A day on Milford Sounds

Milford Sounds

Waking up early on a crisp morning in New Zealand we set out in our little campervan for Milford Sounds.

Mirror Lake

The drive was beautiful, firstly stopping at Mirror Lakes which, as the guide book had promised, has a perfect reflection of the magnificent mountains behind. The quirky sign made me smile with the reflection spelling out the name of the lake.

Further south we passed fields of lupins with their purple and pinks creating an oil painting effect against the landscape and their  sweet smell filling the car with the scent of spring.

We’d rearranged our plans to reach Milford sooner because we were warned of heavy rainfall which may close the road leading in and out of the tiny town.  As we drove past the incredible glacial mountains and through the avalanche zone we quickly realised why it would be unsafe to drive in bad weather.

Luckily we were graced with sunshine and as we drove through the Homer Tunnel, carved through the mountain, the chill in the air dispersed like the wispy clouds.

Driving to Milford through the clouds

Pre-booked onto the 11:10 Mitre Peak cruise we eagerly strode to the front of the queue to get a good seat on top-deck.

Tour boat on Milford Sounds

Milford Sounds is sighted at the most impressive in Fiordland. The deep blue water contrasting with the looming cliffs above was an awesome sight. We passed incredible fresh waterfalls; one at 162 meters is much higher than Niagara Falls (but not as wide of course!) 

There was an icy chill in the air as the boat meandered through the Sounds, passing the fishing areas where crayfish is caught and within 48 hours on sale in China.

Sailing further towards the Tasman Sea we turned at St Annes Point. Heading back through the sheer cliffs, the 75 birth boat felt like a tiny speck.

Seal colony

We passed a seal colony, watching the young male seals basking in the sunshine was a perfect end to the journey.  

With some energy left as we drove back we put on our walking boots and hiked to Key Summit. A beautiful three hour walk through a mixture of vegetation including the native New Zealand forest, alpine tracks and a nature walk at the top explaining the history of the land.

The breath-taking views of the Hollyford, Greenstone and Eglington Valleys in the late afternoon sun was my favourite part of the day.

Key summit trek

It is a long way to go for a two hour cruise but the views and stops en-route made it worthwhile. If I were to go again I think I’d do one of the overnight cruises and if my budget allowed I’d take a helicopter flight too... 

Walking on ice

Fox Glacier

We woke to a beautifully clear blue sky and warm sunshine. Packing up the campervan quickly we hit the road for our ice walking tour with Fox Glacier Guiding.

Getting kitted out

Fox Glacier spans 13km in the West of the South Island of New Zealand. Booked onto the half day guided tour we approached with different levels of excitement and trepidation.

Time for a delicious, filling breakfast in the Hobnail café before we were fitted for our equipment.I was the only one in the group who had my own walking boots but there were all sizes available for everyone else to borrow. Socks, bags and waterproofs were also lent before we set out on the short drive to the glacier.

There was a sudden dip in the road as we moved over to the pacific plate – the shift was distinctly noticeable, like dipping down on a rollercoster.

Eager to get onto the ice we chose the ‘English Charm’ of guide, Joe, as the group split in to two to traverse the route separately. 

Following our guide on the ice

Trekking past the icy streams Joe explained that the milky appearance is created by the rocks rubbing together forming a grey dust in the fresh water.

The surrounding vegetation was beautiful with a big pool reflecting bright blues and greens and waterfalls trickling down into the steam beneath.

The looming cliffs towered above as us as we navigated our way to the glacier terminus. Now to secure our crampons and it was time to walk on the ice.

The guides spend around  four hours every morning cutting paths and steps into the ice. Until recently the tours only walked on the cut paths but now the route includes walking on the untouched ice which was surprisingly stable and easy enough to walk on. Having said that every guide still carries a pick axe to hack at any areas that needing re-paving to help all levels of trekkers.

Colourful pools

The sunshine beamed down on us making the ice glisten even more brightly blue and white than it seemed from the base.

Meandering through the paths and ridges we learned about the history of the glacier and how it had grown and shrunk and how it and the Franz Josef Glaciers move ten times faster than any other valley glaciers in the world.

Ooops I wasn't meant to step in there

We had the chance to get close to the crevices. Being a little too excited I didn’t hear Joe shout “don’t go all the way in” as I trudged down the steps and stepped straight into the icy water gathered at the bottom.  It was still beautiful though and wearing my trusty boots that took me all the way up Kilimanjaro I didn’t even get soggy feet!

When we booked the half day tour I wondered if just one hour on the ice would be enough, it turns out that we spent a little longer than that which was plenty of time and at $115 within our budget.

The previous day we’d done a free walk up to Franz Josef glacier, 35kms north of Fox. It was beautiful but nothing compared to actually walking on the ice and being so close to the magnificent beauty. I’d recommend anyone visiting this part of New Zealand to take a trip on Fox Glacier.