[Moorf]

We're heading off on a trip down to Milford Sound and Invercargill at the end of August (with a stop over at Kat's en route!! :raebanana). We'll be staying mostly in Top Ten campsites in their chalets cos they're cheap and well equipped and usually in great locations.

Has anyone done Milford Sound and if so, would you recommend the boat or plane trip? Are there other alternatives?

Plus, I know there's the glow-worm caves to visit - what else is there I should do, or avoid, down that way?

Cheers
Moorf

[Park City Partner]

Milford Sound in a word is spectacular! I was there at the completion of the Milford track and we took a boat tour of the sound. It was awesome. I am sure a place would be cool to but I really liked the boat. It takes you RIGHT up to waterfalls, I mean you can feel the spray. Fun. I didn't do much else as we had to leave to get back but it is an amazing place.

Have fun!

[jen]

We took an overnight trip on the Milford Mariner & it was wonderful. It's so amazingly quiet at night & in the morning out on the water. We got to paddle around on kayaks they had on board & saw crested penguins up close. A pod of dolphins swam alongside the boat for awhile.

The scenery along Milford Road is stunning, too so give yourself time to explore. We took a little side road to Humbolt Falls, which was well worth the time. We went in late September and here's one of our pics from along the road:

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x147/graciec_2007/milfordsmall.jpg

[wiki]

Hey Helen,

I'm so glad you're finally heading over to Milford. This is actually a great time to go because the waterfalls will be massive, although there is a small risk the Milford Road might be shut.

I'd recommend the boat trip - flying is nice but you want a beautifully clear and crisp day. At this time of year the boat is going to give you the more spectacular trip because the mist will be above you, rather than below.

If you're staying at cabins in Te Anau I'd recommend

http://www.teanautop10.co.nz/

My dad used to help out there after he retired and it's a beautiful spot opening onto the lake and the town centre is only a two minute walk away.

The glow-worms are a really unusual trip across - except they show you what they look like before you go down the caves and those bugs are UGLY! It makes it a lot less romantic, and I'd have rather seen the pictures afterwards.

Depending on how much time you spend in Te Anau, my other recommendations would be to either drive to the control gates (signposted on the way to Manapouri - turn down towards the golf course) and take a walk along part of the Kepler track. It's lovely to walk in the bush along the lakes edge. If you feel really energetic you can walk right around the lake to get to it.

The other option if you're in a spending mood is to head over the Doubtful Sound - I love this place more than Milford, but it's harder to get to.

You need to take the trip from Manapouri (20 mins drive from Te Anau) and they boat you over to the Manapouri power station and you get a bus down a huge spiral underground round to the machine hall. then when you come out the bus takes you over the saddle and down into Deep Cove where you hop on a boat that takes you out into the sound. Doubtful is known as "the sound of silence" because they switch the engines off and it becomes eerily quiet. You're also really likely to have dophins swim alongside the boat. Doubtful is a narrower sound and looks like something out of The Lost World (not that I've ever seen a dinosaur there!)

And just down Mokanui Street from the campsite is a great pub with some dining called the Redcliffe. My dad was a regular, and it had a lovely feel last time I was there.

Any questions - please ask!

(oh, and you're in Invercargill too soon - I don't arrive until Oct 11 :( )

But have fun - I'm actually quite jealous you're heading to my two home towns before I get a chance to see them again!

[Caroline and Dave]

Hi Moorf,
We did the Milford Sound boat trip in March this year and it is spectacular but be prepared to get wet. We had the most terrible weather and a lot of low cloud .Had we gone on a better day then it would have been so fantastic. But we still enjoyed it and the more rain,the better the waterfalls. Here are some pics
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q109/davros1nz/087.jpg

Caroline enjoying the lovely weather.

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q109/davros1nz/103.jpg

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q109/davros1nz/094.jpg

I would say definitely do the boat trip. The guide said that the boat runs in all weathers but the helicopters are very much hit and miss depending on the weather. On a clear day you will have some fantastic views.

Hope this helps

Dave and Caroline

[nippa&pippa]

Moorf, let me know how it go, where did you go etc as plan to go down to milford sound in february with me, OH, two children, a baby, MIL and puppy in campervan :laugh
Mad are we??:exit

[Moorf]

Oh WOW guys - thank you so much for all your info!!

Wiki - I'm damned sure we can drive a few hours south to see you guys when you arrive! Just get those leccy blankets on!! :nice1

Dave/Caroline - had one of those heart-welling moments after seeing those pics - can't wait to hear the power of the waterfalls. I know, I'm a soppy cow at heart, show me a seal frolicking and I'm blubbing...Sorry folks, but I'm praying for rain down south for the next few weeks!!

Jen - I'm working on hubby to fork out for the overnight trip!

Sophia - we'll give you all the gossip over a curry ;)

Best
Moorf

[Caroline and Dave]

Dave/Caroline - had one of those heart-welling moments after seeing those pics - can't wait to hear the power of the waterfalls. I know, I'm a soppy cow at heart, show me a seal frolicking and I'm blubbing...Sorry folks, but I'm praying for rain down south for the next few weeks!!


Moorf

Well Moorf,they even have the seals there, so you had better take plenty of hankies :)


http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q109/davros1nz/098.jpg

[DMcG]

A group of us went to Milford Sound on my first trip to new Zealand several years back (we'd been tramping in Dusky Sound). We took the overnighter on the Milford Wanderer (if it's still running) and the weather was good enough for us to get right out of the sound and watch the sunset. The next day we had seals, dolphins and penguins - and perfect weather!

We're planning to head back down that way at the end of August and would love to visit Milford and/or Doubtful depending on time and weather. You'll need to get a set of snow chains for your vehicle as weather conditions can block the road even in late winter/early spring. I think there's now a manned booth just outside Te-Anau and they'll turn back vehicles if you don't have chains and they think the weather requires them.

Check the Transit website here (http://www.milfordroad.co.nz/html/about.html) and particularly this page (http://www.milfordroad.co.nz/RoadStatus.do) which gives you the live status of the road.

Dougie

[Moorf]

Noted - hankies, snow chains and, by the looks of it, wet weather gear!! Thanks guys, some great info! Not long to go and I can't wait! :raebanana

[mossum]

This thread has reminded me of our honeymoon ....... 2006

we went on a coach trip from Queenstown to Milford Sounds - we , apart from the coach driver , were the only english speakers on the coach( Lucky them - read on ... ) We had a lovely day , the bush was green the rivers - that fantastic kiwi blue , the road side waterfalls plentyful , we stopped at the entrance to the homer tunnel - it was at that time 1 lane only & traffic took turns to drive in either way . We were amazed to see such large ammounts of snow at the entrance as it was january .

Eventually we set off into the tunnel - wow what an amazing engineering feat ! Part way through our coach came to a grinding halt " F*** !%$£!! " the driver loudly exclaimed "the air brakes have gone !!!!! his mike was on albeit quietly ! Everone else on the bus was blissfully unaware . LOL I was totally petrified ! the bus could not go above 10 kph without comming to a grinding halt - that was the saftey mechanism kicking in - boy was I glad to get to the boat down on the other side .

The sounds were lovely - although we had a very murky day & visability was poor , stirling falls were spectacular & we lived to tell the tale !!!

Te anau caves , tew anau au - or the "caves of rushing water" were fantastic - but I was totally chomped on by the local sand fly populus !!!

happy memories

vic x

[bumpffslam]

As a private pilot who has flown for 20 years in UK and Europe, I can say that flying around the mountains and in and out of Milford Sound is simply spectacular and should not be missed!

You can still go out on a boat trip as the airfield is right next to the landing and the cafe.

You can fly with several operators from Queenstown or a couple of operators from Wanaka. I'd recommend flying from Wanaka as you will get to see much more.

[wiki]

You don't need to buy snow chains - you can rent them from one of the petrol stations in Te Anau. There's one on the way in and another on the main street heading down to the lake.

And it's good advice to get some sandfly repellent because wherever there is a bit of running water they congregate and Milford is particularly bad!

[katandbob]

And it's good advice to get some sandfly repellent because wherever there is a bit of running water they congregate and Milford is particularly bad!

SUPER STRENGTH!!!:uhoh they didn't name the Cafe behind the house we rented Sandfly for nothing!

But its still a relaxing beautiful place, we walked part of the Rainbows reach and can't wait to do the whole Kepler track sometime soon

Kat

[The Hodges]

We visited Milford Sound in 2003. We drove down to Te Anau and boarded the coach that left the I-Site around 9:30. We thought about driving ourselves, but as we'd done all of the driving so far on our holiday, we'd thought it would be nice to be driven for once.

It was pretty good and the coach driver stopped off on the way are various points, including Mirror Lakes:

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/tonyclarehodge/Milford%20Sound/a9e4ef9c.jpg

We then stopped off at some toilets, where I couldn't resist taking this photograph:

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/tonyclarehodge/Milford%20Sound/6a9b911c.jpg

You'll also pass The Chasm, which is a pretty good short walk too, on a boarded and track walk. It claimed to take an hour, but only took us half that.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/tonyclarehodge/Milford%20Sound/64b5b079.jpg

[The Hodges]

And just for you Moorf, here some other pictures just to prove that C&D's weren't a fluke:

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/tonyclarehodge/Milford%20Sound/6cab9cdf.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/tonyclarehodge/Milford%20Sound/bb11420f.jpg

[Moorf]

Oh WOW!! Thanks guys - I hadn't quite realised what we were in for!

So, would you recommend the coach over driving yourself or would you say that depends on the weather?

Moorf

[The Hodges]

We were quite happy with the coach tour, which included the boat trip, which we were more than happy with, but it depends if you want an aerial or sea view. If you're going late August, there may be a risk of snow and I would not want to risk driving through the Homer Tunnel and the pass during those weather conditions, but you may be in to that...

The only trouble is with a coach trip is that you are fixed where and how long you stop for, but it does mean you can sit back and relax. Pop in to your local I-Site and see what they offer at what cost, as we can't remember what we paid. Sorry. :o

With regard to your original question, we didn't do the Glow Worm caves at Te Anau, we did them at Waitomo. Has anyone done them at both and which was better?

[benandclare]

If our container wasnt hot footing to NZ on the open seas I'd add our piccies too:nice1 but as it is check out our profile pic taking on our 2006 honeymoon :clap

Ben

[Moorf]

Gutted - the overnight cruises aren't running while we're down there :wah - oh well, glow-worm caves are back on the agenda and the money we'll save is paying for War of the Worlds!! :D

[davehunter]

Its a nice round trip, through Tuatapere, stop off and have a sausage. down to Invercargill and back up via the coastal route, Catherderal caves is worth a visit, and Tautuku beach is quite a site, enjoy.

[KelvinAng]

I love Milford Sound. A fellow tourist and I decided to stay over at Milford Sound Lodge (backpackers hostel about 15min walk from the ferry terminal) last June instead of doing a day-trip and I'm glad we did it that way.

We were lucky and had excellent weather on the first day! The views are incredible. Besides seals and penguins, there's also the playful dolphins that came by to check us out as we cruise in the waters. The second day was very misty, which in my opinion makes the cruise less desirable but on the other hand shows Milford Sound in a different light. Both days are equally beautiful to me.

783
Dolphins, probably mother and calf

Besides the cruise, there's an additional tour you can do called Milford Deep. It's an underwater observatory where the main attractions are the Black Corals, supposedly rarely seen in the wild and only found in very deep waters. The fresh water from melting glaciers that float above the seawater at Milford Sound makes it a unique place where these corals actually can survive at just meters under the water surface, we were told. We did the last available session and hence had to come back to mainland on a small motorboat instead of the big cruise ship, but that makes it a totally different experience in itself. Being so close to the waters does seem to make the Sound even more grand.

784
Milford Sound at dusk

[Moorf]

Fab tips, thanks guys!

@Wiki - love the sound of Doubtful - we've decided, due to the changeable weather, not to set our hearts on any one thing but we've made a note of all the options!!


Its a nice round trip, through Tuatapere, stop off and have a sausage. down to Invercargill and back up via the coastal route, Catherderal caves is worth a visit, and Tautuku beach is quite a site, enjoy.

Cheers for that - we'll be going via Invercargill to stay with friends :nice1 - Have to ask - what's with the sausage - speciality or something?


Besides the cruise, there's an additional tour you can do called Milford Deep.

Cheers, I'd been reading about this option and wondered if it might be too similar to the Queenstown u/water observatory (which was a bit, errr, boring :uhoh apart from my OCD which led me to completely overfeed the fish :D) but it sounds like it could be worth the detour.

Keep 'em coming guys...

[wiki]

Fab tips, thanks guys!

Cheers for that - we'll be going via Invercargill to stay with friends :nice1 - Have to ask - what's with the sausage - speciality or something?


A long time ago Tuatapere started calling itself the "Sausage Capital of the World" - I seem to remember it won the national competition that year but we're probably talking mid-80s. And it's a tag that's stuck.

I've tried them though, and they're not that fabulous - my Dad made much nicer sausages! (he just didn't boast about them) lol.

Taking the scenic route is quite nice as it goes through Riverton and the road around Te Wae Wae Bay is stunning and there's pretty much no one there at all.

[Moorf]

It will be strange being there, Wiki, and perhaps walking past, or talking to, your Dad and not even knowing it!!

Spookily, my neighbour also recommended the Redcliffe (she knows I love lamb!) :nice1

I'll get you a few piccies to whet your whistle :D

[wiki]

You'd only bump into my dad if you were heading through Gore - he sort of retired just over a year ago and moved out of Te Anau to be closer to the rest of my mob (who live in Gore, Alex and Dunedin so Gore is pretty central) and with me angling for an Invercargill return I'll only be 40 mins away, rather than the 90 mins to Te Anau.

But I am smiling at the idea of you and Woz wandering around the streets where I mooched during my teenage years - it's a beautiful town, and I hope you have a wonderful trip there.

[Moorf]

Ahhh, it'll be fab!

We're heading down thru Invers, to Dunedin and up thru Oamaru and home... weather permitting!

Top 10's all the way too, with our Top 10 card we save 10 percent on all accommodation :D

[katandbob]

See you soon Helen (directions to ours on the way via email)
If you come here via Tuatapere, (Riverton - Aparima Heritage trail) there are loads of scenic beaches on the way, and at Riverton, the Hot Chocs are Yum and came with a stick of choc & marshmallows!:clap

oh and the rivers should be full, after all the rain!;) ;)
Kat

[KelvinAng]

Cheers, I'd been reading about this option and wondered if it might be too similar to the Queenstown u/water observatory (which was a bit, errr, boring :uhoh apart from my OCD which led me to completely overfeed the fish :D) but it sounds like it could be worth the detour.

I've got to admit it definitely wasn't the most exciting thing I've seen/done in NZ. To make things worse, you can't even feed fishes here :D I guess if there's one thing I've learned from the trip, it's that black corals aren't black in colour! It is interesting to get "down there" though and actually experience for myself how limited the visibility is. I probably wouldn't see a shark coming for me until it's about to swallow me whole.

[Moorf]

:laugh So, basically, you went down there and discovered just how much you, err, couldn't see.. you're not selling this to me you know!!

I'm drawn to crossing this off the list unless there is less visibility above ground :laugh - seen plenty of coral in my life!

[KelvinAng]

:laugh It's not a popular trip I reckon because very few passengers on board the ship I was on had the observatory visit booked. I think the only reason why anyone would want to go there is to see the black corals, so if they aren't your thing perhaps then it's better to spend the money on something nicer. Like an idyllic day at Lake Tekapo, perhaps!

[Moorf]

Oh yes, Tekapo. That isn't too far from us really so we do that in a day trip :nice1 - I'm more interested in what's around Te Anau (except, err, coral! :uhoh)

Any observatories, of the astronomy type, down Te Anau way?

[KelvinAng]

Any observatories, of the astronomy type, down Te Anau way?

The only astronomy observatory that I know of is Mt John Observatory, near Lake Tekapo. The only observatory in Te Anau that I know of is the Underground Trout Observatory :uhoh

I'm not sure if there's anything particularly interesting to do or see in the Te Anau region. Seems that most other tourists I met in Te Anau or Invercargill are there only because they are passing through, while doing the Southern Scenic Drive route. By any chance are you doing this route as well?

If you visit Dunedin, perhaps you may fancy a drive or walk up the world's steepest street, just for the fun of it :D

787 788

[katandbob]

Te Anau is nothing like QT, in fact its quite laid back and slow (maybe thats why I was thinking of retiring there! LOL)
http://www.vianet.travel/nz/2096680/5519058/40000/Te+Anau#
this shows a few things you can do there, but the main attraction is the Walks.

[katandbob]

The only astronomy observatory that I know of is Mt John Observatory, near Lake Tekapo. The only observatory in Te Anau that I know of is the Underground Trout Observatory :uhoh

I'm not sure if there's anything particularly interesting to do or see in the Te Anau region. Seems that most other tourists I met in Te Anau or Invercargill are there only because they are passing through, while doing the Southern Scenic Drive route. By any chance are you doing this route as well?

If you visit Dunedin, perhaps you may fancy a drive or walk up the world's steepest street, just for the fun of it :D

787 788

mmm did you actually stay in Te anau or Invercargill?

Yes Te Anau is for walkers, ie its not high thrills like Queenstown. just because you didn't like it, don't assume that theres nothing to do there.

and as for Invercargill - theres tons to do and see here.
http://www.vianet.travel/nz/2152597/5411632/160000/Invercargill

then theres Bluff & stewart Island.

Invercargill also has indoor things such as bowling, ten-pin bowling, splash palace, then theres Sandy Point, which has so much going on at the weekends - ie rugby, footy, golf, water skiing, rowing, equestrian, Teratonga race course,motorbikes, paintball, archery.... the list goes on.
http://www.vianet.travel/nz/2144375/5408676/10000/Sandy+Point+Domain+Road
sorry but it annoys the heck out of me when people slate our region, as a stop over!

Kat

[KelvinAng]

mmm did you actually stay in Te anau or Invercargill?

Hi Kat!

Opps, I'm not suggesting that the region is a stopover. It's just that most other tourists I've met while I was there think that way.

I've stayed one night in Te Anau and a couple of days in Invercargill. Can't say much about Lake Te Anau other than it's really peaceful and quiet. You don't hear much about that place in the media, which is good news in my opinion. Like you said, it's probably an excellent place for retirement. I myself would LOVE to stay in Lake Tekapo (which I hear is Maori for "sleeping mat", suggesting that place is a stopover!).

Invercargill was surprisingly active on a Sunday! I arrived there thinking few shops will be opened for business but I was wrong. I think about half the shops in town were opened. The people there are also among the most friendly Kiwis I've met too. Perhaps it's because I'm Asian, Kiwis don't normally come up to me and initiate chats but I've had two such incidents in Invercargill as I was walking around town (and nowhere else, during my one month travel in the South Island).

I'll like to travel to Steward Island! It was part of my original travel itinerary but I crossed that out because I spent too much time elsewhere and was running out of funds. The boat ride would be an adventure in itself :D

[tiefchord]

Milford sound is awesome - and about the closest you can get to feeling the "old world."

[saralou]

We spent 3 days around Milford and Te Anau and had a fantastic time. Glow worm caves in Te Anau are really good if you have young children and its a nice boat trip. We pre-booked the caves and a boat trip on the Sound on the net and got a good real with real journeys.

Milford is simply breath-taking, just make sure you leave plenty of time for stops as there is just so much to see. Hollyford camp is a nice wee place with a little museum attached and the owners were some of the friendliest people we met in NZ. I left my purse there (drivers licence, credit cards etc all inside) but the owners called the police in Te Anau to let us know they had found it and kept it until we made it back. Needless to say nothing had gone missing - if that was in the UK I dread to think what would have left my account.

One word of warning for the Milford tunnel - watch the car in front of you as they will hit all the pot holes first! We forgot that gem if information and ended up being the first in the queue at the lights, hit the mother of all pot holes and nearly lost the exhaust of the hire car. :uhoh

As for Invercargill - we love the place and are still hoping to settle there. The drive from Te Anau along the scenic route is fab, another little diamond is gemstone bay.

[katandbob]

The drive from Te Anau along the scenic route is fab, another little diamond is gemstone bay.

its a year since we did that trip, can you remember if Gemstone is the beach with this in the cliff?

[katandbob]

This document was posted on our classifieds at work, so I thought I would see if I could find it & upload onto the forum, as I think is is worth the read, and also we may not be able to visit the sound for much longer (and if it saves the dolphins its going to have to be that way)

http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/getting-involved/consultations/current-consultations/bottlenose-dolphin-book.pdf

and quote DOC

OVER TO YOU -
DOC encorages you to make suggestions in order to help develop an informed strategy to address the decline in the bottlenose dolphin population in the Doubtful Sound complex. A number of interested groups and people have already indicated their interest in this process. DOC appreciates and acknowledges teir contributions and seeks further input from all interested parties.
For further informationonany aspect of this document or on how to be involved - call the Dep of Conservation, Southland Conservancy by phoning (03) 2112465 or by emailing cwilliams @doc.govt.nz



send your suggestions on the form onthe website by 5th sept 07

Kat

[saralou]

its a year since we did that trip, can you remember if Gemstone is the beach with this in the cliff?

Thats the one Kat. We spoke to a Riverton local who knows the owner and sadly the cliff is eroding so they don't have much time left in the batch but did say they were looking for another location to do the same. The beach has a great little info board on what semi-precious stones can be found there.

I think cosy nook is on the same route - an old fishing settlement with only 2 or three houses but a great view.

Once I work out how to make my photos smaller will try and post some on. This thread has made me look at them all over again and has reminded me of some of the great places we found and has reaffirmed our wish to emigrate so thanks to everyone who has posted thus far!

[saralou]

Finally worked out the pics!:raebanana :raebanana

[Moorf]

Well, we're off on our jolly to Te Anau tomorrow via a stopover in Wanaka - thanks everyone for all your tips and Gemstone Bay is definitely on the itinerary now!

I've been banned from taking my laptop with me :wah but, don't worry, I'll bore you all to death with photo's on our return :D

Moorf

[katandbob]

Well, we're off on our jolly to Te Anau tomorrow via a stopover in Wanaka - thanks everyone for all your tips and Gemstone Bay is definitely on the itinerary now!

I've been banned from taking my laptop with me :wah but, don't worry, I'll bore you all to death with photo's on our return :D

Moorf

I'll post the pic of the two explorers at our house after approval from Moorf;)

Kat:cheers

[jubjub]

Finally worked out the pics!:raebanana :raebanana

Stunning pics....

[DMcG]

A week today, my OH and I will be driving south to the Mainland :)
We've got two weeks off (plus a couple of days) and are heading for Milford/Doubtful sound and central Otago.
Wait for the pics :D

Dougie

[Moorf]

Just over 2000km and several Speights' Ale Houses later we're back... wow.. what a trip... need a week to recover and write it up! :nice1

[katandbob]

Just over 2000km and several Speights' Ale Houses later we're back... wow.. what a trip... need a week to recover and write it up! :nice1

Helen & Woz came to our place en-route home via the scenic route.

Helen has ok'd the picture - and apologies for it being slightly out of focus - I took it after the nice wine we had tasted;)

Helen the wine we had was ....Rosemount Estate - Sangiovese 2004 its an Australian wine.

Fluffy was quite taken with Helen & Woz, as she is not the most friendly of cats and I was surprised she stayed still for the picture:D

It was nice to see Helen again, and to finally meet Woz.

See you soon Guys and thanks for the Pizza!:nice1 (Can give a Thumbs up to Soprano's on Tay St!)

Kat & Rob - and of course fluffy!

[Caroline and Dave]

For those of you who have never been and those who have
Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al2865pFYmg

[Moorf]

The first bit of the trip is now on our NZLeggatts blog (link in sig)!! I've been too busy to get it done beforehand and hopefully I'll get the rest done this week!

[aberdian]

OK, question of the week - how long does it really take to get from Queenstown to Milford Sound, do a wee trip to see the preety bits and get back again? Bearing in mind we'll have a 2 year old and a 6 year old in tow....

Answers on a postcard ASAP as we need to book somewhere to stay as we'll be leaving in 2 weeks :)

[Moorf]

It took us, in the car and with no stops except a short petrol fill up in Kingston, approximately 2 hours to get from Queenstown to Te Anau.

We stayed the night in Te Anau and took a coach trip to Milford Sound early the next morning which included the cruise (well worth it - the drive can be hairy plus you don't get to look around). The trip from Te Anau, to Milford Sound, took around 2.5 hours - 3 hrs on the way there as we stopped of a couple of places for piccies.

It's also good if you can get on the earlier tours to Milford so that you beat the hoards of coaches that come from Queenstown each day. Apparently the drive from Queenstown to Te Anau in the morning can be terribly full of coaches and then, of course, you're behind them all the way to Milford Sound. Stay in Te Anau (Top 10 there was fantastic!) and get there early - that's my tip :yes

HTH
Moorf

[DMcG]

I'll second Moorf's idea. There are loads of places to stay in Te Anau and the Top Ten Holiday park is pretty good. The tourist coaches leave Queenstown about 6:30 I think, so they tend to be in Te Anau around 8:30 and Milford sound for 10:30. We actually stayed in Milford sound at the backpackers and managed to get an early boat trip that was only about a quarter full. When we got back to the warf there were vast crowds pouring off the coaches and boarding the boats. If you're staying in Te Anau, you really want to be on the road before 8. Oh, and watch the weather forecast - if it snows and you don't have chains for your car, you won't be allowed on the Milford Road.

Dougie

[wiki]

I lived in Te Anau for five years and agree totally - the earlier you can get to Milford, the better. There are places to stop on the way, like Mirror Lakes and the Chasm, but I'd advise stopping at those on the way home as most of the coaches stop on the way up and these places aren't really big enough for lots of people. Same goes for Milford - beautiful place, but not a lot of room and by lunchtime it's turned into a giant coach park so you're best to get on the boat early, see what you want to see and then start to drive back before the mass exodus.

90% of the coaches stop in Te Anau on the way up/back for toilet and food stops so don't be surprised if there's a couple of hours when you can't get a table at a cafe... the trick is to know which cafes the coach companies use, and you can always ask the people where you are staying for advice.

Te Anau is really lovely - a lot more laid back than Q'town and not as busy, but still incredibly beautiful.

[aberdian]

Thanks to all for the advice - we're flying into Queenstown on the morning of 9th Oct and driving straight to Te Anau. Anyone know if the units at the top 10 have seperate sleeping spaces or are they all open plan?

Cool. Now all we need is somewhere in CCH for a couple of nights......

[Moorf]

They have a variety of accommodaton available, some of it brand new.

If you go for a self catering option there's a fantastic kitchen and outside bbq areas with gas bbqs.

They have a website... http://www.teanautop10.co.nz/

Advisable to book ahead, it's really popular.

And for a lovely meal can I recommend La Tuscana (or something like that!) in the main street of Te Anau - just a few minutes walk from the Top 10 :nice1 - great Italian food, great if you have kids too.

[wiki]

And for a lovely meal can I recommend La Tuscana (or something like that!) in the main street of Te Anau - just a few minutes walk from the Top 10 - great Italian food, great if you have kids too.

La Toscana :)

http://www.latoscana.co.nz/

It's owned by my former social studies teacher and her husband!

[aberdian]

Fab and groovy :)

Many thanks to all, somewhere to eat and somewhere to stay!

[katandbob]

Fab and groovy :)

Many thanks to all, somewhere to eat and somewhere to stay!

The Sandfly Cafe had good food too, and the Indian resturant near the cinema,
Cole absoulutely loved the Retro Ball Lighting in the bar in the cinema....he kept dragging me in there pointing at them! the bar staff thought he was really cute, but a bit too young for a beer:cheers this was Jan 07.

enjoy both Qtown and Te Anau - DONT FORGET YOUR INSECT REPELLANT! or u will remember both places for all the wrong reasons;)

Kat

[aberdian]

enjoy both Qtown and Te Anau - DONT FORGET YOUR INSECT REPELLANT! or u will remember both places for all the wrong reasons;)


I have built in insect repellant. I just stay close to Fiona and they prefer her to me :)

[aberdian]

OK, next Q - where to stay and what to do in Queenstown?

[Moorf]

It depends on what you want - I hear the Top 10 park there is okay.

We stayed at the Outrigger - right on the lake front and a very quick walk to the main lakeside restaurants/activities. You can watch, and hear, the TSS Earnslaw come and go and the views are to die for.

The accommodation itself is really good and the 2-bed suites (we took my parents) are to be recommended - when you book confirm you'll get a lake view - if they're booked up there are some which have "lake glimpses" imho.

Heres the link: http://www.zqn.co.nz/beacon/

[aberdian]

Niiiiiiiiiice. That'll be two nights there then. Your commision is in the post :)

Many thanks for the help yet again.
#
Ian

[aberdian]

Niiiiiiiiiice. That'll be two nights there then. Your commision is in the post :)

Many thanks for the help yet again.
#
Ian
Just had a big "Oh no" moment and realised we get in to CCH a day later than I thought......not much to change, only flights to Qtown, car hire and accomodation. There's a word for people like me and it's not complimentary!

[akp713]

The flight into Qtown makes it worth it no matter what else you do, the plane seems to practically touch the mountains, The Remarkables, which are aptly named! The flight attendants tell everyone to turn off their cameras, but I snapped photos when they weren't looking and no harm was done, so by all means have you camera hidden and ready.

Once there though I'm afraid I can't be too much help. Qtown is the thrill seekers capital and I would suggest the shotover jet boat as the most fun but least frightening activity, even my mother the world's most nervous car passenger did it and enjoyed it. But for an activity with the kids you can't miss the gondola ride, the views are truly amazing. Overall though Qtown is very touristy and very expensive so if your plans are still somewhat open you should set out to see Wanaka to he north or Te Anau and Milford Sound to the south if possible.