Fiords

The fiords in the Fiordland National Park are the most valuable sights that the South Island has to offer. The monumental cuts carved by ancient glaciers manifest the unfettered power of Nature. There is a lot to admire – the rock walls rising directly from water to a height of one thousand metres, the richly green rainforest with vegetation of mosses soaked like a sponge; fast mountain rivers and streams, thousands of waterfalls, seals, dolphins, penguins, black corals in the deep fiord waters…
The sightseeing cruise along the Milford Sound fiord is among the several activities that a visitor to New Zealand should not miss out on. After all, this fiord is referred to as one of the natural wonders of the world. The standard cruises take approximately two hours. Night cruises are very romantic and offer supplementary activities like a cruise on a boat or in a kayak, with the possibility of landing at the coast and getting off the vessel. Night can be spent in a four-bed or a two-bed cabin.
The no less beautiful Doubtful Sound fiord can be visited in the same way. A visit to this fiord will take a whole day in any case; the night-time option will take a day and a half. If you have more time available, then we can recommend approximately one-week cruises, which will take you to most of the fiords (as well as to Stewart Island in some cases) and you will be able to get to places where a standard tourist never gets. These cruises are most often organised during the New Zealand's winter season (June – August) but for a small group, anything can be organised in all the seasons of the year.

Another option of how one can see the Fiordland NP and the actual fiords is to see them from a helicopter. A one-hour or longer flight, including a landing at mountain lakes, is an unforgettable experience. If you want to explore as much as possible, then you yourselves can prepare the flight itinerary after mutual consultation.  Sometimes it is possible to combine a longer sightseeing cruise with a return trip by a helicopter to capitalise on the advantages of both means of transport.
If you are one of the more courageous ones, you can also discover Fiordland and its fiords from a kayak. One-day or possibly (more adventurous) several-day kayak rides are organised. These trips always take place with a guide and in a small group; the participants sleep in tents.
The trips to fiords are in great demand among our clients so we include one of the activities mentioned here in nearly every itinerary. Fiordland is one of the rainiest places on Earth; in some localities, the annual precipitation allegedly reaches up to 9 metres. Therefore you need to be well equipped with rainproof clothes. Bear in mind that there would not be the thousands of waterfalls without the rain and many travellers describe a visit to fiords in a rainy weather as being more fascinating and filled with a more mysterious atmosphere than when the sky is blue and cloudless.
What is the difference between the Milford and Doubtful Sound fiords?
Milford Sound, which is found in the mountainous north tip of the Fiordland National Part is a typical fiord – a deep bay surrounded by steep mountain walls. It is a medium-sized fiord, approximately 13 km long and it is globally well-known thanks to its dramatic scenery where the Mitre Peak mountain is the characteristic landmark. It is the best accessible fiord of all 14 fiords in the territory of this national park; it is accessible by road as well as by air.
Doubtful Sound lies at the heart of the Fiordland NP. This fiord, too, is surrounded by majestic mountains but these mountains are not as high as the ones around Milford Sound. Doubtful Sound is three times longer and its water area is approximately ten times larger than that of its smaller colleague. Its three arms are called Hall, Crooked and First Arm. The fiord is popular for its wild scenery and an exceptional opportunity to see the fiord's inhabitants – dolphins, seals or penguins. The fiord is accessible after initial cruise across the Manapouri Lake and after crossing the Wilmot Pass by bus.

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