The Milford Sounds

The Milford Sounds are located in the southwest of the South Island and are known for many special waterfalls and an impressive landscape. Additionally, many colonies of seals, penguins, and dolphins call this place home.

However, even the highway that leads to the Milford Sounds is an experience in itself. It runs through forest and mountain landscapes and also features a very unique tunnel that cannot be compared to tunnels in Germany. It is barely illuminated, not expanded, single-lane, and sometimes a small stream runs across the road.

When we set off for the Milford Sounds on February 3, 2019, this tunnel was a special challenge for our old cars, but they managed it well.

On February 4, 2019, our boat tour started at 8:55, which we had booked a few days in advance. We spent two hours exploring the Milford Sounds on a small boat.

We not only stopped at several waterfalls and drove under them, but we also stopped frequently to observe seals.

I have already seen seals in several places and they are always among the most impressive animals and my favorite animals.

But on this day, it was not only the seals, we also spotted a penguin. Later we learned that it was a very rare species of penguin, namely the Fiordland Crested Penguin.

The belly of these 4kg penguins is white, otherwise they are dark blue-gray and have an orange beak. They have a yellow crest above their eyes, which extends to the back of their head.

The Fiordland Crested Penguin is mainly found in the southwest of the South Island.

Experiencing a penguin in its natural habitat made this special day perfect.

The boat tour was also worth it because from the water, in my opinion, you have the perfect and unique view of this beautiful nature, and if you're lucky, you can still see seals and penguins.

After this eventful day, we made our way back to Lumsden.

In between, we stopped at the Mirror Lakes, which live up to their name because you can observe one of the most impressive reflections I have ever seen.

Our boat