Top 5 Fiordland & Milford Sound Outdoor Escapes: Activities & Tours

So, Fiordland National Park in New Zealand – very much home to the famous Milford Sound – is seriously a spot you’ve very likely seen in photos. I mean, honestly, it’s like a postcard come to life. Yet, I tell you what, more than just looking amazing, there’s a real load of adventures you can get up to there. It’s almost an playground for anyone who appreciates, you know, the great outdoors. Right then, what you can get up to in the wilds is kind of vast; there’s loads to do and see around Milford Sound, so to sort you out, I’ve put together a list of, very much, what I reckon are the top five outdoor things to do that will sort of knock your socks off, honestly.

1. Milford Sound Cruises: A Voyage Through Majesty

Now then, look, if you’re visiting Milford Sound, right, jumping on a cruise is very much almost a rite of passage, right? This one tends to be super popular, honestly. Anyway, this trip lets you soak in the complete jaw-dropping spectacle that is Milford Sound – towering cliffs, might be that there’s loads of cascading waterfalls, and then obviously you have the wildlife. I mean seals and penguins, honestly galore if you are very lucky. You can choose different options: some are short scenic cruises lasting a couple of hours, that will tend to give you a great snapshot of the fiord, you know; other options are more extensive and you can go for an extended period to experience various parts of it, but there’s others, right, which might be geared, in a way, around specialist interests. I’m on about photography and seeing what there is. Right then, keep your camera ready, right, because you’ll not be short on stuff to photograph here. As a matter of fact, you’re not going to know what to snap first. So, right, go early for calmer waters; I am telling you now. I’d recommend, almost, booking ahead, yeah? Right, especially through summer months.

2. Kayaking Milford Sound: Paddle into Serenity

Alright then, if you are almost fancying getting even closer to the water and you like a little bit of adventure, kayaking Milford Sound should do the trick. You get to paddle your own kayak. Basically you can go right into the fiord’s quieter bits; almost discover hidden coves, very like, witness the steep cliffs from a very different angle to what the boat might be showing you. Most tours will kick off in sheltered areas to give you time to get to grips with the kayak; a bit, too, to practice the technique before, basically, venturing into wider waters, you see. They’ll show you some great stuff, though. This way it’s a bit quieter, so, really, it helps avoid the bigger crowds, because these do often come along in the cruise boats; often the mornings are calmer, right, very much which allows for an experience that is tranquil, in a way, it’s really something else. Do be careful with the weather conditions before setting off, just, to be safe. I almost insist on you doing that.

3. Hiking the Milford Track: The Finest Walk in the World

Anyway, Milford Track; so it’s one of the most famous hikes going. I tell you, it attracts walkers from all four corners. It’s a multi-day trek so almost experience dramatic landscapes that will blow your tiny mind. Anyway, the hike is roughly around about 53 kilometers in length, taking you through rainforests, you might pass by waterfalls, and there will certainly be mountain passes which offer loads of viewpoints along the way. This one isn’t always that easy so a very reasonable amount of fitness is usually, in a way, what it needs to get it finished, right, and so a bit of planning beforehand to prep is what I often recommend. Yeah, you can do it with a group tour group thing; the numbers you see is kept to very tight levels because this allows for keeping and preserving the area. Obviously I reckon best booking very ahead to grab your space is wise.

4. Scenic Flights Over Fiordland: A Bird’s-Eye View

So, a trip in a scenic plane will show you Fiordland, almost, from an totally different perspective. You are up above for these flights. And you see a ton that is otherwise, you see, it’s not accessible by walking tracks or boat cruises or the kayaking trips, because obviously they keep to the water line. You have Milford Sound from up high – how spectacular, so often the trip will cover the very whole area, including spots, very like, Mitre Peak and the Sutherland Falls and also Lake Te Anau, too it’s almost quite incredible. Because weather conditions could prevent this from going ahead on the day, that is that, it is often best, I am telling you, that you are a bit flexible for scheduling. The pilots are seriously pretty handy and also they know a fair bit too; they will explain more about that the geography is doing – and give, too it’s almost an appreciation, right, of this landscape here, honestly so it’s worth doing, so.

5. Diving in Milford Sound: An Underwater Adventure

Very then, for somebody into being underwater, right, there’s also diving in Milford Sound which is somewhat unique to what you often think of because there’s quite a different underwater atmosphere down there. Due to, honestly, there being very heavy rainfall, right, the fresh water sits on the saltwater, often causing a sort of black coral, which very rarely sits at these shallow points usually in different parts across what there is out there. Therefore, in some respects this lets divers check things out right up near the surface that would ordinarily only exist much further down. I would have thought, very almost, you need be a fully certified diver, yes, but often guided tours are a possibility so people do take advantage. And seriously what you’re likely to see down there is seriously just mind-blowing.