Milford Sound New Zealand

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One of the favored New Zealand vacation destinations is Milford Sound. This is one of those special places that manages to nestle, or better yet, force its way into your heart. There is no bad time to visit Milford Sound New Zealand, and though it rains a lot here, it does little to dampen spirits. Milford Sound is found on the country's South Island, just 175 miles northwest of Queenstown. It's part of New Zealand's Fiordland region, and the views here are nothing short of breathtaking. Rudyard Kipling is known labeled this region as his choice for the eighth wonder of the world, and should you be lucky enough to end up here at some point, you'll understand his inspiration for doing so. According to Maori legend, the Fiordland region of New Zealand was created by a godly figure known as Tu Te Raki Whanoa. You'd have to think that if that was the case, then Tu Te definitely spent some extra time crafting this stunning landscape.

Milford Sound is hard to notice if you are out at sea, so much so that the famed British explorer, Captain Cook, didn't even notice it when charting the New Zealand waters a couple-hundred years back. His loss. Had he noticed this area, he might have never left, which is how you might feel upon arriving. The Milford Sound stretches some 14 nautical miles until it reaches the Tasman Sea, and you can easily exhaust your camera along the way. The whole Fiordland region is so picturesque, in fact, that you will want to make sure you have extra film or photo space, as well as plenty of extra camera batteries. Of course, this is pretty much true of most of New Zealand. From the rich blue waters, the mountains at Milford Sound quickly soar high into the sky, some reaching almost 6,000 feet. On rocky perches here and there, you'll notice fur seals going about their daily routines, and you're bound to spot at least one dolphin enjoying the area as much as you probably are.

As mentioned, it tends to rain quite a bit here, so you'll certainly want to bring waterproof or water repellent clothing just in case. The weather is also known to change at the drop of a hat, so you'll want to make sure you have a few layers of clothing available, even in the summer. As you might imagine, when it is raining at Milford Sound, the place takes on a different kind of beauty. Sure, it can be a bit melancholy, but it's a good kind of melancholy. Plus, when it rains here, numerous mountain waterfalls come to life, gushing torrents of water down the impressive cliff sides. When it's dry here, you'll have a much tougher time finding a waterfall, so there is reason to rejoice in rainfall when enjoying Milford Sound vacations.