Milford Sound 
On the southwest coast of the South Island is one of New Zealand's scenic jewels, Milford Sound. Its characteristic landscape is familiar from many photographs: in the foreground lush vegetation, beyond this the still blue waters of the fjord and as a backdrop the massive pyramid of Mitre Peak.
Among the first Europeans to see this magnificent landscape was Captain Stokes, who put into the sound in the survey ship HMS Acheron in 1851. He anchored near the Bowen Falls and named the mountain towering above the bay (1692m) Mitre Peak, from its resemblance to a bishop's miter.
Milford Sound extends inland for 15km from its narrow mouth on the Tasman Sea and the high hills that enclose it rise steeply. Rainfall is high at an annual 6000 mm.
Among the first Europeans to see this magnificent landscape was Captain Stokes, who put into the sound in the survey ship HMS Acheron in 1851. He anchored near the Bowen Falls and named the mountain towering above the bay (1692m) Mitre Peak, from its resemblance to a bishop's miter.
Milford Sound extends inland for 15km from its narrow mouth on the Tasman Sea and the high hills that enclose it rise steeply. Rainfall is high at an annual 6000 mm.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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Related Attractions
Milford Road
From Te Anau there is a fascinating drive through the mountains of Fiordland National Park to Milford Sound. The beautiful mountain road (120km) from Te Anau (Lake Te Anau) through the Eglinton Valley and the Homer Tunnel (named after the surveyor Henry Homer) has made Milford Sound an easily accessible and very popular tourist attraction. (Note that in winter the road can be temporarily blocked by avalanches.)
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Bowen Falls
It is a short walk from Milford to the Bowen Falls (160m high), which plunge down from a hanging valley. They are named after a former governor.
More New Zealand Resources
- Fiordland & Milford Sound tours by Viator
