milford sound boasts some of new zealand's most spectacular scenary. beautiful all year round, the day cruise on one of the several boats offers a truely memorable experience with amazing waterfalls, jaggared cliff faces and rare and exotic wildlife. the beauty of this region can be seen even before you reach the sound. there is very little accommodation in milford (unless you are a keen camper), so most visitors stay in beautiful Te Anau about an hour away. the drive from Te Anau to milford is part of this magnificent experience where you will see the mirror lakes and the disappearing mountains on a clear day with magical mist and snow depending on the weather. great all year round however the roads to milford often get snowed in in winter so ring ahead to check. my suggestion is however that no matter what time of year you go, bring a warm weather-proof jacket and enjoy the experience.

Milford Sound is a wonderful place to visit, even on the slightly overcast day we went. The boat cruises are all around NZ$70 for around 2 hours and we got up close to waterfalls, saw dolphins and seals and even made it out to the Tasman Sea.

We drove from Te Anau to Milford (around 2 hours non-stop), which allowed us to stop at a few of the walks on the way back. There's a wide variety of walks, ranging from 10 mins to all day hikes. Guides can be bought from Te Anau DOC centre.

Be warned: we went slightly out of season and the roads were largely clear, but we still ended up stuck behind a number of coaches, which are impossible to pass. You must plan your trip around the large tour parties to fully enjoy the day.

Also, snow chains may be required in winter months, which can be hired for NZ$25 from garages in Te Anau, and the road may be closed due to avalanches.

Milford Sound is a spectacular reminder of the forces of nature, formed thousands of years ago during the ice ages. It is an absolutely beautiful place. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like because its gorgeous on a sunny day and when it rains there are lots more waterfalls. It is breathtaking and it is something you must do.

Milford Sound is exceptionally beautiful, and a cruise down it, expecially in the early part of the day when there are few other tourists about, is an amazing experience, not to be missed.
However, a word of warning about a company called Milford Sound Scenic Flights, who operate out of Queenstown.

[----]www.milfordflights.co.nz/flights.asp

This company has a swish desk in Queenstown airport, but unfortunately, very little backup or support if things go wrong.
We took a fly - cruise - fly option with them. The flight to Milford was fine, the cruise great, but then it all fell apart. A change in the wind occurred. We got back to the airstrip at Milford to be told that all this company's planes were grounded for the moment, back in Queenstown. So ten of us were stranded.
There was confusion over information, and we were first of all told that we would fly back an hour later with another company, who used larger planes. We were sent back to the harbour terminal to wait. We were offered free food at a cafe.
No representative from the company was at Milford, all information came via a person employed by the harbour terminal. Eventually we got back to the airstrip at Milford, to be told now that the other air company had no places for us, and we would be taken on a coach to Te Anau ( one and a half hours away ) and flown back to Queenstown from there.
No one was happy with this, but since there was no alternative, we accepted. Back at the harbour, we all got on the coach, and set off. There were many other people already on the coach. The driver then announced as we drove off that we were on a three and a half hour tour, including bush walk and photo stops. Our air company had just dumped us on someone else's guided scenic tour.
Phone calls to Milford Sound Scenic Flights produced no help at all, and the following five hours were spent getting back to Queenstown. Many people had serious disruptions to their holiday schedules as a result.
People who do the Milford sound trip should be aware of a fact that the pilot of our aircraft told us as we flew out of Queenstown early that day - weather conditions mean that on average, flights happen on only eight days a month. There is, therefore, almost a 75% chance that your flight will be cancelled. Companies using smaller planes are clearly worst affected ( we could see larger planes still taking off and landing whilst we were hanging about at the airstrip all morning ) . And if things go wrong, as they easily do, then you need a company who have a clear plan to deal with the problem, and their own backup, support, and staff to get you out of the mess efficiently. Milford Sound Scenic Flights apparently can do none of this.