From
Milford Sound Tour from Te Anau, this small group, fully-guided day trip
combines the amazing return journey to Milford Sound with a boutique Milford
Sound Cruise aboard the No.1 Trip Advisor rated cruise company, Cruise
Milford. Led by our famously passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing
your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge,
and run in modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras ensuring your
comfort and safety.
Highlights:
Itinerary:
1. Te Anau - Your tour starts in stunning idyllic town of Te
Anau, after maybe meeting some of the local animals or wildlife we continue
along the lake. Stopping at Te Anau Downs, the starting point for the Milford
Track, you will be able to hear the stories and admire the views.
2. ** Eglington Valley –** Leaving Te Anau and entering Fiordland
National Park we stop in Eglinton Valley. With views worthy of Lord of the
Rings, this valley follows the path of an ancient glacier through Fiordland,
one of the first major attractions as you enter the park. It really sets the
scene for a journey that only get more impressive the deeper you get.
3. ** Mirror Lakes –** Our next stop on this epic adventure is
Mirror Lakes for a short stroll to see the famous reflections of the Earl
Mountains. Get the right day, take a good picture and no one will be able to
tell which way is the right way up for the photo.
4. Lake Gunn – Continuing along the Milford Road we come
across Lake Gunn. Named after a famous explorer and popular for fishing, often
we will stop at Lake Gunn for some photos and to enjoy the peace.
5. ** Hollyford River & Falls Creek –** A short drive away we start
passing the Hollyford River, a gorgeous and powerful river full of large
boulders and rapids. Feeding into the river at Falls Creek is the first of our
extremely impressive waterfalls of the area, one of many to come.
6. Darran Mountains – Climbing in altitude we go deeper into
the Darran Mountains and these views require another stop to admire and take
photos. We are also entering the area where Kea (the world’s largest alpine
parrot) likes to live. Start keeping an eye out for these large, cheeky and
colourful birds that never fail to thrill and entertain when found.
7. Homer Tunnel – To make our way back down towards the sea we
enter the mind-blowing, hand-built Homer Tunnel, hearing the incredible
history and stories. Emerging from the tunnel, the valley descends sharply
towards Milford Sound and on a rainy-day hundreds of waterfalls can be seen
cascading down the mountain side.
8. ** Milford Sound – Following the valleys to the sea we arrive
at Milford Sound where you will board your cruise with Cruise Milford (the No.
1 Cruise operator in Milford Sound on TripAdvisor). The Cruise Milford
experience offers a boutique cruise on a smaller boat which is less crowded
and a crew that offers a much more informative and personal tour
of Milford Sound. The smaller boat means you get closer to the wildlife
and nature (including the New Zealand fur seals basking on the rocks), massive
rock faces rising for hundreds of metres out of the sea and the waterfalls
cascading from the ancient rainforest high in the mountains. This cruise is
unbeatable. **
9. ** Mitre Peak – While on the boat cruise you will be able to
marvel at the awe-inspiring Mitre Peak, the iconic Milford Sound mountain,
with its steep triangular peak rising high up above the reflective waters of
the Milford Sound. **
10. ** The Chasm – After your cruise, do not fear the adventure is
not over, there is the return journey with many more amazing stops. One of the
stops during this journey (weather and timing dependent) is The Chasm. A
spectacular bush walk and dramatic views of powerful waterfalls and water
sculpted shapes in the rocks. **
11. Pop's View Lookout - Next we pull over to admire the elevated
amazing views of the divide in the Southern Alps, close to the start of the
Routeburn Track. While here the guide will tell you the stories of ancient
Maori explorers.
12. Te Anau – Sadly we must start to head back to Te Anau but your
day is not over with a fully guided return trip and many stops and breaks
along the way.
Inclusions:
Optional Extras:
While the destinations you will be visiting are truly spectacular, we at
Cheeky Kiwi Travel believe it is our small groups, guides, the journey and the
little details that set our tours well apart. Secret stops, wildlife viewings,
specially designed vehicles, complementary refreshments and many other
pleasant surprises ensure our tours are an experience to remember.
For further information on luggage, pickup locations, cancellation policy etc
please read our FAQ's
Cheeky Kiwi Travel