Boat… Helicopter… and No Walking! 🚁 (Saturday, March 14)
After four days on the Milford Track—35 miles, endless rocks, rain, and enough sand fly bites to qualify as a blood donation—our final day in the Milford Sound area was an incredible ending to an adventure that had been on my bucket list since I was a kid.
And for once…No walking.
That alone felt like luxury.
Our room at Mitre Peak Lodge looked directly across Milford Sound (or by its Māori name, Piopiotahi) at the iconic Mitre Peak—one of the most photographed mountains in New Zealand.
And for good reason. Rising 5,560 feet almost straight out of sea level, Mitre Peak creates one of the most dramatic vertical rises in the world. Its name comes from its resemblance to a bishop’s ceremonial mitre, and from most angles it appears as one perfect sharp summit—though it’s actually a cluster of five peaks.
Milford Sound itself is the crown jewel of Fiordland National Park and arguably the most famous natural attraction in New Zealand. Though called a “sound,” it’s technically a fjord—carved by glaciers during the Ice Age. The fjord stretches roughly 10 miles inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer granite cliffs rising over 4,000 feet straight out of the water.
It’s hard to put into words. There’s a reason Rudyard Kipling called it the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”
And when it rains? The cliffs come alive. Hundreds of temporary waterfalls appear out of nowhere, turning the entire fjord into a moving wall of water.
After checking out, we boarded a boat tour through Milford Sound and got front-row seats to fur seals, bottlenose dolphins, and waterfalls cascading into the dark, glacier-fed waters below (which range from about 46°F in winter to 61°F in summer).
So how do you top that? Easy. Skip the four-hour bus ride and take a helicopter. 🚁
We flew back to Queenstown through the rugged peaks of the Southern Alps, weaving through mountain passes before landing on a glacier high above the valley floor. From there, Queenstown sat in the far distance like the finish line to an unforgettable journey. A special thanks to our Aussie friends “shout” for coordinating the helicopter ride home. In Australia, “It’s my shout” means: my treat.
That’s one shout we won’t forget. 😊
The perfect ending to another great adventure.
Now the only question is: Where’s the next one?
