Tolin's 2024 World Cruise blog posts, Days 30-33 Feb 8-11, 2024, Milford & Doubtful Sounds, NZ

Milford Sound is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey (the 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards by TripAdvisor) and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Rudyard Kipling called it the eighth Wonder of the World. The fiord is most commonly accessed via road (State Highway 94) by tour coach, with the road terminating at a small village also called Milford Sound.

Milford Sound runs 20 miles inland from the Tasman Sea at Dale Point (also named after a location close to Milford Haven in Wales)—the mouth of the fiord—and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 3,900 feet or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 4,977 feet, said to resemble an elephant's head, and The Lion, 4,272 feet, in the shape of a crouching lion.

Mitre Point

As a fiord, Milford Sound was formed by a process of glaciation over millions of years. The village at the end of the fiord is also known as Milford Sound.

Milford Sound sports two permanent waterfalls, Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls. After heavy rain temporary waterfalls can be seen running down the steep sided rock faces that line the fiord. They are fed by rainwater-drenched moss and will last a few days at most once the rain stops.

Extremally interesting history:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milford_Sound

Doubtful Sound Patea spans a staggering 25 miles from the head of the fiord to the Tasman Sea. It is the deepest of New Zealand’s 14 fiords and its immense size leaves all who visit feeling humbled yet uplifted by its powerful physical presence.

Spend just a short amount of time immersed in Doubtful Sound Patea and it is easy to understand why early Māori named the fiord, Patea-meaning ‘place of silence’. Here, visitors find silence amongst a dramatic landscape with echoing birdsong or cascading waterfalls the only sound to break the stillness.

The fiord branches into three arms which provide opportunity for scenic cruise boat passengers to explore up-close sheer cliff faces, impressive waterfalls and tranquil overnight moorings. 

Doubtful Sound Patea's English name transpired when Captain James Cook approached the entrance of the fiord during his voyage of 1770. The vast fiord was only just visible from the sea and Cook decided if they ventured into the fiord it would be “doubtful” they would be able to sail back out against the prevailing westerly wind. He named it 'Doubtful Harbor' and carried on up the coast. The area was renamed Doubtful Sound many years later by whalers and sealers. Today, visitors to the fiord bear witness to scenery mostly unchanged since the time of early Māori and Cook’s cautious exploration. Doubtful Sound Patea has kept its stunning beauty well hidden and shares it with those who truly seek a wilderness experience.

Doubtful Sound Patea also provides shelter to New Zealand’s southernmost population of bottlenose dolphins and tawaki, the Fiordland Crested Penguin.

More info:  https://www.fiordland.org.nz/visit/doubtful-sound/

We were to cruise through both sounds between Wellington, NZ and Melbourne, AU.  However, the Tasmanians Sea was forecast to have a rough storm approaching from the South Pole, so the the safety of all personnel and ship, he chose to  by-pass these extremely scenic and popular sounds.  Most of the passengers were very disappointed!

We will arrive in Melbourne Monday morning at 7 AM.  Many of us will omit Monday's excursions to watch the Super Bowl (yes, it will be live Monday morning here in Australia as we are on the west side of the International Date Line).