely 122km long, but amongst the twists too turns, too numerous places to halt too explore, people recommend y'all remove keep at to the lowest degree three hours to produce the drive.
Not wanting to live inwards whatever rush though, nosotros left at 10am, too amongst all the stops too pocket-size hikes nosotros did, it was 3:30pm when nosotros finally made it to the Milford Sound Visitors Centre. It actually is 1 of the best drives inwards New Zealand, too it’d live foolish to hurry through it (check out our tips for driving it at the bottom of this article).
All Aboard The Milford Mariner
We collected a gratis parking permit from the component within too parked our rental auto inwards the coach bay close the visitors centre.
Doing the check-in amongst Real Journeys was quick too easy, too nosotros were asked to acquire hold off out on the dock side past times side to our boat, the Milford Mariner.
Just earlier 4:30 they opened the gangway too the grouping signed upward for the overnight Milford Sound cruise loaded into the vessel.
The friendly staff directed us upstairs to the dining room, where nosotros met our beau passengers too listened to the security briefing.
Afterwards nosotros received our room primal too headed dorsum downwards to our cabin.
The room was cosy without beingness cramped, amongst a individual bath too large, comfortable queen-size bed. The size didn’t actually affair though, every bit nosotros knew we’d live out admiring the views most of the time.
We dropped our pocket-size backpacks inwards the corner too headed dorsum upstairs.
Soon plenty the Mariner was leaving the pier, too nosotros were navigating our way through the misty scenes of Milford Sound.
The conditions stayed greyness but the clouds lifted higher upward the mountains, giving us tremendous views downwards the fjord.
All of the passengers gathered on the exterior deck every bit nosotros cruise through Milford Sound, jaws agape every bit forested cliffs soared higher upward us inwards every direction.
We chatted excitedly every bit nosotros made our way towards a sheltered too stunning cove, too the Mariner dropped anchor.
Kayaking In Milford Sound
Rather than beingness a completely passive experience, the crew at Real Journeys desire to brand the trip inwards Milford Sound immersive too memorable, thus amongst the Mariner anchored nosotros got laid upward for the afternoon’s activities.
The passengers were given the selection of either exploring the cove inwards zodiacs, or jumping inwards single-person kayaks too paddling around.
Naturally nosotros had to acquire for the kayaking option!
The passengers separate upward into 2 groups, too us kayakers were given a paddle too life jacket. The crew helped us charge into the kayaks off the dorsum of the Mariner, too off nosotros went into the cove.
It was a magical experience paddling around, surrounded past times the mystic peaks of Milford Sound. The H2O was crystal clear, too offered amazing reflections of the forests on the shore.
One of the Real Journeys guides kept us company, telling us stories well-nigh the fjords too filling us inwards on the marine life that calls Milford home.
We were given well-nigh an hr to taste the kayaking experience too then made our way dorsum to the Mariner.
While nosotros waited for everybody to furnish from the trip, the guides suggested that if anybody was feeling specially adventurous, too wanted to endeavor something rattling few do, nosotros could acquire for a swim.
A handful of us couldn’t state no, thus nosotros took turns jumping too backflipping off of the dorsum of the boat into the chilly waters. Such an incredible terminate to the adventure.
Dinner And Drinks
After the mutual frigidness swim nosotros rushed off to our cabin too jumped into a hot shower to warm up. The Sun (if y'all ever consider it) sets speedily inwards Milford Sound, too past times the fourth dimension nosotros got dressed over again it was good on the way to getting black outside.
It was almost fourth dimension for dinner, thus nosotros moved dorsum upstairs too hitting the bar for a drinking glass of delicious Kiwi wine.
For the meals nosotros had seats already allocated, which ensured in that location was no awkward walking around trying to select who to sit down side past times side to.
We were set amongst 2 other couples, too straightaway started swapping go stories.
The repast was a buffet style, amongst plenty delicious nutrient to embrace anybody’s dietary needs, too nosotros gorged ourselves on fresh seafood too New Zealand lamb.
When nosotros were eating nosotros were drinking vino amongst our novel friends, having a cracking time. The captain too then came out too introduced his entire crew to us, which turned into a fleck of laughter.
Now that nosotros were properly acquainted amongst the squad from Real Journeys, the caput chef, a Frenchman, came forrad too told us a fleck well-nigh the local nutrient nosotros were eating.
Naturally he saved the best for finally though, too all of a precipitous platters of dessert made their way to the centre of the room, including cheesecakes, brownies, H2O ice cream, fruit too of course of teaching pavlova.
Ladies were given commencement choice, but in that location was plenty of nutrient to acquire around, too nobody missed out on their favourites.
With the repast finished nosotros were invited to the forepart room of the send to remove keep an entertaining speak from the onboard naturalist.
Sharing photos of Milford Sound, the wild fauna too the crew, he kept the 30-minute presentation lighthearted too humorous, too non entirely did nosotros express joy along amongst the show, nosotros also learnt a lot well-nigh the area.
It was well-nigh 9pm when the presentation finished, too piece a few people stayed upward to taste a few to a greater extent than spectacles of vino or beer, nosotros decided to caput to bed, laid upward to acquire upward early on inwards the morning.
A New Day, 1000 New Waterfalls
We woke upward earlier sunrise hoping to acquire golden rays shining on the tops of the peaks too mirror-like waters.
Instead nosotros woke to torrential downpour, potent winds too the mountains shrouded inwards low-lying cloud.
Anywhere else inwards the globe this would live a downer on your holiday, but non hither inwards Milford Sound. In fact the conditions had transformed the fjord into a novel beast, too it was fifty-fifty to a greater extent than beautiful than nosotros could remove keep imagined.
As ambient lite filtered into the channel nosotros started to consider thousands of pocket-size waterfalls cascading downwards the mountains all around us.
Milford Sound receives a tremendous amount of rainfall, too when the skies opened upward up the mountains remove keep nowhere to concord the water, which results inwards raging torrents falling from the cliffs.
It was quite a spectacular scene, too fifty-fifty though it was freezing nosotros withstood the mutual frigidness for the views every bit the Mariner made its way towards the opened upward ocean.
We ran dorsum within to remove keep breakfast, but wanting to brand the most of the scenery nosotros decided to remove keep a quick bowl of cereal rather than tuck into the large cooked spread that was available, too headed dorsum exterior every bit presently every bit possible.
We grabbed our Kathmandu pelting jackets to endeavor too proceed dry out too stood on the deck, watching every bit the Tasman Sea made its appearance.
The fjord opened upward ahead of us, but the bad conditions meant the sea was quite rough. Rather than pushing correct out to give the passengers a expect along the coast, the captain hugged the headland too then aimed dorsum towards the shelter of Milford Sound.
By at nowadays most of the passengers had decided the views were worth the drenching, too nosotros stood on the bow of the send inwards consummate awe.
With these novel waterfalls tumbling dramatically inwards every direction, the captain started to veer towards 1 of the largest ones, too made an statement over the PA that anybody exterior was going to acquire much wetter inwards a second.
This was an experience many of the guests had been waiting for, too amongst GoPros at the laid upward nosotros stood defiantly every bit the Mariner was commanded expertly into the rush of the cascading falls.
Water hammered us from above, the audio completely deafening, but for a few seconds nosotros were inwards the pump of the waterfall. It was exhilarating.
The captain did this to us 2 to a greater extent than times, too each shower proved to live every bit fun every bit the last. Now nosotros were thanking our lucky stars for the weather.
It was entirely now, amongst the trip well-nigh to finish, that nosotros started to consider some to a greater extent than ships inwards the fjord, too nosotros all of a precipitous realised that the Mariner had been on its ain pretty much the entire fourth dimension nosotros were inwards Milford Sound.
We could consider the visitor’s centre too parking lot upward ahead, thus nosotros ran within to pay our alcohol nib too collect our bags from the cabin.
Sadly all goodness things must come upward to an end, too the Mariner crept into the dock too the crew tied us to the pier.
We said goodbye to the crew too our novel friends, exchanged some e-mail addresses too farewelled the Milford Mariner.
Our adventure amongst Real Journeys was over, but the memories would rest amongst us for a long time.
The hype over Milford Sound had been justified, too nosotros couldn’t believe our luck at plumbing equipment inwards on a cabin at the terminate of high season.
For something nosotros hadn’t originally planned on doing, our overnight Milford Sound cruise was a existent highlight.
No trip to New Zealand’s South Island would live consummate without immersing yourself inwards the violet wonder of the atmospheric Milford Sound.
Day Cruise vs Overnight – Which Should You Choose?
You remove keep 2 options for cruises inwards Milford Sound: H5N1 curt hateful solar daytime cruise or an overnight cruise. While a lot of it depends on your fourth dimension too budget, nosotros highly recommend going for an overnight cruise if possible.
As Milford Sound is 1 of the most pop tourist destinations inwards the country, seeing it without whatever other people is side past times side to impossible.
And amongst the vast bulk of visitors coming simply for a hateful solar daytime trip, you’ll detect yourself inwards the fjord amongst plenty of other boats.
While this doesn’t brand Milford Sound whatever less beautiful, it does arrive a lilliputian less magical. There’ll live a constant current of people flooding into too out of the visitor centre, too boats seem to live disembarking every few minutes.
After 4pm however, when most of the people remove keep loaded upward inwards the tourists buses too headed dorsum to Te Anau or Queenstown, entirely a few ships remove keep licenses to caput out into the evening.
By joining a Milford Sound overnight cruise you’ll remove keep the chance to consider this violet identify without the crowds, which is inwards itself a existent highlight of whatever trip to New Zealand.
Not entirely that, y'all acquire the remove chances to consider Milford Sound for sunset too sunrise, something that’s non actually possible whatever other way unless y'all rest at 1 of the expensive lodges there.
If y'all tin displace extend your trip to live an overnighter, nosotros highly recommend making this your primary selection for a genuinely memorable Milford Sound cruise!
Driving To Milford Sound
There are lots of tour buses making the have from Queenstown or Te Anau to Milford Sound every unmarried day, but inwards our personal sentiment it is much ameliorate to rent a auto too self-drive. If y'all do, you’ll sympathise why.
The route to Milford Sound is almost every bit epic every bit the fjord itself, amongst steep valleys shrouded inwards fog coming live amongst thousands of waterfalls after heavy rain.
On the have from Te Anau you’ll come upward across rivers too cascades inwards raging torrents, plains of wildflowers leading into mysterious peaks too sometime increment forests twisting into the sky.
The route is narrow too winding, pregnant progress is slow, but that simply way to a greater extent than fourth dimension to taste the unreal scenery. Trust us when nosotros state it mightiness live 1 of the most beautiful drives y'all produce inwards all of New Zealand!
There are plenty of first-class stopping points along the way also where y'all tin displace common your car, exit too produce some exploring. Rather than us listing our favourites, produce yourself a favour too simply halt at every unmarried 1 y'all overstep (marked past times large signs).
A give-and-take of alarm though – This route is extremely busy, filled amongst rental cars too tour buses, too in that location are a lot of drivers using it that may non necessarily remove keep much experience amongst driving on the ‘wrong side of the road’, or amongst driving inwards general.
There are a lot of accidents on this road. Drive slowly, have carefully, too give yourself plenty of fourth dimension to acquire to Milford Sound for your overnight cruise.
We joined our overnight Milford Sound cruise every bit guests of Real Journeys. All thoughts, opinions, too thousands of waterfall pictures are, every bit always, our own.
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