Today was our most expensive activity, Discover More with Go Milford, but it was actually the best value. The trip was a total of nine hours: 5.5 hrs. of a narrated bus trip, 2.5 hour narrated cruise on Milford Sound, which included a wonderful buffet lunch, and 45 minutes at the Milford Deep Underwater Observatory.

We were picked up by our tour company, Go Milford, at 8:15 at our campground and driven 121 km to Milford Sound. The Milford Road heads into the Southern Alps, crossing over the high alpine zone, and then descending into Milford Sound.  

I got to sit up front beside our driver, Dave, and ride co-pilot so I had the best views! We stopped several times for photos and short walks, and Dave provided a commentary about the area through which we traveled.

First we drove alongside Lake Te Anau, which is 38 miles long and up to 400 m deep. On the Murchison Islands, they are working on a species survival plan for some birds that are threatened by introduced predators, such as possums.

Within the park, they introduced wapiti (elk) and red deer about 100 years ago. About 60 years ago some of the red deer were captured and used to start the commercial deer farming in NZ. Farmers sell the meat and the velvet from the antlers.

Te Anau Downs is located halfway down the lake and is the jumping off place for hikers walking the Milford Track.

Then we entered Fiordland National Park and headed up Eglinton Valley and the pass to the Divide through the Southern Alps. This area was recently used to film parts of The Hobbit movie. We noticed that the leaves are starting to turn on some deciduous trees, although most of the trees are evergreens. Dave said wild pigs live in the scrubby areas.

Fiordland National Park consists of 3 million acres and numerous sounds, which are actually fiords, and includes Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, the two most famous. We were very lucky that it didn't rain today, as the park has 180 wet days a year and receives about 5.5 meters of annual rainfall. We stopped at Eglinton Flats for photos.

Our next stop was at Mirror Lakes. The lakes show great mountain reflections.

Then we crossed the sign marking the 45th parallel. Dave said only three countries are on the parallel: Chile, Argentina and NZ.

We passed Lake Gunn which is a picturesque lake known for good fishing, and then dropped down into Hollyford Valley, and stopped at the lookout for photos of the beautiful view. We then drove through an area that has had many snow avalanches, tree avalanches, and rockslides, some quite recently.   

Then we waited for a green light so that we could enter the east portal of the Homer Tunnel, a 1200 m tunnel that took 20 years to build and descends 100 meters.   When we emerged on the west side, we descended another 900 m through Cleddau Canyon to Milford Sound. There were waterfalls everywhere, especially near the tunnel.

We met up with a Kea, a type of NZ mountain parrot, when we stopped for photos of the Chasm, which was a 15-minute walk to see how rushing water has the power to cut through rock as the Cleddau River plunges through eroded boulders in a narrow chasm.  

Milford is a fiord, not a sound, because it was gouged out by glaciers all the way to the sea. A sound was made by a river filling the glacial valley.

We boarded our boat and enjoyed a great lunch as we moved through the Freshwater Basin. We passed Bowen Falls, which is the higher of the two permanent waterfalls in the sound, with water falling 161 meters.  

We saw Mitre Peak, a famous NZ landmark, which is one of the highest mountains in the world to rise directly from the ocean floor. It got its name because its shape resembles that of a Bishop's headdress.

We proceeded all the way through Milford Sound to the Tasman Sea, and we were able to go out to the sea because it was very calm today.   The lighthouse for Milford Sound is located at St Anne’s Point; the light can be seen for 14 km.

As we re-entered the Sound it was pointed out why it was so difficult to discover, because the entrance is well hidden from view.

We passed Seal Rock for a view of a group of adolescent males who hang out there because they were forced out of their family by the big daddy bull.

Then we stopped at Stirling Falls, which was a beautiful cascade of water.   Our boat went under the falls and we were blessed by the spray; supposedly, we will wake up in the morning looking 10 years younger. That will be worth the trip!

Our trip also included at stop at Harrison Cove where the Milford Deep Underwater Observatory is located. We went onto a platform and then descended a spiral staircase 26 feet, taking us deep under water to a circular room made of thick glass where we could watch the native fish and echinoderms in their natural habitat.

Then we boarded our bus for the trip home, which was quicker because we didn’t make any stops, so we arrived back at 5:15.

It was a great day in another of NZ’s wonderful National Parks.