Staying at Milford Sound

The scenery wins everytime here. Add to this the cruise options and you have a good trip. Milford it's self has little to offer except scenery, there is a bar but it closes at about 4 pm. Once the cruises are finished for the day, the town stops but there is more.

Quick Tips:

Book your cruise in advance, via the internet or by phone. Plan ahead...in the height of the season Milford Lodge gets busy.

Best Way To Get Around:

Driving is the best way to get here unless you fly in. You could always walk the Milford Trail and arrive by boat!

The Lodge looks basic and the electricity set up is interesting. It's run on generators which frequently stop. They always seem to restart so it's quite fun, plus they switch them off overnight so don't get caught out ! We had a camper van and so plugged in here but the washroom facilities were some of the best. The food (see separate entry) is great. There is also a large lounge facility with comfortable armchairs, newspapers and magazines, a small shop of basic essentials and a kitchen area.

Milford is so small there aren't many places to eat. At Milford Lodge, the choice is a little limited but the steak is definately recommended, as are the cakes and cookies. There is a good cooked breakfast menu as well, just right if you're off hiking in this beautiful area.

This is the best way to see the sound. I went on the Milford Wanderer which is a sail ship. There is a guided talk of what you are looking at. There are hundreds of beautiful waterfalls and the ship's captain will do his best to ensure you see whatever is around. So if there are dolphins, penguins or seals around, the captain will be sure to point them out. Once at the end of the sound, the sails go up and the engine off...you sail by wind for a little while at the mouth of the sound before turning around to head back. There is the option to get off early and see an underwater observatory of the wild fish in the sound. You get taken by to shore by a very posh speedboat.