“The Road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can.”
― The Lord of the Rings
Milford Sound is not only the most famous tourist spot in New Zealand, but also one of the world's top travel destinations, attracting up to 1 million visitors per year. It's often referred to as the 8th World Wonder. With such a reputation, my expectations were high.
Despite its name, Milford Sound is actually a fjord rather than a sound. The difference is that a fjord is an underwater valley carved by glaciers, while a sound is usually formed by the flooding of a river valley. The name was given due to an incorrect assumption from James Cook.
There is only a single, 116 km long road from Te Anau to Milford Sound. Most people visit from Queenstown, which adds another 175 km. You can either drive the 582 km (round trip) yourself or take one of the many bus tours. A more adventurous (and expensive) option is to take a small aircraft. My friend and I chose convenience over flexibility and booked a bus trip with Real NZ.
One advantage of using a tour operator is that the bus driver will share many interesting facts along the way. Also, our driver had the cutest highland cow plushie: Doogle!
The first stop was in Te Anau, a gateway into the Milford Sound road.
We've made a few more stops along the way, with increasingly spectacular landscapes.
I don't like the romanticization of popular spots, where people try to convey the feeling of having the place all to themselves. I do understand the appeal of taking such photos, and with my approach to minimalism street photography, I unfortunately do my share. However, I also want to be honest about how those Instagram factories actually look like. I will post my rant opinions on "photo tourism" one day, but until then, here's a small preview.
Here are two more spots that stood out to me.
The first thing you see when you arrive at the Sound isn't the pier. It's a swarm of thousands of sandflies. As James Cook wrote:
“The most mischievous animal here is the small black sandfly which are exceeding numerous … wherever they light they cause a swelling and such intolerable itching that it is not possible to refrain from scratching and at last ends in ulcers like the small pox.”
As soon as the boat trip starts, the sandflies disappear, though.
Here are some impressions of the ~90-minute cruise around the fjord. I'm not a landscape photographer, but even the best photos can't capture such enormous scenes adequately.
Was the 13-hour trip worth it and did Milford Sound meet my (high) expectations?
I don't enjoy overtourism and places crowded so much that you can barely move. As I continue my travel, I've started to avoid the "must-see" places, or at least I try to take alternative paths. Yes, they are "must-see" for a reason, but the tourist swarms spoil the experience to a point where it's usually not worth it.
Unsurprisingly, the usual Milford Sound tour is a huge tourist factory. Every spot along the way is filled with people, culminating in a packed boat cruise. One reason is the long drive, which leads to a peak during midday.
My friend described our trip as touristy and overrated, which given the enormous praise, I agree. Don't get me wrong, Milford Sound an incredible place. However, I think we would have enjoyed it way more if we went off the beaten path. We should have done some hiking or visit the way less touristy Doubtful Sound instead, but as often, the time didn't allow it (or in other words, I didn't plan it properly).