New Zealand Milford Sound/Piopiotahi
Despite being about 15 km long and quite wide, because the mouth is not immediately visible from the sea, even Captain James Cook, who was responsible for the first detailed map of New Zealand, missed it. It was found by a seal hunter who named it after Milford Haven in his native Wales. It was later renamed as a sound for political reasons.
There are still plenty of seals, penguins, dolphins and the occasional whale to be seen from tour boats. The local ecology is shaped by massive rainfall (250+ mm in a day is not unusual and rain on most days) which creates impressive waterfalls and also adds a 10-metre-deep layer of freshwater on top of the seawater.
There are still plenty of seals, penguins, dolphins and the occasional whale to be seen from tour boats. The local ecology is shaped by massive rainfall (250+ mm in a day is not unusual and rain on most days) which creates impressive waterfalls and also adds a 10-metre-deep layer of freshwater on top of the seawater.
Photography Tips
There are many stones and branches in this area that are perfect as foreground elements.
The waterfalls… some of the tour boats get, briefly, very close to the base of the fall. This creates problems:
1. You’ll be so close that you’ll need to have fitted an ultra-wide lens in advance if you want to try and capture a lot of waterfall in a single shot.
2. The spray, especially if you’re on the front of a boat, can result in you and your camera getting wet – expect rain even if you aren’t near a waterfall
3. You’ll need to dry tiny water droplets from your fitted lens filters if you’ve been anywhere near a waterfall: the droplets capture sunlight, putting light spots on subsequent photos until the droplets dry off or you remove them.
The waterfalls… some of the tour boats get, briefly, very close to the base of the fall. This creates problems:
1. You’ll be so close that you’ll need to have fitted an ultra-wide lens in advance if you want to try and capture a lot of waterfall in a single shot.
2. The spray, especially if you’re on the front of a boat, can result in you and your camera getting wet – expect rain even if you aren’t near a waterfall
3. You’ll need to dry tiny water droplets from your fitted lens filters if you’ve been anywhere near a waterfall: the droplets capture sunlight, putting light spots on subsequent photos until the droplets dry off or you remove them.
Travel Information
There is no tourist accommodation at Milford Sound.
You can fly or take a 4-hour bus trip from Queenstown. It's easier to stay in Te Anau which is a 1.5-hour drive if you resist the roadside photo opportunities.
There are tour boats from the tourist centre wharf. Booking tickets in advance is advised.
There is parking nearby marked on the map.
You can fly or take a 4-hour bus trip from Queenstown. It's easier to stay in Te Anau which is a 1.5-hour drive if you resist the roadside photo opportunities.
There are tour boats from the tourist centre wharf. Booking tickets in advance is advised.
There is parking nearby marked on the map.
Spot Type
Outdoor
Crowd Factor
Nearly no other people
Best Timing
Sunrise in summer
Sunrise & Sunset
05:59 - 21:37
| current local time: 17:01
Photo Themes
Mountain
Ocean
Peaks
sound
Locations
Milford Sound
Southland
mitre Peak
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