[Seth] A Flight into Milford Sound

Rudyard Kipling called Milford Sound the 8th wonder of the world, and lots of people (if you believe the internet) have dubbed it the most beautiful place they’ve ever seen. It is also mainland New Zealand’s only Natural World Heritage Site, one of only 197 designated as such in the entire world.  

Milford Sound is the only really accessible part of Fjordland National Park and to say it is a little off the beaten path is probably an understatement.  To drive there takes about 10 hours roundtrip, so we cheated and took a little plane -- thereby getting a chance to see the inaccessible parts of Fjordland by air and avoiding 10 hours on a bus.  While at Milford Sound, we took a cruise around the fjord (it isn't really a sound since it was carved by glaciers) and a short walk through the temperate rain forest between the small airport and the boat dock.  Since it is impossible to describe in words, here are some photos.

Here is our plane and then some pictures of the flight into Milford Sound.

And here is Milford Sound itself

Stirling Falls was a hit, but we got wet.

And then we had the flight out.

With some unbelievable glacier valleys and lakes below us as we flew back.