Milford Sound is located in the southwest portion of the South Island, 307 km from Queenstown, 121km from Te Anau and 346 km from Wanaka. The drive will pass through mountains with stunning unspoiled landscapes, before passing through the Homer Tunnel, and then on to rainforest-carpeted canyons that descend to Milford Sound. Travelling along the winding mountain road is an experience in itself, however, during the winter months, starting from May, avalanches and snowy roads cause road closures.
August continues to bring chilly weather typical of the region's winter months with temperature falling down to as low as 2 degrees and only reaching a high of 11 degrees Celsius. The rains continue, well, Milford Sound is wettest place in New Zealand, with an average rainfall of 427mm and an average of 15 days of rain this month.
Knobs Flat is located in Eglinton Valley of Fiordland National Park and is operated by the Department of Conservation. There are six studio units with cooking facilities, a shower and a toilet. Knobs Flat is the only serviced campsite located between Te Anau and Milford, so snap up a pitch if camping is your thing.
The Fiordland National Park Lodge is located at Te Anau Downs, which is 30 km from Te Anau and 91 km to Milford Sound. Set on the edge of Lake Te Anau, the lodge is just 600 metres away from the departure point for the popular Milford Track walk.
