Milford Sound Cruise
Milford Sound (Piopiotahi)
Be immersed in the moody majesty of the Fiord as
sheer rock faces emerge from the Sound and tower hundreds of metres over your
Milford Sound Red boat vessel. Marvel at the power and splendour of Stirling
and Bowen Falls and take in the arresting beauty of Mitre Peak that rises above
you. Your cruise will travel down the south side of the Fiord, out to the Tasman Sea
and return up the north side, stopping off at all points of interest along the
way. Enjoy the breathtaking scenery with a full commentary on the natural
history of the Sound. It is a deep, icy blue waterway flowing into the
Tasman Sea and is part of the majestic Fiordland National Park. Wet or fine the magic of Milford Sound will
enthral you. Annually, Milford Sound receives between 5 to 9 metres of rain and
you will see waterfalls thunder down the sheer cliffs of the Fiord. Carved over time by glaciers the deepest part of
the Fiord is 400 metres.
Cruise Highlights
1. Mitre Peak Lodge - This was the original accommodation of Donald Sutherland who arrived in the area in 1877. The Government bought the property in 1922 and built a hotel 6 years later. After a large fire in 1952 the hotel was closed and reopened again in 1954 after extensive rebuilding. The lodge is now used solely as part of the Milford Track Guided Walk and is not available for any other accommodation.
2. Freshwater Basin - Milford Wharf Visitor Centre. Your Milford Sound Cruise departs from The Milford Wharf Visitor Centre, which is situated in the Freshwater Basin. This small harbour contains more fresh water than salt water so the harbour was named accordingly. The water’s brown colouring is the result of tannin washed down from the trees surrounding the Fiord.
3. Bowen Falls -The higher of the two permanent waterfalls in Milford Sound, Bowen Falls drops 161 metres from a hanging valley in the Darren Range. They are more correctly known as the ‘Lady Bowen Falls’, named after the wife of one of New Zealand's early governors.
4. Cemetery Point - So named because the mounds formed by debris from the Bowen Falls, resemble graves. There are in fact three actual graves here that date back to the very early days of the whalers and sealers.
5. Sinbad Gully - An excellent example of a hanging valley, Sinbad Gully is enclosed by the steep slopes of Mt Phillips rising 1,445 metres on its left, Mitre Peak on its right and the Llawrenny Peaks in the background.
6. Mitre Peak - At a height of 1,682
metres, Mitre Peak is one of the highest mountains in the world to rise directly
from the ocean floor. It got its name because its shape resembles that of a
Bishop's mitre, or headdress.
7. Lion Mountain - Situated across to the right rising to a height of 1,301
metres. The mountain's correct name is Mt Kimberly, but because its shape so
strongly resembles that of a crouching lion, this more descriptive name has been
retained.
8. The Elephant - This
mountain is in the shape of an elephant's head. The ‘trunk’ forming part of the
hanging valley, runs up the ridge to a summit of 1,507 metres and to the top of
the ‘elephant's head’.
9. Copper Point - So named because of the very high deposits of copper situated throughout this point. It is one of the narrowest sections of the Fiord and wind gusts have been recorded here in excess of 75 knots.
10. Fairy Falls - One of the
prettiest corners of Milford Sound. Despite the large amount of water that cascades from these falls, it
is only a temporary waterfall and will dry up after a few days without rain.
11. Anita Bay - Many years ago the
Maori People frequently visited Anita Bay for its tangiwai. Tangiwai, more
commonly known as greenstone is a precious stone that was carved for both
weapons and ornamental wear.
12. St Anne's Point - 27 metres above
sea level stands the automatic lighthouse for Milford Sound which is visible
from sea for 14 kilometres.
13. Dale Point - Denotes the entrance to Milford Sound which is
approximately 548 metres wide and 79 metres deep, compared to the rest of the
fiord which is has depths up to 300 metres. Your Milford Sound Red Boat cruise
takes you right out past this point into the Tasman Sea.
14. Seal
Rock - Is one of the few areas in the fiord where
the Southern Fur Seal is able to climb up out of the water onto the rocks. These
seals inhabit the fiord all year round.
15. Stirling Falls - Dropping 155
metres Stirling Falls is one of the two permanent waterfalls in the fiord, which
is most spectacular after very heavy rain. They were originally named after a
seaman by the name of Captain Stirling.
16. Harrison Cove - The only natural anchorage in the Fiord used during the
early 1800s by whalers and sealers. The Milford Deep Underwater Observatory is located here.
17. Mount
Pembroke - Is one of the highest mountains in the
fiord at 2014 metres and is permanently snow-capped. The glacier on Mount
Pembroke is the remnant of a glacier which carved its way through the Fiord, and
measures up to a depth of some 27 metres. Several streams from the melting snow
run down this mountain forming the Harrison River.
18. Sheerdown
Range - With a height of 1877m this range forms the
southern wall of the Arthur Valley. The Arthur River flows down through this
valley draining Lake Ada which was formed when a massive landslide blocked the
Arthur River.
19. Airport and Airstrip - A number of arilines fly to this airport from Queenstown; a small but busy airstrip when weather
conditions permit.
20. Deepwater Basin - This glacial carved hole was flooded at the end of the ice ages and has water depths of up to 50 metres. Deepwater Basin is home to a number of commercial fishing vessels which operate out of Milford Sound. These vessels fish the exposed southern coastline beyond the entrance to Milford Sound. Their normal catch is lobster. ( Note: Only the 12.25 Scenic Cruise stops at Deepwater Basin.)
21. Sandfly Point - This spot marks
the termination of the Milford Track, a 54 kilometre (33.5 mile) 3-day walk from
Te Anau over the Mackinnon Pass to Milford Sound. Trampers are picked up here daily by one of our vessels and ferried
back to the Mitre Peak Lodge. The track operates from November through to the
end of March.
