Milford Sound also known by its indigenous Māori name Piopioptahi is one New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations. It’s one of those places I’ve wanted to visit for a long time. I first learned of Milford Sound when I was a young boy. My mother, who worked at a hotel at the time, would sometimes bring home discarded post cards depicting scenes of various iconic places from around the world; Milford Sound just happened to be on one of them. Travelling to distant shores has always appealed to me and fifty plus years later, I still have that post card, and I finally made it to Milford Sound.

As we continued our month-long campervan journey through the North and South islands of New Zealand, we travelled along the eastern side of the South Island to the southernmost tip in Bluff. Our next major stop, as we headed northwest would be Milford Sound. Located at the northernmost end of the Fiordland National Park, the Sound which is really classified as a Fiord or Fjord, stretches approximately 16 km (10 miles) inland from the Tasman Sea. After a four-hour drive from Bluff through Invercargill then onto State Highway 94 and past Te Anau we arrived in the afternoon at the Milford Sound Lodge and Campervan Park. It’s located in a rainforest like setting, surrounded by mountain peaks and is the only campervan site in the area. It’s a few minutes’ drive to the Milford Sound dock and Visitors Center.

The Fiord National Park is one of the wettest areas in New Zealand and can be quite cool with summer temperature averages of 18C (64 F) and in winter 4C (41 F) After a good night’s sleep (the campervan was really comfortable), we made the short drive to the boat dock and Visitors’ Center the next morning. The center is an ultra-modern looking building but somehow seems to blend in with the more natural surroundings. We booked an early cruise and were excited to get going. It was cool and misty, and we were hoping for better weather, but the rain would soon come. Tours go in any weather. With the amount of rainfall the area gets, everything is lush and green. The two main permanent waterfalls, Lady Bowen and Sterling emerge from the surrounding rainforest, and the presence of rain this day created even more waterfalls. The Sound takes on an eerie and mystical quality with low hanging clouds, and for many including us, this turned out to be the better way the view Milford Sound.

we boarded our tour boat as a shroud of fog and light rain rolled in. The two-to-three-hour trip took us down the left side of the sound where we spotted the newly forming waterfalls, then out to the Tasman Sea, our turn around point. Winding our way back by several mountain peaks the highest of which is Mitre Peak at 1692 meters, all covered in mist and pouring rain. We sought shelter in the boat while the rain intensified all the while still trying to see as much as we could, we even spotted some bottle nosed dolphins who came along for a ride.

The boat captain took us up close to Stirling falls for a more intimate look and feel. At this point with the rain, the spray and the sound from the falls, it was a truly special experience. It was a nice way to cap off a wonderful day.

We spotted a few dolphins on the way back; they followed us for a while.

Kayaking and hiking are some of the other activities that can be experienced in Milford.

As we laid sight on Lady Bowen Falls for the second time, we knew our cruise was nearing the end. My Milford Sound experience exceeded my expectations. It took some years to finally get there but it was well worth it, that little boy inside me was very happy.

The Fiordland National Park and the surrounding area is very remote and under populated with Milford village having a population of about 100 people. This small settlement of permanent residents sustains the area’s offering of boat cruises, scenic flights, kayak trips, dive trips, and luxury lodge accommodation. The nearby Bowen River supplies the drinking water and hydro electric power to the village. Accommodations are limited, there are only a couple of lodges and a campervan site. Day trips whether self drive or by coach are common. It’s about 4 hours from Queenstown and 2 hours from Te Anau. On the way out, we stopped at the Mirror Lakes and did the short hike. Just my opinion but I think a trip to New Zealand should be on everyone’s bucket list, it’s one of those countries we would visit again.