Fjords and Sounds in New Zealand
The South West Corner of New Zealand’s South Island is famous for the Fjords and Sounds and amazing National Parks. Many of you will have heard of Milford Sound, but there are others and Doubtful Sound is definitely worth a visit. When the sun shines in this part of the world, the scenery is some of the most spectacular in the world, when the cloud comes in and it rains (and they get between 8 and 10 metres of rain a year) it becomes some of the most dramatic landscape you will ever experience on this planet.
We have seen dramatic cliffs off the coast of Hawaii (think of the scenes from Jurassic Park), and the escarpments in the Alpine areas around the world, but deep in Milford and Doubtful Sound (and the journey into each of them) the landscape seems even more unworldly. Made from a combination of glacial and volcanic activity, the cliffs are sheer and rise commandingly around you on all sides, covered in vegetation that is parted by both permanent and spontaneous waterfalls. As it rains, new waterfalls are created that fall across sheer rock, before free falling and then crashing upon rock again. Over and over down the side of unbelievably high cliffs, the image is breath taking and never forgotten.
The Southern Alps of New Zealand rise and stretch here and with climatic conditions as they are, snow remains all year around. Not a lot, just little pockets of glistening white, where the sun does not get enough summer heat to melt, it makes for a fairytale or Disney like scene as you drive the single lane roads from Te Anau into Manapouri (the entry way to Doubtful Sound) and then from Te Anau to Milford Sound.
This is not on everybody’s must see list, but it should be. There is much to do in this wonderful country, including enjoying its wonderful people, brilliant food and world class wines, but getting into Fjordland will be something you will never regret as this is natural beauty at its best and you might just have one of those once in a life time experiences….
Deep inside Doubtful Sound when our boat’s captain came to a stop, turned off the engines and the power to the boat and asked us all to just absorb the environment in soundlessness, I took a breath and marvelled at all around me and found one of those moments in this hectic world of true peace.
How To Get There:
- Te Anau is the perfect base to explore both Milford and Doubtful Sound for day trips
- Day Tours are available to save you the stress of driving and you can kick back and enjoy the scenery and commentary along the way
- There is a lodge in Milford Sound within the National Park that you can stay at to enjoy an overnight once all the crowds leave
- Cruise ships from Australia stop here on their way over the Pacific Ocean (weather pending)
- Queenstown also provide day trip options but they will is a much longer day as you go via Te Anau (2hrs) to get to both