Travel Answers

My wife and I will be driving to Te Anau from Queenstown in mid July 2013. Is it best to book a Milford Sound tour ahead of time, or is it better to not book a tour and wait until we are in Te Anau or Queenstown with a better idea of what the weather might be? We have planned one night in Te Anau, and then thought we'd head toward Dunedin. Any suggestions?

Hi everyone, I am a fairly seasoned kayaker and outdoorsman from Canada and am trying to organize my own kayak experience in Milford sound this March/April. I have looked at a lot of the guided tour offerings for the area but would really prefer to just rent my own equipment as I expect it should be a lot cheaper and provide more freedom to explore as well. Does anyone know of anywhere in the sound its self that will rent equipment only or anyone in Te Anau that will do this?

Thanks!

Hi Folks - th eroad to Milford Sound is closed due to a rock fall and it is expected to remain this way for several days - see nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic...

Hi all, Myself and my girlfriend are trekking the Routeburn track in early January, and are camping. I am a bit of a novice, so some advice on what to take would be greatly appreciated! My list so far: - A lightweight tent (need to buy) - Small sleeping bad + some kind of mat - Ready to eat food (where to buy?) - Ice coffee mix or some way to get my coffee dose without boiling water I figure it would be easier to take ready to eat food, and save on carrying cooking tools. I assume you are not allowed fires. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I'll be at Milford Sound in coming mid-Oct, taking the overnight boat cruise. Wonder if Waterproof Jacket is necessary? We're also aware that the temperature there may drop to zero or lower in mid-Oct, do they have jackets for rental before or after we board the boat, or even at Te Anau? Many thanks!

My husband and I are planning a trip to NZ in June 2012. We really want to see Milford Sound but are wondering what to expect. If anyone can answer my questions, it would help us get an idea of what to plan. 1. Can we kayak Milford Sound in June? 2. If so, can we do a self-guided trip with rented kayaks or do we have to go with a guided group? 3. What is the Milford road like in June? 4. What type of wildlife is in the Sound during this month? Thanks!

We're two Texans planning a June trip to NZ. That's when our summer break is, so that's our only opportunity to travel for any significant number of days. We have a few questions: 1. What are the best things to do in Milford Sound during the winter? 2. We've read about overnight cruises but it seems like they don't occur during the winter...is that true? Do any companies offer a winter overnight cruise? 3. Is there any place to stay in that area aside from Milford Sound Lodge? I've read several unflattering reviews of it. 4. Any other tips? We have about 4 days to spend in that region and we'd like to take in the beautiful scenery as much as possible.

Hey guys, I'm from Bristol UK, no experience of NZ at all but from the photos I have seen, I am completely set on visiting Milford Sound. However I just had a couple of questions I could do with answering... -Is there a flat entry cost to visit Milford Sound or could it be done completely for free (on a student budget here!)? -Is it possible to drive down in a campervan and spend a couple of days there sleeping in the van? Advice appreciated!

We will be in NZ from 24 Oct - 1st Nov 2011. From Queenstown we plan to drive to Milford Sound. Would like your advice on the following :- Travel to Te Anau from Queenstown at 5 pm. Stay at Te Anau. (We did that before,we started from Queenstown at 6 pm, went to Arrowtown and reach Te Anau at 11 pm. Unfortunately the road to Milford Sound was closed.) In the morning at 8 a.m travel to Milford Sound. Is there cruise ship around 12 afternoon ? If yes, how many hours is the cruise, is it 2 hours ? How much is the charges per person.What is the normal cruise boat schedule in a day ? I know the earliest is at 9am. In order to take this cruise we need to depart Te Anau maybe at 6 am . Maybe thats too early. Is the above itinerary OK ? Thank You. Khalid48 Malaysia

will I have to waear a winter coat while hiking in November...Is it cold in the huts at night..unguided

Hello everyone, For a number of reasons (mostly outside of my control!) I'll be visiting NZ the second week of October (arriving the 8th) and staying for about 10 days. Had really wanted to do the Milford Track, but understand that's a few weeks too early. So, had two questions: 1) Given that I will be on one stop of a longer route, I wont have a full set of trek gear with me. Would I be able to get gear in the area? 2) Assume I would need to plan on being almost entirely self-sufficient - food, drink, etc? And, any sense of how busy it could be in the time period? 3) If it's just not feasible (or plain dumb), can anyone recommend any alternate walks that are open a bit earlier in the year? Thank you in advance!

Planning to go for a boat tour in the morning - anyone have got any positive experience to share with a particular boat tour company? Hopeful for some good suggestions! Thanks in advance! =)

Hi all, I am wondering which time of the day would it be ideal for the milford sound cruise. I am targetting 9am cruise due to being cheapest and no traffic or parking worries. But I am not sure if the sun's altitude might affect photography and view. Can you please advise? Thanks!

Hi there, My best friend and I are doing the Milford Sound trek on November 28th and I am wondering if anyone can tell me what to bring that maybe they didn't think of or wished they'd had, essentials etc. Are the bags they have for hire good enough or do you wish you'd bought your own? I also have bought some clothes though want to make sure I have got the right type of stuff... I have 2 t-shirts, singlet, a polofleece jumper, a jacket(water & wind proof etc), some long johns, wind & water proof pants and shorts all from Kathmandu is this enough warmth? thanking you in advance!

Hello, Is there anyone can tell me if it is a good idea to drive to Milford Sound from Queenstown and back in one day? How is driving condition in mid June? Thanks.

Good Day, My Husband and brother and law and I are going to be going to Milford Trail in 2010. Does anyone know what website we would go to and book the accommodation and to find out more about the trail. I have looked at a couple of websites but it is not what I am looking for. A)Cost for luxury accommodation B) Can you book it without a guide C) What are the parks fee D) is there a phone number that we can call to book the accommodation E) Website we can go and look at to find out more about the trail and the economy accommodation. Thank you everyone for helping me. This is going to be such a life saver.

Hello! Does anyone know of a service that will transport our car from Queenstown to Milford while we hike the Routeburn Track? Many thanks, Anne

Hi! I had a couple quick questions: I was looking to be in Milford Sound around May 8th. Reading the forums, it seems that the weather can be either a light dusting of snow all the way to a full out blizzard. I really was not interested in tramping due to time limitations, but moreso just driving from Queenstown to Milford Sound and enjoying the views along the way. What are the chances for the roads to be closed? And how long will the drive be during this time period? And can you drive at night? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

In November I will be staying a couple nights in Te Anau. I plan to drive to Milford to hopefully avoid the coach crowds. What time cruise should I aim at to do that ?? And any recommendations for tour operators ?? My browsing so far has me thinking Mitre Peak cruises might be ok ? Cheers for any help.

Thanks to some people who suggest Bus/Coach Daytrip Queenstown - Milford Sound. I'm planing my trip to Queenstown and would like to visit Milford Sound for a day. Anybody suggest a company/price? Thanks a lot.

We have planned a day trip up to Milford Sounds into our short stay in South Island in August, but have recently read concerning information about Avalanches. We have rented a 4x4 in the hope that this would be more suitable for the journey and had planned a day trip, leaving Te Anau and getting back to Queenstown for that night. I am aware thats about 5 hrs of driving in good conditions - that bit doesnt worry me. However, what are the chances of the road being closed or high avalanche risks at the end of August (28th/29th)? , The website i saw mentioned 4 months of risk but is it higher or lower in August. I hadnt planned on getting chains, but saw that this is sometimes a legal requirement (not sure if i want to drive in such bad conditions). I really dont want to miss out on the beauty of Milford Sounds, but need some advise.

Hi I have posted a couple of questions re the Milford Track but wanted to know if anyone can give me any indication of how difficult the river crossings are in the 'winter season' when the bridges are removed (we are planning to go in early May)? Obviously they are not inpassable as otherwise DOC would not keep the track open at all but does anyone know how deep the rivers are? Is the water fast flowing? Thanks.

Hi Everyone has been warning me about the sandflies on the Milford Track and saying we should take insect repellent (which we would anyway) but what are the sandflies like in May? Are they still around or is it starting to get too cool for them? Thanks.

Hi My husband and I are going to hike the Milford Track in May but it seems a lot of transport companies don't have scheduled transport 'out of season'. Can anyone recommend a transport company that will take us from Queenstown to the start of the track? I found one transport company (Topline Tours) who advise that their service operates between Queenstown and Te Anau only (departing Queenstown at 2pm), but we need to get to Te Anau Downs and then get boat transport to the start of the track. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hi, I realise that the 'season' for tramping Milford or Routeburn ends in April but has anyone done it in May? Although there appears to be spaces available at the end of April, for work reasons we can't go until first week of May 2008. Would anyone recommend NOT doing it then? Is it that much colder than April and is the risk of avalanche that much greater? I know that the huts are stripped of a lot of the facilities such as gas cookers etc but we are happy to carry in whatever is required. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hi, Based on experiences, I would like to know the best vantage points around for landscape photography on Routeburn track and Milford Sound (for a Mid February tour). Just part of my pre-visit research. Thanks Srujan

I am a bit confused here. Its mainly VT who is at fault. Milford Sound is not really a destination unto itself, its a part of the Fjordlands National Park. Looking for general info on the park as a whole. Including tips on tours, accomodations and something on those mischeivous Keas. Can anyone help?

Hi, I'm planning to visit Milford and join nature cruises on Feb 2008. However, I'm not sure whether to join Deep Underwater Observatory activity. Did anyone join this activity? is it worth? Many thanks

When is the best time to visit both the Milford Track AND the Great Barrier Reef? We are planning to spend about three weeks each in Australia and New Zealand in the February to May time period. We want to snorkel/dive in the Reef and hike the Track.

I am interested in the Doubtful Sound Day and/or Overnight trip with real journeys. www.realjourneys.co.nz Although I might prefer an overnight cruise, in the interest of saving money, maybe I should just consider the day trip. Can anyone tell me about the Day vs. Overnight? What more does the Overnight cover, or what would I miss by just doing the Day trip? Yes, I also plan to do the Milford day cruise. Is it a good idea to do both Milford and Doubtful sounds? Thanks for any advice and information you can share. Steve