New Zealand: Driving from Fox Glacier to Milford Sound

Today was our longest driving day of our trip, with approximately 600 km of road to cover that would take 8 - 9 hours in a car. Due to the recent heavy rain and rock slide danger, the Milford road would be closing at the Homer Tunnel at 7 pm. It would be a tight deadline, but we had to make it to the tunnel in time if we were to stay at our accommodation in Milford Sound.

We woke early to eat breakfast in the Fox Glacier township at the Hobnail cafe again. Our goal was to check out shortly after eating in order to get an early start on driving south. The mountains were cloudy as we left our motel, and the forecast called for rain in the immediate area. The good news was that the Haast pass, the only way south, was open.

Ashley was quickly in her routine of sleeping and humming, so it was on Nate to eat up miles in the car. As with the rest of the West Coast, the drive was beautiful. However, the clouds continued to roll in, bringing a light rain as we drove through Haast pass. We had planned a stop at the Blue Pools, which was roughly halfway through today's drive. It was a good chance to stretch our legs on the 30 minute round trip hike, but the recent rains meant the water was flowing too swiftly to match the pictures we had seen online.

It was another hour south on the Haast Pass road from the Blue Pools to Wanaka. The rain stopped, but the clouds stayed over the mountains. There were several good stop offs along the way, but we only had time for one. We were fortunate the clouds parted just long enough for a few minutes of looking back at the mountains of the West Coast.

Wanaka is quietly gaining the reputation as an alternative to Queenstown, having equally beautiful views of mountains across blue hued lake Wanaka.

We had decided to stop here to see Rippon Winery, which is said to be the most photographed winery in New Zealand. The vineyards overlook lake Wanaka, and in some parts practically hug the water. We were hoping they had small plates in hopes of grabbing lunch and a glass of wine, but it looked like only the tasting room was open. After a few minutes of enjoying the view, we were on our way in search of food.

One of our favorite recent shows is Departures about two young Canadian guys who travel the world and document their adventure. They had stopped in New Zealand for two of their episodes and had eaten delicious pies from a gas station. Inspired by their positive experience and our need for a quick bite, we filled up our tank, grabbed some pies and drinks, and headed for Te Anau. The pies weren't bad, and it ended up being one of our cheapest meals of the trip.

It was a little over two hours to get to Te Anau, the gateway to Milford Sound. We stopped at some of the touristy shops in our search for gifts, topped off our tank one more time (120 km both ways to Milford Sound), and made a final stop at the visitor center to get some maps. Our last item of business was to call Rosco's Milford Kayaks to confirm our trip out tomorrow morning. We left Te Anau a little after 4:30, and the drive to Milford was said to take 2 hours.

The Milford Road is more than just the road to Milford Sound (and the only one). It's a beautiful drive through foothills and past lakes, with the mountains slowly closing in as you approach Homer Tunnel. We didn't have much time for stops, but there were well marked maps with the popular hikes, overlooks, and more serious multiday tracks.

Milford Sound and the surrounding area are a temperate rainforest, much like Olympic National Park in Washington State. They receive between 20 and 30 feet of rain on an annual basis, and we had been told in advance to expect rain during our stay.

Clouds still hung over the mountains, and as we began the ascent up to Homer Tunnel it began to rain lightly. The showers throughout the day here had resulted in many thin waterfalls that fell down the sheer mountainsides.

We made it to Homer Tunnel around 6:15, so we would be making it to Milford Sound. The tunnel is 1.2 kilometers one way, so we had to wait for the cars coming through. Fortunately, several keas (alpine parrots) could be seen from our car. Keas are extremely smart and curious and are infamous for stealing snacks and other items from unsuspecting tourists. Ashley had even seen a documentary that showed keas snacking on kidneys of the many sheep in the region. She was sure to keep the windows up as we waited, especially when they hopped ever closer to our car as if to encourage us to get out and play.

After passing through the tunnel, we were greeted by many more thin waterfalls on all sides. It was another 20 kilometers of winding mountain roads before we reached the Milford Sound Lodge. The lodge had a full range of options from camping, basic rooms with shared bathrooms, and chalets on the river. We chose to splurge here with one of the four riverside chalets. We checked in and immediately opened the curtains. Two large floor to ceiling windows looked out over the river and mountain wall. It would be a great spot to enjoy a bottle of wine.

Blue Duck Cafe was really the only dinner option in Milford Sound (population ~300), and it was conveniently located near the water and main visitor area. It was a short drive from the lodge to the main parking area in Milford Sound. We parked facing the water and had our first look at Milford Sound. It was more spectacular than any pictures (and our painting from Nelson) we had seen prior. As an added bonus, the clouds were beginning to clear.

The food and drinks at Blue Duck were reasonably priced for the location, and we enjoyed our dinner as the weather improved outside. A short loop walk led from the parking lot led to a boardwalk and out onto the rocky shore of Milford Sound. It was low tide, so Nate took off towards the water's edge to set up his tripod for some photos. For the next 45 minutes, we enjoyed the scenery as Milford Sound slowly embraced dusk.

It was quite cold by the time the sun had set, with forecasts predicting temperatures dipping into the 30's. We hurried back to the car and our riverside chalet.

As with most other nights in New Zealand, we got to bed shortly after returning. Tomorrow would be an early, but fun day kayaking in Milford Sound. And the weather was supposed to be perfect.