Milford Sound: Where It Rains 200 Days a Year (Except When We Show Up)
Remember when I mentioned being worried about rain earlier in our trip? Well, our next stop was Milford Sound (or Muffin Sound as Teddy called it) — a place so famous for its rainfall that it practically has its own weather system. We’re talking 200+ days and 7,000+ mm of rain a year! Locals say that when it rains, the waterfalls come alive and the place turns into a real-life fantasy movie. So, naturally, we arrived to... bright blue skies and sunshine. Of course. Apparently, we’re the only people who can visit one of the wettest places on Earth and get a sunburn.
We also got ridiculously lucky — the only road to Milford Sound had been closed for over a week due to an avalanche and storm damage, and it reopened literally the day before we arrived. Talk about timing!
We’d been warned that the drive there was “challenging.” After four weeks of New Zealand road trips, though, we’ve learned that “challenging” here just means “twisty, narrow, and absurdly scenic.” Honestly, it turned out to be one of our favorite drives — snow-dusted peaks, endless viewpoints, and the kind of views that make you pull over every five minutes for “just one more photo.”
And then we met the Keas — New Zealand’s cheeky mountain parrots. The kids were beside themselves with excitement (and maybe a little nervous, because these birds are huge). The Keas strutted right up to us, clearly thinking, “Ah, fresh tourists. Let’s see what’s in their backpacks.”
The next day, we took a cruise to explore the fjord. Milford Sound decided to give us the full experience — rain, mist, and about a million waterfalls! (Okay, maybe hundreds, but still.) Apparently, they only show up when it rains, so we felt pretty special. The weather wasn’t too bad, so we stayed outside for most of the ride — until we got what our captain cheerfully called a “glacial facial.” Translation: we stood at the front of the boat and got absolutely blasted by a giant waterfall. So yes, we ended up drenched, freezing, and looking like wet cats… but hey, totally worth it!
The following day, the sun decided to make a comeback — perfect timing, since we wanted to squeeze in a hike before leaving Milford Sound. We did the Key Summit Track, which rewarded us with panoramic views of mountains and alpine lakes. It was the ideal family hike: beautiful, not too intense, and nobody cried (including the adults).
Trick-or-Treating at the End of the World
That evening, we made our way back to Te Anau for the night. It also happened to be Halloween, and since we were heading into the middle of nowhere, we’d booked a campground we knew would be decorated for the occasion. The kids had been counting down to Halloween for months (like, literally since July), so we couldn’t let it slide.
While grabbing groceries, we started spotting people in costumes wandering the streets — always a promising sign. When we reached the campground, the reception confirmed the best news ever: the town was doing trick-or-treating! Local shops were handing out candy. Cue chaos. We dashed out into the streets with our empty grocery bags, and the kids turned into sugar-powered sprinters. The kids were over the moon — and by the end, I’m pretty sure they had enough candy to open a small convenience store.
Doubtful Sound: Bigger, Wilder, and Way More Remote
We weren’t quite ready to say goodbye to the fjords, so naturally we thought, “Why not another one?” Enter Doubtful Sound — Milford’s bigger, moodier cousin. Some people even prefer it, mostly because it’s twice as big, way more remote, and just a tad harder to get to (like the fjord version of a VIP lounge). Doubtful Sound stretches a whopping 40 kilometers end to end and 2 kilometers across — basically, a water maze built for epic explorers… or anyone who enjoys being dramatically small in nature. To reach Doubtful Sound, we had to channel our inner adventurers:
- Boat across Lake Manapouri (cue the “wow” soundtrack),
- Jump on a 50-minute bus ride through Wilmot Pass,
- Finally board another boat for the fjord cruise itself.
The bus driver was a gem — part comedian, part mountain goat. He had jokes for every hairpin turn, which made the drive feel more like a stand-up show with scenery.
And the wildlife? Absolute jackpot. Another penguin (this one basically posed for us), dozens of fur seals, and bottlenose dolphins who clearly think boats are just toys made for them. They zipped and leapt around us like aquatic acrobats.
It was a 7-hour tour, and since it took 2.5 hours to get there from Queenstown, we told the kids they could skip school for the day. You’d think that would earn us the Parents of the Year award, right? Nope. They said they like their homework right now. WHAT?! Someone check if these are our actual children. 😂
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