Kayaking and Hiking Milford Sound
About this Adventure
Fact File:
Duration: 2 days
Price: 1 56 GBP
Kayak and hike around one of the most spectacular pieces of scenery in New Zealand if not the world.
Milford Sound is nicknamed the eighth wonder of the world by some, and that should give you some idea as to how beautiful an area it is. A huge fjord formed by millions of years of glacial activity, it is the most popular tourist attraction in New Zealand. Unfortunately this means it can be crowded, fortunately however, the majority of visitors spend just a day here, they fly or get a coach in, take a boat trip on the water, and then head away again. Therefore, if you spend a couple of days kayaking and hiking around the sound, you not only get a better chance to see the amazing scenery, but also there will be far fewer people there.
It is not difficult to see why it is so popular. The scale and beauty sets it apart from anywhere else in the world, the mountains are lush with vegetation and waterfalls cascade down huge cliffs. The combination is breathtaking.
We think kayaking around the sound offers a great vantage point to understand the sheer scale. From water height the mountains rise around you giving you a real sense of how large this is. After kayaking the trek up to Key Summit is a great contrast. From high above the water level you get a picture of how the sound fits into the greater scheme of the landscape, panoramic views of the Fjordland Mountains, alpine lakes and deep bush clad valleys are truly awe-inspiring.
For more information, read on for a more in-depth itinerary:
Day one – A guide will meet you at your accommodation in Te Anau at 6:30am with the aim of arriving at Milford Sound at approximately 8:30am. The majority of the journey will lead you through lush alpine roads and amazing scenery.
On arrival at the launch site you’ll be issued with your waterproofs and kayaking gear before going through all the necessary safety talks. Following a brief paddling exercise the group will make its way by kayak from Deep Water Basin to the centre of Milford Sound, where you’ll get to spend around four hours exploring the fjord. Your guide will take you to the best spots to view landmarks such as Bowen Falls, Mitre Peak and the highlights of the Pembroke Glacier Wilderness Zone.
Lunch will be enjoyed at a beach if weather permits before kayaking back to Deep Water Basin, after which you’ll be transferred to your accommodation at the Milford Sound Lodge.
Day two – Pick up by coach at 10:15am at the Milford Sound lodge. The first order of the day is a nature cruise launched from the Milford wharf. This extended cruise lets you enjoy the sights and learn more about the region’s exotic wildlife at a relaxed pace, travelling through the mountains and waterfalls of the fjord and out to the Tasman sea.
After the cruise, the group will be returned in the early afternoon to the mountain divide, where two options await you. For the active amongst you there is the Key Summit walk on the Routeburn Great Walk. This is an unguided hike with an ascent of around 400m (requiring some degree of fitness) through beech forest, and offers incomparable vantage points with which to view the breathtaking alpine scenery. Alternatively, a nature guide can escort you on a tour of the idyllic Hollyford Valley, a profoundly moving rainforest which hasn’t changed in tens of thousands of years (this tour includes a visit to the Hollyford camp and museum.) Both options are well paced to give you the change to take in the surrounding beauty and get plenty of photos. The groups will then reunite from each respective walk
The group will reunite from each respective walk and break for tea in the forests before walking back to Te Anau town. The walk will be slow paced in order to give you the chance to take in the surrounding beauty and get plenty of photos
To organise this adventure visit Tourdust.
