Milford Sound / Piopiotahi
One of the absolute must paddle locations in New Zealand! Paddling through the steep sided valley can't help but impress. Whether it's raining and there are waterfalls everywhere, or it's clear and you have majestic views of the mountains - Milford Sound won't disappoint!
Quick Facts
Start / Finish - Boat Ramp, Deepwater Basin Road, Milford Sound, 9679
Distance - 21km
Time - 4-6 hours
Difficulty - Easy
Tides - minimal affect
Cautions - In the Summer, the wind picks up most afternoon and blows up Milford Sound. Set off early to give yourself the best conditions
Key Planning Information
Wind
Swell
Park in the car park at the end of Deepwater Basin Road, where the public boat ramp is. There's a small building here with toilets and fresh water (note, this water must be boiled before drinking).
Set off paddling through the sheltered water of Deep Water Basin. Within the first km the views will start to open out as you paddle into Milford Sound proper. Off to your right is Bowen Falls.
This journey is a loop around Milford Sound. You can do the loop in either direction, but the Western Side is more sheltered from the prevailing afternoon winds. It makes sense to go to the Eastern side first and get the shelter on the way home, unless the wind is already up - in which case you might consider paddling out and back on the Western side and not visit Harrison Cove.
As you enter Milford Sound and cross over to the Eastern side, be mindful of the tourist cruise boats which speed in and out of the harbour. They all tend to leave together, and return together. It may be worth waiting a few minutes to avoid the hassle of dodging them.
As you paddle to Harrison Cove you'll see some areas of the cliffs completely clean of trees. One tree will have its roots in the cracks in the rocks, all the other trees then attach their roots to the original tree (and other trees down the mountain). If the first tree gets uprooted, all of them go, leaving a completely bare section of rock!
As you enter Harrison Cove, keep your eyes peeled for Yellow Eyed Penguins which live inland from here. There are very few places where you can land on Milford Sound, so it may be worth having a break here.
Next, paddle onto Stirling Falls. This is a 151m high waterfall which cascades down into the sea. From here, cross over to the Eastern side and follow it back down towards Deepwater Basin. About 2/3s of the way back the land flattens out for Sinbad Gully, this is another point where you can stop for a break. This is the starting point for the walk up Mitre Peak.
