Milford Sound is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Rudyard Kipling called it the eighth Wonder of the World. The fiord is most commonly accessed via road by tour coach, with the road terminating at a small village also called Milford Sound.
Panorama of Milford Sound looking northwest from the township. Mitre Peak (centre) rises 1,692 m (5,551 ft) above the sound.
Bottlenose dolphins swim under a rainbow.
Two swaggers boiling a billy of tea, Milford Sound by John Gibb, oil on canvas Christchurch 1886
The 151-metre (495 ft) Stirling Falls were named after Frederick Stirling, Captain of HMS Clio.
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounded landmasses of the northern and southern hemispheres. Norway's coastline is estimated to be 29,000 km (18,000 mi) long with its nearly 1,200 fjords, but only 2,500 km (1,600 mi) long excluding the fjords.
Geirangerfjord, Norway
A glacier in eastern Greenland flowing through a fjord carved by the movement of ice
Sørfjorden (Hardanger) with Sandvinvatnet and Odda Valley can be clearly seen as continuation of the fjord. Odda sits on the isthmus. Folgefonna on the right hand.
Muldalsfossen waterfall drops several hundred meters from the Muldalen hanging valley to Tafjorden.
