Milford Sound

A boat runs out toward the mouth and back in about two hours. Fur seals lie on the rocks and the bow is pushed under a waterfall.

The peak rises 1692m straight from the water and counts among the tallest that do so. Cloud hides the summit on a good many days.

The road runs 120km from Te Anau with no fuel along it. Avalanche risk closes it in winter and chains are required.

A 1.2km bore through rock, narrow enough that a signal sends traffic one way then the other. Parrots come to the cars at the portal and pull at the rubber.

Paddling puts the cliffs directly overhead, and the water is flattest in the morning. Trips run in the rain, with waterproofs provided.

A chamber sunk into the fiord shows black coral through its windows. A freshwater layer sits on top, which lets deep sea species live near the surface.

A fall of 151m that never runs dry. The boats push in under it so the spray reaches the deck.

A walk of 53.5km over four days, and every hut needs booking in advance. Booking opens months ahead and a fixed number set out each day.

Ten minutes off the road, water has worn the rock into rounded hollows. It forces through the holes with a great deal of noise.

A boat crosses the lake to a cave where a small punt carries you through the dark. The light comes from insect larvae, and noise makes them switch it off.

Reached by boat over Lake Manapouri, then by bus over a pass road built for the power station. Several times longer than Milford, it sees a fraction of the visitors, and bottlenose dolphins live here. Deep inside, the skipper cuts the engines for birdsong.

A flat 45-minute loop through beech forest by a lake halfway along the Milford Road. Trunks and boulders wear thick moss, greenest just after rain. Toilets are scarce on this road, so many coaches pause here.

From a boardwalk beside the Milford Road, the Earl Mountains hang upside down in still, reedy ponds. The sign beside the ponds is lettered upside down so its reflection reads the right way. Wind spoils the surface, so stop if you pass in the early morning.

From the Hollyford road a swing bridge leads to a steep forest climb ending at a glacial lake hung between peaks. The first 20 minutes to the cascades are easy; after that you haul up by roots and rocks. The path stays wet, so wear boots.

A broad, flat grassy valley on the Milford Road, walled on both sides by beech forest. Around December lupins flower along the verges and cars stop in lines. Pull into the marked parking areas, not onto the grass shoulder.

A 162m waterfall plunging right beside the Milford wharf, which supplies the settlement's power and water. Cruise boats nose in close as they leave and again on return. In the wake of heavy rain its spray drifts over the wharf.

A 60km loop from the Lake Te Anau shore over a mountain ridge and back, one of the Great Walks. The ridge above Luxmore Hut offers no shelter from wind. Day walkers go up from the lakeshore to the hut and return the same way.

A small bird sanctuary beside the lakeside path in Te Anau where you see takahe up close. Thought extinct, takahe were rediscovered in 1948 in the Murchison Mountains across this lake. A donation box stands in for a ticket.

A waterfall dropping 275m in three tiers deep in the Hollyford Valley. Where the gravel road runs out, a 30-minute forest walk covers the lookout and back. It lies down a side road off the Milford Road, so few people come.

A 20-minute loop from the car park along the fiord edge, the best spot for a clear view of Mitre Peak. It fits neatly into the wait for a cruise. Sandflies mob visitors, so wear long sleeves and repellent.

Light aircraft fly from Queenstown over the Southern Alps and glaciers to land on Milford's small airstrip. Paired with a cruise, it skips a return drive of close to ten hours. Mountain weather cancels it often, so leave a spare day.