Milford Sound / Piopiotahi
Discover the otherworldly beauty of Milford Sound / Piopiotahi – a spectacular fjord untouched by time and civilization. Milford Sound is the magnum opus of the South Island’s landscapes. Its inky waters and towering mist-clad mountains left such an impression on Rudyard Kipling, he famously dubbed it the "eighth wonder of the world." Highlights include Mitre Peak, a one-kilometre-high mountain, and Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls – surprisingly, the only two falls that flow year-round. The sound might be renowned for its hundreds of tiny, picturesque waterfalls, but these waterfalls only come to life after bouts of rain – which, thankfully, are frequent and measured in metres – roughly seven per year – making Milford Sound one of the wettest places on Earth. Milford Sound is also a haven for wildlife, including the Fiordland Crested Penguin – one of the rarest in the world – and bottlenose dolphins, who sometimes pay friendly visits to passing kayakers and boats. Milford Track is a spectacular four-day hike through Fiordland National Park that has been described as “the finest walk on Earth.” Beginning in Te Anau and ending in Milford Sound, it covers 54 kilometres of mountain passes, glacier-carved valleys, and ancient rainforests – enough to fulfill all your Lord of the Rings fantasies. Equally stunning, though less well-known, are the Milford Sound Foreshore Walk, Milford Sound Lookout Track, and the Key Summit Track. The temperature varies by season, reaching highs of 19 °C in summer (Dec - Feb) and 10 °C in winter (Jun - Aug). Milford Sound was discovered by the Māori people over 1,000 years ago. While they didn't settle in the area, they visited to fish, hunt, and collect pounamu (greenstone). They named the sound Piopiotahi, after the legend of the piopio, a native bird that flew to Milford Sound to mourn the death of the hero Māui, a Māori god.
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