Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cend runs day trips with four hours' cruising on Milford Sound (7m alloy cat), with two
dives along the way. Transport, equipment, lunch, hot drinks and snack supplied.
Tours
A cruise on Milford Sound is Fiordland's most accessible experience, as evident from the
slew of cruise companies located in the flash cruise terminal (
8am-5.15pm Oct-Apr, 9am-4.15pm
May-Sep) , a 10-minute walk from the cafe and car park.
Each cruise company claims to be quieter, smaller, bigger, cheaper, or in some way
preferable to the rest. What really makes a difference is the timing of the cruise. Most bus
tours aim for 1pm sailings so if you avoid that time of day there'll be less people on the
boat (and on the road). With some companies you get a better price on cruises outside
rush hour, too.
If you're particularly keen on wildlife, ask whether there'll be a nature guide on board.
It's wise to book ahead regardless. You generally need to arrive 20 minutes before depar-
ture. Most companies offer coach transfers from Te Anau for an additional cost. Day trips
from Queenstown make for a very long 13-hour day.
All the cruises visit the mouth of the sound, just 15km from the wharf, poking their
prow into the choppy waves of the Tasman Sea. The shorter cruises visit less of the en
route 'highlights', which include Bowen Falls, Mitre Peak, Anita Bay and Stirling Falls.
Only visitable on boat trips run by Milford Sound Cruises and Mitre Peak Cruises, Mil-
ford Discovery Centre (adult/child $36/18; 9am-3.45pm) is a five-storey, largely submerged Deep
Underwater Observatory offering a chance to view deep-water corals, tube anemones and
bottom-dwelling sea perch.
Real Journeys
( 0800 656 501, 03-249 7416; www.realjourneys.co.nz ; adult/child from $70/22) Milford's biggest operator
runs various trips including the popular 1¾-hour scenic cruise (adult $70 to $93, child
$22). The nature cruise (2½ hours, adult $85 to $95, child $22) hones in on wildlife with a
specialist nature guide providing commentary. Overnight cruises are also available, on
which you can kayak and take nature tours in tender crafts en route. Such trips depart
from the Milford terminal around 4.30pm and return around 9.30am the following day.
The Milford Wanderer, modelled on an old trading scow, accommodates 36 passengers in
two- and four-bunk cabins (with shared bathrooms) and costs adult/child twin-share $335/
168, or quad-share $278/139. The Milford Mariner sleeps 60 in more-upmarket, en suite,
BOAT TOUR
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