The Milford Road Driving Tour - Self-Guided Audio Tour

The Milford Road: A Journey to the Eight Wonder of the World

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Introduction

Piopiotahi – Milford Sound is one of the world's most spectacular natural landscapes. On this driving tour, you'll travel the legendary Milford Road through Fiordland National Park, discovering the stories, wildlife, geology and remarkable people that have shaped this extraordinary corner of Aotearoa.

The tour begins at the Alpine Centre Café & Bar in Te Anau, the last town before the road disappears into Fiordland's vast wilderness. From there you'll follow the Eglinton Valley through ancient beech forests, past mirror-like lakes and alpine valleys, over the Divide and through the remarkable Homer Tunnel before descending into the dramatic Cleddau Valley. Along the way you'll hear stories of Ngāi Tahu, early explorers, hardy pioneers, conservation successes and the people who carved a road through one of New Zealand's most formidable mountain landscapes.

As you approach Piopiotahi, you'll discover why Rudyard Kipling famously described Milford Sound as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". The tour finishes in the Milford Sound visitor car park, ready for you to explore the fiord on foot, by boat or from the air.

During this 120-minute tour, you'll have a chance to:

• Discover how the Milford Road and Homer Tunnel were built through one of New Zealand's most challenging mountain landscapes.

• Visit Mirror Lakes and Lake Gunn, two of Fiordland's most photographed locations.

• Learn about the remarkable rediscovery of the takahē and the conservation work helping protect Fiordland's unique wildlife.

• Meet colourful characters including Fiordland hermit Ernest Lord and bushman Davey Gunn.

• Discover why Māori travelled these valleys in search of pounamu and other treasured resources.

• Spot kea, New Zealand's inquisitive alpine parrots, in their natural habitat.

• Learn how glaciers, earthquakes and water created the dramatic landscapes surrounding you.

Whether you're visiting Milford Sound for the first time or returning to experience it again, this tour will help you understand that the journey is every bit as remarkable as the destination.