The famous English traveler and writer Rudyard Kipling once visited the shores of Milford Sound and, impressed by what he saw, called this fjord the eighth wonder of the world.
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| Milford Sound New Zealand |
Milford Sound is the most famous fjord on the southwestern tip of New Zealand's South Island. Like the fjords in the northern hemisphere, Milford Sound is the result of many thousands of years of massive glaciers.
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| Milford Sound New Zealand |
General Information
These places are known for fjords and bays that glaciers dug into the ocean about 15,000 - 20,000 years ago, in addition, this is the only bay that can be reached by highway. This vast and majestic area, consisting of forests and mountains, lakes, and waterfalls, is also famous for being the best hiking trail for tourists coming to New Zealand.
Milford Sound, the heart of the Fiordland National Park, remains a living monument to the first real forests that appeared on our planet, and other amazing natural phenomena.
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| Milford Sound New Zealand |
From the point of view of geology, Milford Sound is a classic sea fjord that appeared millions of years ago. It owes its existence to the glacier. Melting glaciers gave rise to streams that made their way to the sea and pushed apart rocks and stones. Over time, the glaciers melted, leaving behind deep U-shaped valleys that quickly filled with water due to rising sea levels. One of these valleys is the well-known Milford Sound, which extends into the depths of the mainland 15 km from the shores of the Tasman Sea. The sheer granite walls that form its shores rise up to 1200 m.
Milford Sound is an example of untouched wilderness, a landscape with completely unique flora and fauna. A rainforest grows on its rocky cliffs, and the trees desperately cling to the bare stones with their roots. Mosses and lichens cover all free space. And all this from a height of 1700 m is watched by rocks crowned with eternal snow.
The far end of the strait is dominated by the 1692 m high Mitra peak, so named for its shape, reminiscent of the headdress of a Catholic bishop, reflected in the crystal clear water. Large and small waterfalls cascade down the granite cliffs, the result of recent heavy rains. Around Milford Sound, you can count at least a thousand different waterfalls. Constantly changing lighting, incoming clouds, running rays of light, flying showers and suddenly appearing rainbows give a special beauty to this picturesque place. Captain Cook is known to have passed the entrance to Milford Sound twice, in 1770 and 1773, because on both occasions the sound was blocked by fog. The name of the strait was given by John Grono, the captain of a ship that hunted seals.
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| Milford Sound New Zealand |
The Milford Trail is a four-day hiking trail from Te Anau Lake, over Mackinnon Pass to Milford Sound. The route is known among tourists as one of the most beautiful in the world, because here you can see rapids, mountain passes, alpine meadows, rain forests, and Sutherland Falls, one of the highest in the world. If hiking isn't your thing, take a cruise to the mouth of the bay and see Sinbad Galli, a classic glacial valley home to endangered kakapos, seals, and dolphins. In autumn you can even see penguins here.
Milford Sound is one of the wettest places on Earth, with up to 7,000 mm of precipitation per year. It rains every day and this affects the nature of the forest - giant trees are covered with moss and lianas, lichens and ferns grow here, and the forest is very humid. Tourists can count on sunshine for a few hours closer to noon, but in the afternoon they will most likely be overtaken by a downpour.
The waters of Milford Sound are inhabited by many seals, penguins, and dolphins. The Milford Deep Research Station allows scientists and tourists to "peek" into the underwater world. With such an abundance of small birds, it is impossible to do without predators: in the depths of the fjord, numerous sharks cut through the water column. Also here you can see unique coral reefs, including the rarest species - black corals. The water in Milford Sound is so clear that the bottom can be seen even in the deepest places unless dense algae obscure it.
Data
- Title: Milford Sound.
- Type: Geologists define Milford Sound as a glacial fjord.
- Dimensions: Milford Sound is 1 B km long and is located in the Fiordland National Park. The total area of the park is 1.25 million hectares.
- Flora and fauna: Milford Sound is surrounded by rainforests. Dolphins, penguins, seals, sharks, black corals, and a huge number of birds live in the sea.