New Zealand Day 6: Milford Sound to Te Anau

Milford Sound is accessible only by a vast and beautifully stunning 119km road from Te Anau. And if the drive there wasn’t spectacular enough, arriving in Milford Sound is quite breathtaking – rocky cliffs rise out of still waters; you can understand why New Zealand has been described as “God’s country”. We decided the best way to experience Milford Sound would be to take an overnight cruise on the Milford Mariner. 

On arrival, we had the usual safety briefing, and then took a cruise out into the Tasman Sea past various amazing waterfalls in the sound. A relaxing glass of wine complemented the views perfectly. 

At around 7pm, a delicious 3 course meal was served of orange and kumara soup, a buffet main of vegetables, meats, salads and everything else your heart could desire, followed by an enormous desert table featuring pavlova, cheesecake, chocolate cake, brownies, ice-cream, plus cheese and biscuits. Washed down with a bottle of wine, it would be safe to say that we were all well and truly stuffed. 

This was followed by a half an hour presentation detailing some of the nature around the fiord – we were treated to some fantastic pictures and videos. A wander round the boat, some seals frolicking in the water, and the crew jumping off board finished the night off nicely.