Milford Sound
March 22nd, 2008 by Tiffany Miller
I read somewhere that going to New Zealand without seeing Milford Sound is like going to Egypt without seeing the pyramids. I have seen both, and I suppose this would be apt if there were glaciers, bungy jumping and whales in Egypt. But the South Island of New Zealand has so much to offer, I think I could have walked away just as awe-struck if I hadn’t seen The Sound.
That said, it is spectacular. It is captivating and inspiring and has all the awesome beauty of nature at her grandest. You should see it. And if you do, I have a little recommendation: get off the beaten boatwake. There are packed tour boats heading into the fiord hourly (by the way- it is, geologically speaking, a fiord- it should be called Milford Fiord). The boats are huge and loud and impersonal. But there is a better way, and a more ecologically respectful way, to see it. Kayaking. Not only is kayaking usually a cheaper option, it allows you to experience the true profundity of Mitre Peak and its surrounds- at your own pace, with only the sound of the water and the birds in the trees, and leaving only the exhaust from your lungs. A truly great way to feel connected to nature.
But kayaks don’t have complimentary coffee. You decide.
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