Milford Sound Drive & Cruise in New Zealand: Podcast Show Notes

I interviewed Lynn Smith who is an avid traveler; you should check out her website for travel tips!. She blends a love of independent adventure travel, history and the natural world with over 40 years of experience as an award-winning writer, photographer, creative designer, and producer. When I asked her about what is that one experience that others should have, she enthusiastically replied, self-driving the Milford Sound Road and going on the Milford Sound cruise in Fiordland, South Island, NZ.

 Why Travel to New Zealand and head to the Milford Sound in Fiordland New ZealandLynn chose the South Island of New Zealand for the adventure. The Milford Sound Road is one of the top drives you can do in New Zealand and there is beautiful scenery around every corner. It represents untouched, solitude, and peaceful quiet majestic landscapes and is an experience you should have. In Fiordland lies the 'Southern Alps' and these mountains are world famous! There are only 4.9 million people in New Zealand while California has over 35 Million people. Really a third of the country is a National Park and it is incredibly wild.

 The Experience: Self-Driving the Milford Sound RoadLynn and her family started their adventure in Queenstown, New Zealand and rented a car to get to Te Anau. Queenstown was a zoo, but it quieted down once they made it to Te Anau. There is only 1 highway leaving Queenstown to get to Te Anau (tay-an-o). They have a wide variety of accommodations, restaurants, food trucks, and is world famous for being the gateway to Fiordland National Park.

There are 3 famous hikes in Fiordland, but the mountains there are like the Alps or the Rockies. You need to be fit to go out on treks.

That said, you can see a lot of scenery in the South Island of New Zealand without having to hike for days. The Milford Sound Road is a beautiful, scenic road that is an experience to remember. Most people fly into Queenstown and hop on a giant tour bus to get to the Milford Sound (which is the gem of New Zealand), however, Lynn recommends to drive it yourself, take your time, as you head to visit the crown jewel of Fiordland, Milford Sound. The road to Milford Sound consists of one road, highway 94. As it curves around mountains, valleys, and stunning scenery, it takes you to a completely new world.

The day visitor can make numerous stops along the only road that cuts through the mountains and valleys in the untouched Fiordland landscapes. From the endless vistas of Eglinton Valley featuring eye-popping scenery used to create the Misty Mountains in the film Fellowship of the Rings, to lookouts over the surrounding mountain ranges, one can take walks along clear rushing creeks and through mossy beech forests to waterfalls and cascades, mirror lakes and tumbling, icy cold rivers.  All this in one full day from Te Anau, vs a 14 hour day of riding a bus to and from Queenstown with a couple of quick stops along the way!

 Top Stops to Check Out on the Milford Sound Sound Road, NZKnobs Flat is a perfect place to take a break in between Te Anau and Milford Sound. You'll want to leave early in the morning from Te Anau to beat the tour buses. Make sure to check out the to use as your go-to guide.

Mirror Lakes

Mirror lakes is a perfect stop about an hour away. The valleys, mountains, and skies were simply stunning. You will want to hit Mirror Lakes in the morning for the perfect light (and to see the mirror effect). The mirror effect goes away in the afternoon. It's a temperate rainforest and has over 240 days of rain a year and the weather constantly changes there. If you can catch it on a sunny day, you can look into these deep crystal clear lakes and it's hard to tell where the lake begins and the sky ends. There is no garbage, trash, plastic. It's easy to walk down the boardwalk 100 feet or so and is wheelchair friendly.