Milford Sound, New Zealand, dubbed as the Eight Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling, is located on the South Island. This spectacular fiord, carved out by glaciers, runs for 15 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea. Both sides of Milford Sound are rock faces that rise up 1,200 metres or more. This attraction can be reached by light plane, bus or car from Queenstown or Te Anau.
May to August are Milford Sound's coldest months, with a much cooler temperature of 4 degrees Celsius at its lowest and 12 degrees Celsius at the highest during the day. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, the lowering of the temperature holds true for the whole country, including the capital city Wellington. Although rains continue at an average rainfall of 641 mm at 16 rainfall days, there are many things to enjoy in Milford Sound.
Milford Mariner Overnight Cruises provide cruises with a specialist nature guide along the whole length of Milford Sound on board the Milford Mariner. The vessel anchors in a sheltered cove with options to explore the cove by kayak/tender craft; have a swim or just relax up on deck. A dinner buffet is served in the dining saloon and the cosy cabins offer guests a good night's sleep. Weather permitting, you can explore more of the fjord and go out to the Tasman Sea.
In spite of the rain and cooler winter weather, May is still one of the best times to explore the local countryside. There are backcountry huts managed by the Department of Conservation, such as the Clinton Hut on Milford Track in the Clinton Valley. The hut comes with bunkrooms with communal sleeping, gas cookers, tables and seats, solar-power lighting and heating, while flush toilets and wash basins are available close by.
