New Zealand, Milford Sound

It is often said that what Sydney Opera House means for Australia, the same applies to Milford Sound (which is in fact a fjord) and New Zealand. The most famous landmark of the country. I am familiar with the fjords thanks to numerous visits to Norway. I am therefore more excited about the Milford Road starting at Te Anau and ending at the Milford Sound. This 120 km road takes my breath away right at the start. A line of fog also accompanies us during the entire trip and looks as a belt on the mountains surrounding the road. Our first stop is the Mirror Like, which truly reflects the surrounding mountains as clear as a mirror. You can easily spend hours at this stop, which has a very short walking path that you can cover in 5 minutes. We however do not have much time. Our next stop is the Chasm Rain Forest, which impresses me with its waterfalls. The only rainy section of our trip is the wrongly named Milford Sound, which is in fact not a sound but a fjord. I am told that it is very rare to not come across a rain at the Milford Sound. The rain and the storm make the trip even more fun as our boat almost jumps over the water. The excitement kicks off even more when we get close to the ocean side. On the road back to the bay, we stop at the permanent waterfalls of Milford Sound. I say “permanent” as tens of temporary waterfalls easily form in Milford when there is a strong rain. It is very easy to spot and watch the seals resting on the rocks, they are not necessarily the most active animal specie. At the end of the trip, I am entirely convinced of the beauty of Milford Sound but I believe that the road leading to Milford is even more impressive than the fjord itself.