Etymology

Milford Sound is named afterMilford HaveninWales, while theCleddau Riverwhich flows into the sound is also named for itsWelsh namesake. The Māori named the sound Piopiotahi after the thrush-likepiopiobird, now extinct. Piopiotahi means "a single piopio", harking back to the legend ofMāui trying to win immortality for mankind - when Maui died in the attempt, a piopio was said to have flown here in mourning.

Geography

Milford Sound runs 15 kilometres inland from theTasman Seaat Dale Point - the mouth of the fiord - and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 1,517 metres (4,977 ft), said to resemble anelephant's head, and The Lion, 1,302 metres (4,272 ft), in the shape of a crouchinglion. Lush rain forests cling precariously to these cliffs, whileseals,penguins, anddolphinsfrequent the waters andwhalescan be seen sometimes.

Milford Sound sports two permanent waterfalls all year round,Lady Bowen FallsandStirling Falls. After heavy rain however, many hundreds of temporary waterfalls can be seen running down the steep sided rock faces that line the fiord. They are fed by rain water drenched moss and will last a few days at most once the rain stops.

Climate

With a mean annual rainfall of 6,813 mm on 182 days a year, a high level even for theWest Coast, Milford Sound is known as the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world. Rainfall can reach 250 mm during a span of 24 hours. The rainfall creates dozens of temporarywaterfalls (as well as a number of major, more permanent ones) cascading down the cliff faces, some reaching a thousand metres in length. Smaller falls from such heights may never reach the bottom of the sound, drifting away in the wind.

Accumulated rainwater can at times cause portions of the rain forest to lose their grip on the sheer cliff faces, resulting in tree avalanches into the sound. The regrowth of the rain forest after these avalanches can be seen in several locations along the sound.

History

The 155m Stirling Falls were named after the captain of the HMS Cleo.

Milford Sound was initially overlooked by European explorers, because its narrow entry did not appear to lead into such large interior bays. Sailing ship captains such asJames Cook, who bypassed Milford Sound on his journeys for just this reason, also feared venturing too close to the steep mountainsides, afraid that wind conditions would prevent escape (this refers to Doubtful Sound, so named as Cook thought it doubtful he would escape if he sailed in).[citation needed]

The fjord was a playground for local Maori who had acquired a large amount of local marine knowledge including tidal patterns and fish feeding patterns over generations prior to european arrival. The fjord remained undiscovered by Europeans until a sealer by the name of CaptainJohn Gronodiscovered it in around 1812 and named it Milford Haven after his homeland in Wales. CaptainJohn Lort Stokeslater renamed Milford Haven as Milford Sound.

WhileFiordlandas such remained one of the least-explored areas of New Zealand up to the 20th century, Milford Sound's natural beauty soon attracted national and international renown, and led to the discovery of theMackinnon Passin 1888, soon to become a part of the newMilford Track, an early walking tourism trail. In the same year, the low watershed saddle between theHollyford Riverand the Cleddau River was discovered, where theHomer Tunnel was to be developed about sixty years later to provide road access.

As of the 2006 census, just 120 people lived in Milford Sound, most of them working in tourism or conservation.

Tourism

Cliffs and waterfalls after dry spell, with a two-storey tour boat providing relative size.Mitre Peak, towering over Milford Sound.

Overview

The beauty of this landscape draws thousands of visitors each day, with between 550,000 and 1 million visitors in total per year. This makes the sound one of New Zealand's most-visited tourist spots, and also the most famous New Zealand tourist destination, even with its remote location and the long journey from the nearest population centres. Almost all tourists going to the sound also take one of the boat tours which usually last between 1–2 hours. They are offered by several companies, departing from the Milford Sound Visitors' Centre. There is also the option of extended overnight cruises on Milford Sound.

Tramping,canoeingand some other water sports are also possible. A small number of companies also provide overnight boat trips. There is otherwise only limited accommodation at the sound, and only a very small percentage of tourists stay more than the day.