If you haven’t read the previous episode yet, click here first.
1. Departing from Te Anau for Milford Sound
One of the most popular ways to visit Milford Sound is by joining a tour departing from either Queenstown or Te Anau.
We chose to depart from Te Anau and boarded the bus at 10:00 AM.
Since I get motion sickness pretty easily, I spent most of the ride sleeping 😴
Meanwhile, my wife was busy filming videos and enjoying the scenery.
And honestly… I’m glad at least one of us was paying attention 😂
2. The Scenic Drive to Milford Sound
As you get closer to Milford Sound, it starts raining.
And apparently… it rains there a lot.
The scale of everything around us was absolutely overwhelming.
Huge mountains, towering cliffs, and countless waterfalls appeared around every corner.
Looking at it all, I couldn’t help but wonder:
“Where does all this water even come from?”
Nature has a funny way of making you feel both tiny and amazed at the same time.
The bus made several scenic stops along the route, giving everyone a chance to get out, stretch their legs, and take photos.
Every stop felt like another postcard-worthy view.
After about two hours on the road, we finally arrived at the cruise terminal.
3. Boarding the Milford Sound Cruise
There aren’t many signs once you arrive.
Just follow the crowd toward the docks and you’ll find your cruise.
The tickets were handed out on the bus beforehand, making the process pretty simple.
We lined up at the cruise displaying our tour company’s logo and eventually boarded.
At this point, I noticed something interesting.
Almost everyone was wearing rain jackets.
I had no idea why.
But I would soon find out 😂
Passengers who purchased meal packages boarded first.
Since we didn’t add the meal option, we entered shortly afterward.
The wait wasn’t long at all.
4. Lunch with a View
The cruise has three main levels.
🚢 First Floor – Dining area and indoor seating
☕ Second Floor – Drinks and indoor viewing area
🌧️ Third Floor – Open-air observation deck
Before boarding, we had bought sandwiches and cup noodles.
Inside the cruise, unlimited hot coffee and milk tea were available.
Naturally, we grabbed some hot water and enjoyed our cup noodles while watching the scenery outside.
No one cared.
The staff didn’t mind.
The other passengers didn’t mind.
Honestly, it was one of the most satisfying cup noodles I’ve ever had.
Something about eating instant noodles surrounded by giant fjords just hits differently.
5. Getting Soaked by Milford Sound’s Waterfalls
Once we finished eating, it was finally time to fully enjoy Milford Sound.
We started on the second-floor outdoor viewing area, which has a roof overhead.
At first, we stayed perfectly dry.
The weather even cleared up in parts, allowing us to take photos and enjoy the views comfortably.
Then we noticed something.
Other cruise boats were getting incredibly close to the waterfalls.
Much closer than I expected.
Eventually, my wife and I discovered the third-floor observation deck.
And within minutes…
we were soaked.
Completely soaked 😂
At that point, our clothes were already wet, so we decided to go all in and stand at the very front of the ship.
The waterfall spray hit us full force.
My shoes were soaked.
My jacket was soaked.
Everything was soaked.
And honestly?
It was amazing.
If you’re visiting Milford Sound, don’t spend the entire cruise trying to stay dry.
Bring a rain jacket and experience the waterfalls properly.
It’s one of the most memorable parts of the trip.
6. Wildlife Encounters at Milford Sound
Milford Sound isn’t just about mountains and waterfalls.
It’s also home to plenty of wildlife.
During the cruise, we spotted several seals resting on the rocks.
Compared to sea lions, which we had seen almost every day in Dunedin, seals felt surprisingly rare.
That made finally spotting them even more exciting.
Although the wildlife wasn’t the main attraction for us, it definitely added another layer to the experience.
7. Returning to Te Anau
After grabbing a slice of cake onboard, we settled into our seats for the ride back.
The return journey was much quieter.
Mostly because I fell asleep almost immediately 😂
Tour Schedule
🚌 10:00 AM – Depart Te Anau
🚢 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM Milford Sound Cruise
🚌 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM Return to Te Anau
By the time we arrived back in town, both of us were feeling slightly under the weather.
Maybe it was all the waterfall spray.
Maybe it was the wind.
Either way, a hot shower was the first thing on our minds.
Afterward, we stopped by the supermarket, cooked ourselves a hearty dinner, and called it a night.
Because tomorrow…
it was finally time for Queenstown 🏔️✨❤️
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