Sound as a Pound in Milford Sound

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Milford Sound (Piopiotahi in Māori) is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey, and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Rudyard Kipling had previously called it the eighth Wonder of the world, and boy was it worth the 5 hour drive from Queenstown. Along the way the weather turned and for once it was great to have the rain as to see Milford Sound. We had a ten minute stop outside the Homer Tunnel that connets the rest of New Zealand and Milford Sound. The traffic lights only change every 15 minutes as the tunnel is a single line only. Once on the other side we saw the Valley of a Thousand Waterfalls, and with the rain you could see why it was given that name.

History of the Homer Tunnel

William H. Homer and George Barber discovered the Homer Saddle on January 27, 1889. Homer suggested that a tunnel through the saddle would provide access to the Milford area. Government workers began the tunnel in 1935 after lobbying by J. Cockburn of the Southland Progress League. The tunnel and the associated Milford Road were built by relief workers during the Depression, initially just starting with five men using picks and wheelbarrows. The men had to live in tents in an mountainous area where there might be no direct sunlight for half of the year. At least three were killed by avalanches over the coming decades.

Progress was slow, with difficult conditions including fractures in the rock bringing snow flows into the tunnel. Compressors and a powerhouse in the nearby river were eventually built to pump out 40,000 litres of water per hour. Work was also interrupted by World War II (though the actual piercing of the mountain had successfully been achieved in 1940), and an avalanche in 1945 which destroyed the eastern tunnel portal. These problems delayed the tunnel's completion and opening until 1954.

So what is the Milford Sound

Milford Sound is named after Milford Haven in Wales, while the Cleddau River which flows into the sound is also named for its Welsh namesake. The Māori named the sound Piopiotahi after the thrush-like piopio bird, now extinct. Piopiotahi means "a single piopio", harking back to the legend of Māui trying to win immortality for mankind - when Maui died in the attempt, a piopio was said to have flown here in mourning.

Milford Sound runs 15 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 1,517 metres (4,980 ft), said to resemble an elephant's head, and Lion Mountain, 1,302 metres (4,270 ft), in the shape of a crouching lion. Lush rain forests cling precariously to these cliffs, while seals, penguins, and dolphins frequent the waters.

With a mean annual rainfall of 6,813 mm 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 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 shore.

The 155m Stirling Falls were named after the captain of the HMS Cleo.Milford Sound was initially overlooked by European explorers, because its narrow entry did not appear to lead into such large interior bays. Sailing ship captains such as James Cook, who bypassed Milford Sound on his journeys for just this reason, also feared venturing too close to the steep mountainsides, afraid that wind conditions would prevent escape.

While Fiordland as such remained one of the least-explored areas of New Zealand up to the 20th century, Milford Sound's natural beauty soon attracted national and international renown, and led to the discovery of the McKinnon Pass in 1888, soon to become a part of the new Milford Track, an early walking tourism trail. In the same year, the low watershed saddle between the Hollyford River and the Cleddau River was discovered, where the Homer Tunnel was to be developed about sixty years later to provide road acces.

The beauty of this landscape draws thousands of visitors each day, with over 550,000 in total per year. This makes the sound one of New Zealand's most-visited tourist spots, and also the most famous New Zealand tourist destination, even with its remote location and the long journey from the nearest population centres.

Another great time on a boat

An overnight cruise amidst spectacular Milford Sound is a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience. Sheer cliffs, beautiful waterfalls and towering peaks- a nature cruise in Milford Sound is truly a memorable experience. As the shadows lengthen Milford Sound takes on an almost ethereal quality. Only those who have opted for this overnight cruise can truly appreciate its bewitching beauty at night.

We boarded the vessel at about 4.30pm and were soon served a fantastic Roast Vegetable Sound and warm bread. After the safety meeting we were able go kayaking or board the small boat to see any wild life or the great vegetation that hugs the shore line. Dinner was a real treat of Lamb Shank and Vegetables, followed by a best Chocolate Pudding and Vanilla Ice-Cream.

We then entertained ourselves with board games and a few bottles of Red Wines. Then off to our dorm room and asleep within minutes. The next morining still dark and a great cooked breakfast we watched the sun rise and then were taken out of the Sound and into the Tasmin Sea, during this we recieved great information from one of the crew and then it was time to turn around and back to the harbour.

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Photos

Taffic lights at Homer Tunnel
These only change every 15 minutes

This is not a mistake
The two mountains look like there are three but there is only two

Comments

[angela]

Well Geoff, the bungy jumping looked awesome and Milford Sound looks so beautiful and peaceful each time you send photographs I think yep thats where I would like to visit ,but, then you send some more fantastic photographs. So where to next, it is all so much more interesting than Tesco!!