We got in to our house in Queenstown so late the night before, after a long day on the road, that we really wanted a more relaxing day with less driving, but you’ve got to go where the weather takes you! Since we were still in the winter months of New Zealand, we had to be cautious with self-driving in the weather. Even though we had 3 full days to be flexible with, our first full day showed the most promising weather for our long drive to Milford Sound (around 8+ hours round trip, with no stops). There are big concerns in these months for road closures due to rock slides and avalanches. If the road were to close while we were at the Sound, we’d have to get ourselves out of there as well as our vehicle on our own expense, so it was crucial to pick a nice day to travel. We really lucked out with our weather overall on this trip!
Before I take you on our trip to Milford Sound, here’s the house we stayed in for 4 nights-it was a great place with an amazing view!
Stunning!!
View from our picture window!
We headed out very early the next morning and drove south to Te Anau (the largest town in Fiordland, before Milford Sound). It was a very windy morning and our van felt like it would get blown over! We made a few stops along our way to grab some pictures and take in the surroundings. September was the perfect time to visit to see all the baby lambs….in New Zealand, there are sheep EVERYWHERE, but we also got to see so many lambs…they were so tiny and we watched them getting bigger each and every day of our drive! So cute!
Our first stop off once on Milford Road, was Eglinton Valley, which was once filled with glacier ice.
Next stop was Mirrors Lakes. The reflection of the mountains in the water was hard to walk away from-just beautiful!
Beautiful views as we continued on Milford Road.
Warning for Rock Slide signs posted-which you can see from the pile of rocks on the left.
The Homer Tunnel, which signals the descent to Milford Sound.
Before reaching Milford Sound. we did a short walk out to The Chasm - a spectacular waterfall where the Cleddau River has scoured its way through solid rock. The sights and sounds were lovely!
Once at Milford Sound, we checked in for our boat cruise and had some time to walk around the area. Sudip was great throughout the trip giving the kids scavenger hunts on each of our walks. They had a nice point system in place and loved the challenge! Hallie was too little to join in, but enjoyed her piggy and shoulder rides, butt crack showing and all!
The kids just hanging around…
Fun tree with great backdrop for family pictures
Views of the BREATHTAKING Milford Sound
Nice view here of Mitre Peak (one of the tallest mountains in the world to rise directly from the sea floor)
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