Piopiotahi/Milford Sound: Milford Foreshore Walk

 A return to Piopiotahi/Milford Sound...

I recently visited Fiordland to walk the Kepler Track and finish the last of the Great Walks. I had a couple of days in Te Anau so I took the opportunity to head to Milford Sound to get on the water. I did not have enough time to go boat cruising after walking the Milford Track in 2018.

At Lake Gunn on the Milford Highway

There isn't a whole lot in Milford Sound but what they do have are a number of short walks around the settlement and the boat cruises that happen on Milford Sound itself. The last time I was there I had to catch a shuttle back to Te Anau after completing the Milford Track so I did not have enough time to go on a boat cruise. I really regretted this so decided I would rectify this omission on this trip down South.

View up Marian Creek from SH94 the Milford Highway

On the Sunday I drove the 118 km's to Milford from Te Anau along the scenic SH94 aka the Milford Highway. It takes about two hours to cover this distance as the road is winding and narrow in sections.

View from Camera Flat on SH94 the Milford Highway

 

View of the Gertrude Valley from near Homer Hut

Along the way I took the opportunity to stop and have a look at a number of the more interesting sights along the way. I visited Lake Gunn, the Mirror Lakes, Homer Hut in the Gertrude Valley and Camera Flats as I travelled to Milford. 

NZAC Homer Hut in the Gertrude Valley, Fiordland NP

The quirky interior of the NZAC Homer Hut

One feature of this highway is that you need to go through Homer Tunnel to get to Milford Sound....the Homer Tunnel is one of the masterpieces of the New Zealand engineering world. The Homer Tunnel stretches for 1.2 km's from the head of the Hollyford Valley to a point high above Milford Sound. The land up here is epic...huge bluffs, hanging valleys, massive cirques and awe inspiring mountains.

Te Anau portal of the Homer Tunnel, Fiordland NP

It is a classic road trip and absolutely one that every New Zealander should consider if you are ever visiting this corner of the country. Either self driven or as a bus passenger you really must make the effort to go there...

In Milford Sound:

Milford Sound is very quiet these days as Covid-19 has just about destroyed the tourism industry in New Zealand. There are still a lot of domestic tourists travelling around the country but there is no way that our small population can make up for the 4-5 million international visitors we got before Covid arrived. 

Milford Sound from the carpark at Freshwater Basin

The last time I was in Milford I counted 43 buses waiting to transport people back to Te Anau/Queenstown from cruises on the Sound...this time I saw three!!! It is pretty dire really but it does mean that Kiwis get to see these sights without the hordes of tourists...

On the Milford Foreshore Walk, Milford Sound

My boat cruise was at 1.30pm and I arrived at 11.30am so I had a bit of time to kill while waiting so I went for a walk around the area. I had a coffee at the small cafe at Milford Lodge and then went for a bit of a sift around near the car park.

A map of Milford settlement I collected along the way...

 One of the other places I visited was the Milford Foreshore Walk...

Milford Foreshore Walk:

The Milford Foreshore Walk is a very nice 20-30 minute track along the foreshore of Freshwater Basin at the head of Milford Sound. The track is well signposted from the car parking area and the track itself is either boardwalk, asphalt or nicely benched gravel. 

Milford Foreshore Walk: Start point at Milford Sound Lodge

The Milford Foreshore Walk is either crushed rock or boardwalk...

There are some excellent views of the greater Milford Sound area with Mitre Peak and the massive sea cliffs of the Sound clearly visible from the track. There is a very nice picnic area right near the start of the track BUT Milford is sandfly central so I doubt you would be able to sit still long enough to eat your tomato sandwiches. 

Picnic area near the start of the Milford Foreshore Walk

You walk along the first part of the track to a DOC sign and memorial rock just past Milford Lodge...from here the pathway goes through nice lowland forest with some prime examples of Kahikatea, Matai and Rimu trees. You can see across the basin to the boat terminal where the Sound cruises embark from. Just behind the terminal is Bowan Falls (162 meters) one of only two permanent falls in the whole Milford Sound area. 

DOC sign for the Milford Foreshore Walk

Looking across Freshwater Basin to the boat terminal

The area around Freshwater Basin is a protected habitat for a number of sea birds and the forest pocket was an area specifically saved from use by the first settlers who made the Sound their home. In pre European times it was a seasonal food gathering spot for the local Maori...there was no permanent Maori settlement here due to the harsh conditions in winter. 

Information panel on the Milford Foreshore Walk

Great view of Mitre Peak from the Milford Foreshore Walk

Flora information panel, Milford Foreshore Walk

The track makes its way to Freshwater Peninsula along a mixed grass/bush/Hakatere swamp and you are walking along boardwalk and bridges to keep you out of the mud. The mountains around the Sound dominate the horizon with some of these rising to over 2000 meters asl. The most iconic Mitre Peak is clearly visible rising for 1900 meters from the fiord to its rocky peak. It is surely one of the most photographed landmarks in New Zealand...

Mt Philips from the Milford Foreshore Walk

Milford Foreshore Walk: typical shoreline vegetation...

Cascade Peak and Lady Bowan Falls, Milford Foreshore Walk

Near the end of the track you cross a small footbridge and then spend the next ten minutes walking around through a remnant patch of bush. There are several good view points along here with views of the Arthur River, Mt Phillips, the Sound and the beginning of Deepwater Basin. It is really lovely bush and I saw Fantails, Bellbirds, Kaka and Tui in the dense canopy of the trees...

Crossing a small stream on the Milford Foreshore Walk

In the Kahikatea Forest on the Milford Foreshore Walk

A view up Milford Sound from the Milford Foreshore Walk

On the Milford Foreshore Walk heading back towards the carpark...

At the end of the circuit you head back along the track to the carpark...the track follows along the foreshore (hence the name) and continues past the carpark and down towards the boat terminal.

You can just see the opening of the Arthur River...Milford Foreshore Walk

Information panel near Freshwater Basin, Milford Foreshore Walk

There were a number of sea birds and shore birds visible on the mud flats at the top end of Freshwater Basin. As well as gulls, ducks and geese I also saw some Variable Oystercatchers, a couple of Herons and a cheeky Weka. 

It was low tide at Freshwater Basin, Milford Sound

A Variable Oystercatcher walking the mudflats at Freshwater Basin

The Foreshore Walk has many good views of Freshwater Basin and Milford Sound itself and takes you along a series of raised boardwalks to the terminal under an arch of big Beech and Kahikatea trees. 

On the Milford Foreshore Walk enroute to the boat terminal...

Boardwalk heading towards the Milford Sound boat terminal

The boat terminal was very quiet...it was built for roughly 2000+ people a day to pass through but would barely see 200 a day in the age of Covid. There is not much here...the check-in desks for the various cruise companies, toilets and a limited amount of seating. There are no cafes, restaurants or other conveniences here so bring everything with you from Te Anau or Queenstown.

The cruise terminal at Milford Sound...

If you would like to visit the graves of Donald and Elizabeth Sutherland they are located right next to the bus parking area near the cruise terminal. Donald Sutherland was the original settler of Milford Sound. He and John Mackay were early explorers of this area and discovered Sutherland and Mackay Falls in the Arthur Valley. 

Visiting the grave of Donald and Elizabeth Sutherland, Milford Sound

He lived here for most of his life with his wife Elizabeth and he was the first person to set up tourist accommodation for people walking the Milford Track. Donald was really the father of Milford and adventures around Milford Sound.....

BTW: There is a short track to a viewpoint starting from right next to the Sutherland graves. I didn't go up there as I did not have enough time but I was told the view is excellent. 

The Milford Sound Lookout Walk starts next to the Sutherland's graves...

I went over to the terminal and checked in with Southern Discoveries which is the cruise company I was using for this trip. I got an excellent deal for the cruise which included the cruise plus a visit to the Milford Sound Aquarium (in a nearby bay) and a nice packed lunch. I will be writing a separate post about this cruise.....come back soon!!!

I was booked on the Lady Bowan....first boat in this photo

There is a breakwater along the Arthur River end of Freshwater Basin which protects the mooring area for the cruise boats. You can walk out to the end of this breakwater to get a better view of the boat terminal. 

The breakwater at Freshwater Basin...view of Milford Sound

View of the Milford Sound cruise terminal from the breakwater...

As I say...my main reason for visiting Milford Sound was to take the boat cruises but there is plenty of things to do to keep you occupied in Milford for a couple of hours. You should go have a look for yourself... 

Access: Milford and Milford Sound can be reached along SH94 the Milford Highway. It is 118 km's from Te Anau and will take from 1.5-2 hours to drive. The Foreshore Walk starts from the main carpark near Milford Lodge Cafe.
Track Times: The Milford Foreshore Walk is 1.2 km's in length and will take 25-30 minutes to complete. The full track goes down to the Freshwater Peninsula and then back to the boat terminal. 
Miscellaneous: There is parking at Milford Sound near the Milford Lodge but only buses are allowed next to the Milford sound boat terminal. It costs $10 for two hours, $20 for three hours and $50 overnight to park. SH94 can be closed due to adverse weather, avalanches and deep snow so check before leaving Te Anau.