Sopping Wet at Milford Sound

Look up any list of New Zealand must-sees and somewhere near the top you will find Milford Sound. In the description, there will usually be someone waxing poetic about the fjord's other-worldly beauty. (ie- from the 100% Pure New Zealand site- Situated on the west coast of the South Island, Milford Sound is a fusion of spectacular natural features with amazing visual cues around every corner; FromExplorer James Hingston :;For thousands of feet upwards the eye looks upon straight cut rocky frontages, not worn smooth by time, or by wind or water, but as sharply defined and as fresh looking in all respects as if riven asunder but yesterday by the stupendous wedges of Titanic Masons.)

You will also find some barely coded language hinting at what you should expect weather-wise. Phrases such as "In any climate.." and "Wet or fine..." clue you in that the chances of you replicating all those sunny Sound pics are precariously slim. That is because Milford Sound is  one of the wettest places on Earth with an average of 182 rainy days and 252 inches a year. In response to this, the nice people of New Zealand have convinced themselves that it is actually better to visit during crappy weather.

I arrived in Queenstown with a pre-booked Milford Sound day trip. I had used my InterCity Flexipass, which is big on the Flexi, meaning you can cancel any trip or tour up to two hours before departure. With that in mind, I looked up the weather and found that my three days would be thus: beautiful, end of the world and then beautiful again. To me it seemed obvious that I should switch my tour from the second to the third day. Yet, when I sought advice at the tour agencies, everyone told me the same thing. "Don't change a thing. The Sound is even nicer in the rain." "The weather is super unpredictable, don't go by the forecasts" "You will get better, more atmospheric photos in the rain"

So I set off early morning on the monsoon day to the western part of the south island to visit the only fjord in Fjordland National Park accessible by road.  Right off the bat, our driver, a man who over the course of eight hours shared his opinions on everything from NZ politics to other drivers on the road to his quirky in-laws, marveled at how much rain we were going to get.  Even for such a wet place, we were getting an exceptionally stormy day.

During our first stop at a service station in Te Anau, I considered getting a raincoat. Probably a little late to be looking into such an obvious purchase but I'd been distracted by the perfect weather thus far. Instead, I ran down to the lake to get some photos.

Our next stop had no such shopping opportunity. We were at Mirror Lake, where I am assuming on a calm day, the Earl Mountains reflect on the surface of the lake. This was not a calm day.

Next up: The Chasm, an easy walking trail that takes you past a bunch of waterfalls. Apparently, we were running late so we had 15 minutes to do the 20 minute loop. It was basically a brisk wet jog past really nice scenery.

The rush was in order to make it onto the highlight of the day,  a 1hr 45 minute cruise out to the Tasman Sea.

During the outing, it was pointed out repeatedly that Milford Sound normally only has two waterfalls but on rainy days, the number expands dramatically and how lucky we were to be here on this very waterfall-y day.

The more prepared amongst us (read: the ones with the rain coats) stood out on the decks battling the elements as long as they could. The rest of us- the majority really- were gathered inside for most of the ride, only running outside to get quick photos before being driven back in by the pelting rain.

The scenery is indeed dramatic and it is understandable why Rudyard Kipling referred to Milford Sound as the eighth wonder of the world, although it's a safe bet he was there on a sunnier day than this.

Wet seals

Towards the end of the tour, the skies cleared up long enough for us to wander out onto the decks and finally get a good look at what we came for. It was sublime.

Looking back now from the comfort of my nice warm hotel room, I have to agree with the woman from the tourist information office. Yes, the dark misty effect does make for some great photos, as do the many waterfalls. However...  Next time, I would much prefer one of the rare sunny days. If I want moody pics, I'll use a filter. Yes, stress to people that they should visit Milford Sound. There is a valid reason that it's on all those must-see lists. Just don't try to make it seem like going on a shitty day is a good thing. A possibly inevitable thing, yes. But not a preferable thing.

Also, if you could stress the importance of bringing a rain coat, that'd be cool...