the glacial valleys of new zealand's fiordland

fiordland is new zealand’s largest national park, encompassing an astounding 1.2 million hectares of mountain, rainforest, lake, and fiord. the park is a veritable playground for the adventurous and free-spirited, with some of the most well-preserved (and hard to reach) corners of the world within its borders. named for its most famous attraction, the park is home to some incredible glacial valleys of awesome scale and great beauty. below, we take you through the top fiords in the region, from the most popular to the hidden and hard to each.

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piopiotahi / milford sound

at milford sound, plunging mountains and lush rainforest are reflected upon the pristine waters it surrounds. this magical enclave of the world changes with the weather - heavy rainfall will transform it into a cosmos of mist, whilst in the summertime its waters appear turquoise and aqua blue. given all of this, it’s no surprise that milford sound is a unesco world heritage site. indeed, rudyard kipling famously declared it the “eighth wonder of the world”, and a true wonder it is.

the region’s most famous fiord, milford sound is also its most accessible. in fact, it’s the only sound in the region accessible by road. so if you’re just wanting to do a quick day trip and see the best of fiordland, then milford sound is probably your best bet. if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, the fiord is surrounded by some beautiful walking trails that provide access to the sound from just about any angle.

patea / doubtful sound

dubbed the ‘sound of silence’, this is the place for quiet rumination. the deepest and longest of the south island’s fiords, doubtful sound has serenity in spades and a quiet magnetism that will bring even the staunchest of chatterboxes to their knees. like other sounds in the region, its deep waters are composed of two layers - the first relatively shallow layer, of fresh water, and the second of salt water. light finds it difficult to penetrate into this second layer of water, which means it’s home to some incredible deep sea species like black coral. closer to the surface, you’ll find bottlenose dolphins and tawaki, the fiordland crested penguin.there’s no road leading to doubtful sound, so you’ll need to take a boat transfer to reach it. once there, its peaceful glory can be experienced via cruise, kayak, or helicopter.

tamatea / dusky sound

even more remote than doubtful sound is dusky sound. the largest of the fiords, its waters encompass 365 islands and incredibly aquatic life, including fur seals and bottlenose dolphins. the area can only be reached by boat or helicopter, and its this inaccessibility that makes it one of the most pristine and best-preserved natural environments on the island. the dusky track is another way in - although we’d only recommend this for the truly adventurous and hardy. the 8-10 days trail is a challenging traverse over two mountain ranges and across three major valley systems. if you’re travelling by air, then a trip to campbell’s kingdom is not to be missed. the unique hanging valley encloses a virtually untouched waterfall and lake.

hawea / bligh sound

if you’ve visited the most well-known fiords of the area and are still itching for more, then bligh sound is the place. the remote fiord features dramatic, steep mountain peaks, beautiful waterfalls, and some great walking trails. like other sounds in the area, its multi-layered water means that sunlight finds it difficult to penetrate through it’s surface, allowing for deep sea species to flourish in relatively shallow water. in bligh sound, you’ll find an area called a ‘china shop’ - a marine reserve in which marine life flourishes and that’s perfect for avid divers.

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