This time around I thought we might take a peek at the spectacular Milford Sound on New Zealand's south island.
Milford sound is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth, the scenery is just awe-inspiring and almost beyond words. Even the trip to Milford is an adventure as you drive through Homer Tunnel, a completely hand carved tunnel 1.6 kilometers or one mile long, carved through the very center of New Zealand's magnificent mountain ranges.
Milford Sound is located on the south west coast, in what is known a Fiordland, part of the wonderful alpine region of New Zealand. It is about 260 kilometers or 160 miles north-west of Dunedin. The first Europeans to visit Milford Sound were sealers and in 1822 it was given its European name by John Grono a New South Welshman in memory of his native Milford Haven in Wales. Mitre Peak, the trade mark of the Sound stands about half way along the Sound on its southern side and dominates the entire Sound.. Mitre Peak stands at 1,412 meters or 4,659.6 feet. Not far from the Sound is the king of Fiordland, Mt Tutoko which soars 2756 meters (9,095 feet) into the air.
There is much to do for the visitor to Milford Sound. You can wander around the wharf at Freshwater Basin and study the battered little cray fishing boats at their moorings and then continue further along the track to the foot of the beautiful Bowen Falls as they spill out into the sound. Bowen Falls were named after a former New Zealand Governor and leap in two steps from a high glacial hanging valley. When you visit the Sound be sure to take a boat trip on the beautiful clear waters to the base of Stirling Falls which cascade directly into the ocean or take the longer cruise to Anita Bay. If you are very lucky you may find your cruise is accompanied by one of the pods of dolphins that frequent the Sound.
Immediately to the south of Mitre Peak is Sinbad Gully. This deep valley is one of the last remaining habitats of the flightless parrot called the kakapo. This ground dwelling native bird of New Zealand is in sharp decline. In the 1860 explorers of the west coast complained of being unable to sleep because of the din the male of this species makes with his curious booming call. By the 1880's these birds had begun to fall victim to introduced stoats and ship's rats that were rapidly spreading into Fiordland. Unfortunately their ground nesting made them easy targets for these introduced scavengers. A few birds still exist, on Stewart Island, in Tutoko Valley and here in Sinbad Gully, the extinction of this curious little bird seems inevitable, however in order to try and stop this Sinbad Gully and Takahe Reserve are among the few parts of Fiordland to which public access is prohibited.
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