21st and 22nd May 2022
(This post was written in 2022, but not published at the time)
Despite having wanted to visit New Zealand for as long as I can remember, I had a surprisingly sparse knowledge of where I actually wanted to go once we got there. I guess New Zealand just has this aura about it that makes you think that everywhere is going to be amazing, so the specific places are not so important. Milford Sounds, however, was one of the attractions that I had most definitely heard of and was excited to visit.
It turns out, however, that Milford is not the only Sound worth visiting. Doubtful was described as less visited but no less beautiful, so we were keen to try them both out.
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How to visit the Sounds
There seems to be a lot of information out there about how to visit Milford Sound. There are multiple agencies running multiple packages. This includes different boats that apparently have different itineraries (although I’m not sure about that). There is also the option to drive yourself to the dock at the Sound or to take a coach from Queenstown or Te Anau. A further option is to not take a cruise but to kayak around part of the Sound instead. Given that we arrived in winter and it was pretty cold we decided to do the cruise rather than to kayak. The next decision was whether to get the coach or to drive. The self drive option is obviously a lot cheaper but there were weather warnings for snow on the night before we wanted to go and we hadn’t hired snow-chains along with the car. There is the option of hiring them for the day from the petrol station in Te Anau but our confusion and indecision meant we arrived to Te Anau having still not booked anything.
Sorting a visit to Doubtful Sound on the other hand is very easy. There is only one or two companies that have the rights to visit the Sound and they both have the same basic itineraries and use the same ferries and coaches to get their customers to the Sound. The only thing you need to consider is whether you take the day-trip or a multi-day cruise, where you stay one or two nights on the boat. Given we had limited time in New Zealand and that the multi-day option was a lot more expensive, we decided on the day-trip. So we went to the RealNZ office in Te Anau and it turns out that they were running a special offer that gave a large discount if you booked tickets to both Sounds and the Glowworm Cave Experience in Te Anau all together. After all the doubts we’d had, this made everything a lot more simple!
Doubtful Sound
Our first trip was to Doubtful Sound. Getting there is a multi-step process. First we needed to drive down to the dock in Manapouri, which is just an easy 20 – 30 minute drive from Te Anau. From here, you take a ferry across Lake Manapouri to West Arm Visitor Centre. This takes about 50 minutes and is a very scenic journey all on its own. Despite there being quite a lot of cloud around when we set off, we were still able to admire some of the peaks that rose from the water, with the trees of the temperate rainforest reaching almost to the summits. The first considerable snow of the season had fallen the night before, so the mountains had their peaks dusted in white powder.
The second part of the journey is a coach ride from the visitor centre, over a pass in the mountains and down to Doubtful Sound. This can be a scenic drive through the forest but as we got higher it was snowing and the clouds blocked any views. It was still exciting for us, however. We had spent what would normally have been our winter in Colombia, so seeing snow again was fun.
The drive was the best part of an hour but we finally got to the main part of the trip, the cruise on Doubtful Sound. Despite there being quite a lot of low-lying cloud obscuring the peaks around us, the gloom actually added a certain atmosphere to the occasion, and the wet weather meant that there were already multiple waterfalls crashing down around us as we set off.
The cruise lasts about three hours and takes you to different parts of the Sound. The scenery is just spectacular. The green slopes rise steeply from the water all around you and once the cloud had shifted a bit, we were able to see the snow-covered peaks towering above. The wet weather meant that the waterfalls were full and roaring (apparently they are not always there if there has been a drier spell) and when some sun broke through, it created stunning rainbows.
The cruise aims to make it out into the Tasman Sea to rocks that house a seal colony but when we got there the sea was unfortunately too rough to venture out into. Seemingly to compensate for this, however, we saw a pod of dolphins. There are strict rules regarding how the boats are able to interact with dolphins and whales so we (rightly) weren’t able to approach or follow them but after we’d stopped a distance away, the inquisitive animals swam to us. So we were able to enjoy them playing at the bow of the boat with a couple jumping fully out of the water. Whilst this was obviously the highlight of the trip, even without it the stunning scenery would have made this trip a must-do experience in New Zealand.
To get back we just did the journey in reverse. That meant we got to appreciate the Sound from a different angle and with the shifting weather, it was like seeing a different place. The captain also took us in close to one of the many waterfalls, which was very cool.
After finishing the cruise we hopped back into the bus and headed off. At the pass it must have snowed for most of the day, as it had gotten pretty thick, but luckily a snow plough had removed enough of it.
As we got the ferry back the clouds were just starting to be tinged with the pinks of sunset, which was a lovely end to an amazing day.
Milford Sound
The following morning we made our way to the RealNZ office to await our coach. It was already looking like a nice day as a rainbow on the far shore combined with a predominantly blue sky to give a beautiful view over Te Anau Lake. The coach was coming from Queenstown and when it arrived it wasn’t what I was expecting. As well as huge glass windows on the sides of the coach, the top was also mainly windows meaning you got a great view everywhere you looked.
We had been unsure about whether to self-drive or get the coach but we were quite glad how it turned out, as we were more able to fully enjoy the spectacular journey towards the Sound as well as receiving interesting information from the enthusiastic driver. During the drive we made multiple stops. These varied from just a couple of minutes to have a quick look at the views, to 15-20 minutes, where we’d do a small walk to an attraction and then the bus would pick us up a little further down the road. The stops apparently vary depending on the driver, the weather and if the bus is on time or not. Obviously we could have stopped at these points ourselves if we had driven, but I don’t think we would have known about a couple of them and it just made everything much easier.
Our first brief stop was to admire Eglinton Valley. The snow-capped peaks rising up majestically made this a beautiful spot.
A little further along the road we stopped and walked along a short boarded pathway to see the Mirror Lakes. These pools had stunning reflections of the mountains on the other side of the valley. It was only a very short walk and the bus picked us up from the other end of the pathway.
Our next stop at Lake Gunn wasn’t planned but the driver said she couldn’t remember seeing the water so still so it again provided amazing reflections of the green and white mountains around it.
Another brief stop was to admire the view from the Hollyford Valley Lookout point.
After briefly stopping to see Christie Falls, we then took a small break at Monkey Creek to admire the views down the valley. We were very curious about the name but apparently one of the early European settlers had a dog called Monkey and he liked to drink from the creak, so that was the rather anti-climatic reason.
After passing through the Homer Tunnel, which is just a roughly hewn passageway through the dense rock with no adornment or supports, we made another unplanned stop. The reason for this was that we could see multiple Kea standing in a stopping point by the side of the road. I had been hoping to see these endangered native birds whilst we’d been around Mount Cook but we had been unsuccessful. Kea are the world’s only alpine parrot and are highly inquisitive and intelligent. They are also very destructive and almost as soon as the bus had parked a couple of them flew onto the roof and started prying off the rubber with their powerful beaks. The others remained on the ground and boldly waddled up to us when we got off the bus, probably hoping for food or maybe just being curious. It was really cool to see them in the wild. After we got back on the bus and set off, one of them was still holding on on the roof and a couple of the others flew along the side of the bus for a bit, meaning we got to see the beautiful colours on the underside of their wings.
Our final stop was to walk on the bridge over the Tutoko River and soon after that we had arrived at Milford Sound.
Standing at the dock, the scenery is just spectacular. On one side you have the impressive Bowen Falls crashing down, whilst if you look the other way, the iconic Mitre Peak rises out of the water. It’s almost a shame that we didn’t have longer at that spot, as it wasn’t long before the boat was ready to set off.
Once you have passed the initial spectacular cove, you are treated to steep green walls and numerous waterfalls, which had been swelled with the recent rainfall. The cruise follows much the same pattern as it did for Doubtful Sound, except there are less arms to explore – it is basically up the Sound towards the open ocean and then back along the other side. The boat is able to pull in close to one of the waterfalls but apart from that it is just a steady journey there and back.
The thing that made Fiordland different to anything I’d seen before was just how green the cliffs were. The cliffs themselves are too steep to develop a layer of soil so it is crazy to me how so many plants and trees are able to grow there. Apparently it is due to the moss that thrives in this area. After the layer is thick enough larger plants are able to take root in it. Trees are then able to use it and can find cracks in the rocks to get a hold. The roots of the trees are also all criss-crossed together, helping to stabilise everything. The problem with this, however, is that if one trees falls, then it can often take many others with it. This creates bare scars on the mountainside that can take decades to recover. But whatever the process is, it certainly creates some absolutely stunning scenery.
After returning to shore our bus was waiting to take us back. The return journey was less eventful as there were no stops and no additional commentary. But it was nice to just relax after another amazing day.
So which Sound was better?
Both trips were amazing and if possible, I’d definitely recommend visiting both. In terms of the Sounds themselves, I’d have to say I preferred Doubtful. It was bigger, more varied and in my opinion, more spectacular. But that doesn’t mean Milford isn’t fantastic, especially the initial area where you get on and off the boat. The journey to Milford was also stunning. There are so many potential places to stop on the way and it made me wish we’d rented a camper van instead of a car, because then we could have spent more time exploring the area.
So if I were to visit the area knowing what I do now, I think I’d do the tour to Doubtful Sound and on another day self-drive to Milford, making plenty of stops along the way. Once there, I’d take one of the kayaking tours around the initial bay area, as I felt that this was the best part of the Sound. But that of course is only my opinion and which ever way you choose I’m sure you will enjoy it, as it is such a beautiful area and well worth its world-wide fame. It is certainly a must-do whilst in New Zealand.
I hope you were able to enjoy the page and glean something useful from it. Thanks for reading and getting all of the way to the end!
Brit and Czech Abroad 
“Sounds” absolutely amazing! Beautiful photos, beautiful scenery. 😊
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