The author of books about Mowgli, John Rudyard Kipling, was difficult to surprise with the beauty of nature. The writer traveled a lot and saw everything. But when he visited Milford Sound, he recognized this place as one of the most beautiful and called it “The Eighth Wonder of the World.”
The bay is located in the southwestern part of New Zealand’s South Island, where the Tasman Sea cuts into the land for almost ten kilometers, forming long fjords hidden behind rocks. Although Milford Sound Bay is difficult to reach, today it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in New Zealand, with more than half a million tourists coming here every year.
Milford Sound can be safely called one of the wonders of New Zealand. This picturesque fjord is a must on any trip to the South Island.
According to scientists, the age of the fjord is 200 centuries. The melting of glaciers in the South Islands has led to the formation of deep cracks in the rocky ground. Subsequently, they filled with water, turning into bays and lakes. This is how the Milford Sound fjord appeared, located 15 km from the Tasman Sea. Its length is 19 km, in some places the width of the bay reaches three kilometers, and the depth exceeds 500 m. The mouth of the fjord is surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs going deep under the water.
Fjord cruises are popular with tourists, and the bay is a favorite destination for landscape photographers who come here to shoot the symbol of the national park, the Peak Miter.
A must-see on the Milford Sound program is a fjord cruise by ship. One and a half hour excursion provides a unique opportunity to see sheer cliffs and majestic waterfalls up close. The sight is truly incredible … but only in good weather. In the rain, Milford Sound looks completely different. Fascinating in its own way, but still not so impressive.
Mirror Lakes is one of the more popular stops on the way to Milford Sound. These small lakes are located a five-minute walk from the parking lot and are famous for their spectacular reflection of the surrounding rocks in calm weather.
Milford Sound is an amazingly beautiful place. If you are going to New Zealand, be sure to try to visit there. If you succeed, stay longer, and if not, then you can do a lot in a day.
You can get an excursion to Milford Sound from Queenstown on https://1001guide.net/en/new-zealand/queenstown