ABOUT MILFORD SOUND (Piopiotahi)

The World Heritage Fiordland National Park and the breathtaking Milford Sound are located in the southwest part of New Zealand’s South Island. Milford Sound is a place of inspiring landscape, dramatic rivers and cascading waterfalls. Despite being one of the most accessible fiords, Milford Sound remains quiet and still, bounded by steep cliffs and dense rainforest. Rain or shine, Milford Sound continues to captivate even the most traveled.

At the pinnacle of Milford sound is the magnetizing Mitre Peak - standing a proud 1,692 metres (5500 feet) above sea level it is certainly an impressive sight to behold. The Milford Sound is by far the best known of all of the fiords in New Zealand and the only one that can be accessed by road. It is approximately 16km (9.9 miles) from the head of the fiord to the open sea, which means visitors can comfortably travel the length of the fiord to open ocean and return on one of the many cruise options.

The History of Milford Sound

Maori are believed to have discovered Milford Sound more than 1,000 years ago, returning seasonally to the fiord, collecting the much prized pounamu (greenstone). These treks from the east used traditional pathways across passes such as MacKinnon Pass on the Milford Track. The Maori named the sound Piopiotahi after the thrush-like piopio bird, which is now extinct.

In 1912 John Grono was the first European settler to land in the sound. He named Milford Sound after Milford Haven in Wales, while the Cleddau River which flows into the sound is also named for its Welsh namesake.

Maori Myth & Legend

The Maori name for Milford Sound, Piopiotahi, means "a single piopio", harking back to the legend of Maui trying to win immortality for mankind - when Maui died in the attempt, a piopio was said to have flown here in mourning.

According to Maori Legend, Piopiotahi was carved out by Tu-te-raki-whanoa, an atua (godly figure) who was given the task of shaping the Fiordland coast. Chanting a powerful karakia (prayer), he hacked at the towering rock walls with his toki (adze) called Te Hamo.

Flora & Fauna

The underwater environment in the fiords is one of the most intriguing and unique in the world. This is not only because of the beautiful natural environment and the marine reserves that exist here, but also because of an interesting effect of the high rainfall in the area. As rainfall drains through the lush forests, it becomes stained with tannins until it is the colour of strong tea.

The fiords support the world's biggest population of black coral trees - about seven million colonies, some of them up to 200 years old. They are home also to brachiopods; primitive clam-like animals that have been bypassed by evolution, remaining unchanged in over 300 million years. Bottlenose dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, Fiordland Crested Penguins and little penguins are also resident in the fiords.

Geology

Milford Sound, located at the northern most end of Fiordland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand, is a national icon. In places as much as 400 metres deep, celebrated for its pristine landscapes, and remote and rugged beauty, it is actually a fiord, rather than a sound. A river formed valley subsequently flooded by the sea is called a sound, however, Milford Sound was formed by the erosive effects of a glacier and is more correctly a fiord.

Named after its resemblance to a bishop’s mitre (head-dress), Mitre Peak is a prominent peak on the south shore of Milford Sound. Rising 1692 metres, seemingly sheer above the Sound, the summit actually consists of five closely grouped individual peaks.

The Climate

With a mean annual rainfall of 6,813 mm (268 inches) on 182 days a year, a high level even for the West Coast, Milford Sound is known as the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world. Rainfall can reach 250 mm (10 inches) during a span of 24 hours. The rainfall creates dozens of temporary waterfalls (as well as a number of major, more permanent ones) cascading down the cliff faces, some reaching a thousand metres in length. Smaller falls from such heights may never reach the bottom of the sound, drifting away in the wind.

Accumulated rainwater can at times cause portions of the rain forest to lose their grip on the sheer cliff faces, resulting in tree avalanches into the sound. The regrowth of the rain forest after these avalanches can be seen in several locations along the sound.

With Mitre Peak in the background, our tour boat approaches the dock to pick us up.

Although one of the most visited sites in New Zealand, the facilities are surprisingly small.

When Becky and I went to the Grand Canyon several years ago, we took tons of pictures only to return home and find out they all looked pretty much the same. This may be another of those situations. But we are going to put up a bunch.

Bowen Falls

Stirling Falls. We'll come back.

Approaching the end of the Fiord and entering the Tasman Sea.

Looking back into the Fiord.

Looking back from the sea, you can see why many explorers passed on by not realizing the Fiord even existed.

Yes this is the two hearty adventurers with Dale Point in the background.

The legend is that women touched by the spray of Stirling Falls will wake in the morning looking 10 years younger. Never one to challenge legend, I made sure I tagged along. Just in case!