View source for Milford Sound

{{Short description|Fiord in the southwest of New Zealand's South Island}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name               = Milford Sound
| native_name        = {{native name|mi|Piopiotahi}}
<!--    Images     -->
| image              = Milford Sound (New Zealand).JPG
| alt                = Panorama of Milford Sound looking northwest from the township
| caption            = Panorama of Milford Sound looking northwest from the township. [[Mitre Peak (New Zealand)|Mitre Peak]] (centre) rises {{convert|1692|m|abbr=on}} above the sound.
<!--    Stats      -->
| location           = [[Fiordland]], New Zealand
| group              = 
| coordinates        = {{coord|44|38|53|S|167|54|20|E|region:NZ_type:waterbody|display =inline,title}}
| part_of            = [[Tasman Sea]]
| inflow             = 
| rivers             = [[Cleddau River]], [[Arthur River (New Zealand)|Arthur River]], [[Harrison River (New Zealand)|Harrison River]]
| length             = {{convert|15.1|km}}
| width              = {{convert|1.94|km}}
| area               = {{convert|25|km2}}
| depth              = 
| max-depth          = {{convert|291|m}}
<!--      Map      -->
| pushpin_map             = New Zealand Fiordland#New Zealand#Oceania
| pushpin_label_position  = 
| pushpin_map_alt         = Map of New Zealand with a mark showing the location of Milford Sound / Piopiotahi
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
<!--   Below       -->  
| website            = 
| reference          = <ref name="Dykstra2012">{{cite thesis |type=PhD |last=Dykstra|first=Jesse L. |date=2012 |title=The Post-LGM Evolution of Milford Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand: Timing of Ice Retreat, the Role of Mass Wasting & Implications for Hazards |publisher=University of Canterbury|location=Christchurch |doi=10.26021/6036 |doi-access=free|pages=1-314}}</ref>{{rp|p=77}}
}}

'''Milford Sound''' ({{Langx|mi|'''Piopiotahi'''}}, officially [[gazetted]] as '''Milford Sound / Piopiotahi''') is a [[fiord]] in the south west of New Zealand's [[South Island]] within [[Fiordland National Park]], [[Fiordland's marine reserves|Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) Marine Reserve]], and the [[Te Wahipounamu]] [[World Heritage]] site. It has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey (the ''2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards'' by TripAdvisor)<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090105051708/http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2008/06/tour-guide-milford-sound-new-z.html Tour Guide: Milford Sound, New Zealand] [[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]] Intelligent Travel Blog, 2 June 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations TripAdvisor 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Award] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021092919/http://www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations |date=21 October 2020 }} Downloadable PDF file (email address required)</ref> and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination.<ref name="SC">[http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0702/S00157.htm "Real Journeys rapt with Kiwi Must-Do's"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424140251/https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0702/S00157.htm |date=24 April 2021 }}, ''Scoop'', 13 February 2007.</ref> [[Rudyard Kipling]] called it the [[eighth Wonder of the World]].<ref>[http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/galleries/travelnewzealand/ "Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619091040/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/galleries/travelnewzealand/ |date=19 June 2006 }}. From the ''National Geographic'' Photo Galleries. Accessed 20 October 2007.</ref> The fiord is most commonly accessed via road ([[State Highway 94 (New Zealand)|State Highway 94]]) by tour coach, with the road terminating at a small village also called [[Milford Sound (village)|Milford Sound]].

==Etymology==
Milford Sound / Piopiotahi is one of roughly 90 places to have been given a [[List of dual place names in New Zealand|dual name]] as part of a 1998 [[Treaty of Waitangi]] [[Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements|settlement]] with [[Ngāi Tahu]], recognising the significance of the fiord to both [[Māori people|Māori]] and [[Pākehā]] New Zealanders.<ref>{{cite web |title=Schedule 96, Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 No 97 |url=https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0097/28.0/whole.html#DLM431335 |website=New Zealand Legislation |publisher=Parliamentary Counsel Office Te Tari Tohutohu Pāremata |access-date=14 January 2022 |archive-date=9 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009030524/https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0097/28.0/whole.html#DLM431335 |url-status=live }}</ref> This name consists of both the Māori name and the former official name used together as a single name, instead of as interchangeable alternate names.<ref>{{cite web |title=Find a place name |url=https://www.linz.govt.nz/regulatory/place-names/find-place-name |website=linz.govt.nz |publisher=Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand |access-date=14 January 2022 |archive-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115062808/https://www.linz.govt.nz/regulatory/place-names/find-place-name |url-status=live }}</ref> 

In [[Māori language|te reo Māori]], the fiord is known as ''Piopiotahi'' after the now extinct [[South Island piopio|piopio]], a thrush-like bird that used to inhabit New Zealand. According to the [[Māori mythology|Māori legend]] of [[Māui (Māori mythology)|Māui]] trying to win immortality for humanity, a single piopio flew to the fiord in mourning following Māui's death. The name Piopiotahi refers to this bird, with ''tahi'' meaning 'one' in Māori.<ref>{{cite web |title=Milford Sound and Māori History – Cruise Milford |url=https://www.cruisemilfordnz.com/milford-sound-history/milford-sound-and-maori-history/ |website=Cruise Milford Sound |access-date=14 January 2022 |archive-date=28 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628022716/https://www.cruisemilfordnz.com/milford-sound-history/milford-sound-and-maori-history/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The fiord was given its European name in 1823, when the sealer [[John Grono]] named it Milford Sound after [[Milford Haven (harbour)|Milford Haven]] in his birthplace of [[Wales]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Milford Sound History |url=https://www.milford-sound.co.nz/about/milford-sound-history/ |website=Milford Sound |language=en-NZ |access-date=24 April 2021 |archive-date=21 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521125504/https://www.milford-sound.co.nz/about/milford-sound-history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Cleddau River]], which flows into the fiord, was also named for its [[River Cleddau|Welsh namesake]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Milford Sound |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/761/milford-sound |website=Te Ara |access-date=1 December 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525132512/https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/761/milford-sound |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Geography==
As a fiord, Milford Sound was formed by [[glaciation]] over millions of years. The village at the end of the fiord is also known as [[Milford Sound (village)|Milford Sound]].

Milford Sound runs {{convert|15|km|mi}} inland from the [[Tasman Sea]] at Dale Point (also named after a location close to [[Milford Haven]] in Wales)—the mouth of the fiord—and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise {{convert|1200|m|ft}} or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at {{convert|1517|m|ft}}, said to resemble an [[elephant]]'s head,<ref>[http://www.mitrepeak.com/cruise-highlights/the-elephant/ The Elephant] {{webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070216175747/http://www.mitrepeak.com/cruise-highlights/the-elephant |date=16 February 2007 }} (from the mitrepeak.com cruise website)</ref> and The Lion, {{convert|1302|m|ft}}, in the shape of a crouching [[lion]].<ref>[http://www.mitrepeak.com/cruise-highlights/lion-mountain/ Lion Mountain] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214141609/http://www.mitrepeak.com/cruise-highlights/lion-mountain |date=14 February 2007 }} (from the mitrepeak.com cruise website)</ref>

Milford Sound sports two permanent waterfalls, [[Bowen Falls|Lady Bowen Falls]] and [[Stirling Falls]]<!-- Q16507472 -->.<ref>[http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/milford-sound/1 Milford Sound] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021032010/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/milford-sound/1 |date=21 October 2012 }}, ''Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand'', edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966, updated 22 April 9</ref> After heavy rain temporary waterfalls can be seen running down the steep sided rock faces that line the fiord. They are fed by rainwater-drenched moss and will last a few days once the rain stops.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

===Climate===
With a mean annual rainfall of {{Convert|6412|mm|0|abbr=on}} each year, a high level even for the [[West Coast, New Zealand|West Coast]], Milford Sound is known as the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world. Rainfall can reach {{Convert|250|mm|abbr=on|0}} during 24 hours.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.niwa.co.nz/sites/default/files/import/attachments/aclimsum_04.pdf |title=New Zealand National Climate Summary–The year 2004 |publisher=National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research |access-date=15 November 2011 |archive-date=16 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516003210/https://niwa.co.nz/sites/niwa.co.nz/files/import/attachments/aclimsum_04.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The rainfall creates dozens of temporary [[waterfalls]] (as well as several major, more permanent ones) cascading down the cliff faces, some reaching a thousand metres in length. Smaller falls from such heights may never reach the bottom of the sound, drifting away in the wind.

Accumulated rainwater can sometimes cause portions of the rainforest to lose their grip on sheer cliff faces, resulting in tree avalanches into the fiord—the regrowth of the rainforest after these avalanches can be seen in several locations along the sound.

{{Weather box
|location = [[Milford Sound Airport]] (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1934–present)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 28.3
|Feb record high C = 29.4
|Mar record high C = 27.4
|Apr record high C = 24.5
|May record high C = 20.7
|Jun record high C = 17.7
|Jul record high C = 19.3
|Aug record high C = 18.9
|Sep record high C = 20.8
|Oct record high C = 24.1
|Nov record high C = 25.9
|Dec record high C = 27.7
|year record high C = 29.4
|Jan record low C = 3.5
|Feb record low C = 2.7
|Mar record low C = 0.5
|Apr record low C = −1.7
|May record low C = -3.0
|Jun record low C = −4.3
|Jul record low C = −6.1
|Aug record low C = −3.3
|Sep record low C = −3.9
|Oct record low C = -1.0
|Nov record low C = 0.0
|Dec record low C = 1.5
|year record low C = −6.1
| Jan avg record high C  = 24.9
| Feb avg record high C  = 24.7
| Mar avg record high C  = 23.2
| Apr avg record high C  = 20.3
| May avg record high C  = 17.0
| Jun avg record high C  = 14.5
| Jul avg record high C  = 14.4
| Aug avg record high C  = 15.8
| Sep avg record high C  = 18.0
| Oct avg record high C  = 20.2
| Nov avg record high C  = 21.9
| Dec avg record high C  = 23.6
| year avg record high C = 25.6
|Jan high C = 	19.5
|Feb high C = 	20.0
|Mar high C = 	18.5
|Apr high C = 	15.9
|May high C = 	12.5
|Jun high C = 	9.3
|Jul high C = 	9.2
|Aug high C = 	11.2
|Sep high C = 	13.2
|Oct high C = 	15.0
|Nov high C = 	16.4
|Dec high C = 	18.5
| year high C = 	14.9
|Jan mean C = 	15.1
|Feb mean C = 	15.4
|Mar mean C = 	13.8
|Apr mean C = 	11.4
|May mean C = 	8.7
|Jun mean C = 	5.8
|Jul mean C = 	5.4
|Aug mean C = 	6.9
|Sep mean C = 	8.7
|Oct mean C = 	10.4
|Nov mean C = 	12.0
|Dec mean C = 	14.1
| year mean C = 	10.6
|Jan low C = 	10.7
|Feb low C = 	10.7
|Mar low C = 	9.2
|Apr low C = 	7.0
|May low C = 	4.9
|Jun low C = 	2.3
|Jul low C = 	1.6
|Aug low C = 	2.7
|Sep low C = 	4.1
|Oct low C = 	5.8
|Nov low C = 	7.6
|Dec low C = 	9.7
| year low C = 	6.4
| Jan avg record low C  = 5.9
| Feb avg record low C  = 6.1
| Mar avg record low C  = 4.5
| Apr avg record low C  = 2.3
| May avg record low C  = -0.1
| Jun avg record low C  = -1.6
| Jul avg record low C  = -2.0
| Aug avg record low C  = -1.2
| Sep avg record low C  = -0.3
| Oct avg record low C  = 1.0
| Nov avg record low C  = 2.6
| Dec avg record low C  = 5.0
| year avg record low C = -2.3
|rain colour = green	
|Jan rain mm = 	667.2
|Feb rain mm = 	466.6
|Mar rain mm = 	571.3
|Apr rain mm = 	528.2
|May rain mm = 	645.1
|Jun rain mm = 	440.4
|Jul rain mm = 	468.0
|Aug rain mm = 	457.0
|Sep rain mm = 	541.3
|Oct rain mm = 	617.2
|Nov rain mm = 	557.7
|Dec rain mm = 	585.1
|year rain mm = 	
| Jan rain days = 	16.3
| Feb rain days = 	12.8
| Mar rain days = 	14.4
| Apr rain days = 	13.3
| May rain days = 	15.6
| Jun rain days = 	14.6
| Jul rain days = 	14.4
| Aug rain days = 	16.0
| Sep rain days = 	17.6
| Oct rain days = 	17.6
| Nov rain days = 	15.3
| Dec rain days = 	16.9
| unit rain days = 1.0 mm		
| Jan humidity = 	90.7
| Feb humidity = 	93.3
| Mar humidity = 	93.6
| Apr humidity = 	93.4
| May humidity = 	94.3
| Jun humidity = 	95.2
| Jul humidity = 	94.1
| Aug humidity = 	94.9
| Sep humidity = 	93.6
| Oct humidity = 	92.3
| Nov humidity = 	89.2
| Dec humidity = 	88.9
|source 1 = NIWA Climate Data<ref name = NIWA>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240520001949/https://niwa.co.nz/climate-and-weather/climate-data-and-activities
| archive-date = 20 May 2024
| url = https://niwa.co.nz/climate-and-weather/climate-data-and-activities
| title = Climate data and activities
| publisher= NIWA
| access-date = 20 May 2024}}</ref>
|source 2 = CliFlo<ref name= CliFlo>{{cite web
  |url = http://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/
  |title = CliFlo – National Climate Database
  |publisher = NIWA
  |access-date = 13 December 2015
  |archive-date = 27 November 2015
  |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151127002612/http://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/
  |url-status = live
  }}</ref><ref name=" ">{{cite web
|url = https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/
|title = CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent numbers: 4107, 18309, 40987)
|publisher = NIWA
|access-date = 20 Jul 2024
|archive-date = 10 March 2020
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200310121410/https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/
|url-status = live
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url = https://niwa.co.nz/climate-and-weather/monthly
|title = Monthly climate summaries from December 2001 to the present.
|publisher = NIWA
|access-date = 13 Jul 2025}}</ref>
}}

===Wildlife===
[[Image:Dolphins in Milford Sound, New Zealand.jpg|thumb|[[Bottlenose dolphin]]s swim under a rainbow.]]

Milford Sound is home to a variety of marine mammals, including [[Pinniped|seals]] and the southernmost wild population of [[bottlenose dolphin]]s. [[Whale]]s, especially the [[Humpback whale|humpback]] and [[southern right whale]]s, are increasingly observed due to the recoveries of each species.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown-lakes/whale-watchers-dream|title=A whale watcher's dream|date=13 November 2015|website=[[Otago Daily Times]]|access-date=19 August 2016|archive-date=7 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220607115733/https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown-lakes/whale-watchers-dream|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fmg.org.nz/content/humpback-whale-migration-0|title=The Humpback Whale Migration – Fiordland Marine Guardians|website=www.fmg.org.nz|access-date=19 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716130520/http://www.fmg.org.nz/content/humpback-whale-migration-0|archive-date=16 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/8514824/Southern-right-whale-sightings-on-the-rise|title=Southern right whale sightings on the rise|website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]]|access-date=5 November 2019|archive-date=5 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105060943/http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/8514824/Southern-right-whale-sightings-on-the-rise|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Penguin]]s are also common within the sound, which is a breeding site for the [[Fiordland penguin]] and has subsequently been identified as an [[Important Bird Area]] by [[BirdLife International]].<ref>BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Milford Sound. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911172512/https://www.birdlife.org/ |date=11 September 2024 }} on 18 February 2012.</ref>

As a result of Milford Sound's high rainfall and the density of saltwater, the surface of Milford Sound is a layer of freshwater containing tannins from the surrounding rainforest.<ref>{{cite web |title=Milford Sound Wildlife |url=https://www.milford-sound.co.nz/about/milford-sound-wildlife/ |website=Milford Sound |language=en-NZ |access-date=12 January 2020 |archive-date=21 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521125458/https://www.milford-sound.co.nz/about/milford-sound-wildlife/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This filters much of the sunlight which enters the water, allowing for a variety of [[Black coral]] to be found at depths of as shallow as {{convert|10|m|ft}}, significantly closer to the surface than usual.<ref>{{cite web |title=Milford Sound Marine Life |url=https://www.milfordlodge.com/milford-sound-information/marine-life |website=Milford Lodge |access-date=12 January 2020 |archive-date=12 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112022605/https://www.milfordlodge.com/milford-sound-information/marine-life |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Two_swaggers_boiling_a_billy_of_tea,_Milford_Sound_by_John_Gibb.jpg|thumb|right|Two swaggers boiling a billy of tea, Milford Sound by [[John Gibb (painter)|John H. Gibb]], oil on canvas [[Christchurch]] 1886]]
[[File:Tour boat 'Milford Wanderer' below Stirling Falls in Milford Sound.jpg|thumb|right|The {{convert|151|m|adj=on}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Stirling Falls, Southland – NZ Topo Map|url=http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap/nz14889/Stirling-Falls/Southland|website=NZ Topo Map|publisher=[[Land Information New Zealand]]|access-date=4 September 2017|archive-date=4 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904111438/http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap/nz14889/Stirling-Falls/Southland|url-status=live}}</ref> Stirling Falls were named after [[Frederick Stirling]], Captain of {{HMS|Clio|1858|6}}.]]

European explorers initially overlooked Milford Sound because its narrow entry did not appear to lead into such large interior bays. Sailing ship captains such as [[James Cook]], who bypassed Milford Sound on his journeys for just this reason, also feared venturing too close to the steep mountainsides, afraid that wind conditions would prevent escape.

The fiord was known to local Māori<ref>{{Cite web|title=Milford Sound History|url=https://www.milford-sound.co.nz/about/milford-sound-history/|access-date=2021-04-24|website=Milford Sound|language=en-NZ|archive-date=21 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521125504/https://www.milford-sound.co.nz/about/milford-sound-history/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{unreliable source|date=August 2024}} who had acquired a large amount of local marine knowledge, including tidal patterns and fish feeding patterns over generations before European arrival. A [[pounamu]] outcrop used for tools by the Māori is reportedly on one side or other of the fiord at Anita Bay but the stone was found to be inferior quality when later first mined by Europeans.<ref name="Hector1892">{{cite book|url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Transactions_and_Proceedings_of_the_New/XmFRAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=james+cook+Milford+sound&pg=PA524&printsec=frontcover |pages=524–525 |title=Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 1891|volume =XXIV|chapter=On the working of Greenstone|last=Chapman |first= F.R. |editor-first=James |editor-last=Hector |editor-link=James Hector |year=1892 |location=Wellington |publisher=[[Royal Society Te Apārangi|New Zealand Institute]]}}</ref> 
The fiord remained unnoticed by Europeans until Captain [[John Grono]] discovered it {{circa|1812}} and named it Milford Haven after his homeland in Wales. Captain [[John Lort Stokes]] later renamed Milford Haven as Milford Sound.<ref>Terry Hearn. [http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/welsh/1/1 Welsh – Milford Sound] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111211825/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/welsh/1/1 |date=11 January 2012 }}, ''Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand'', Ministry of Culture and Heritage. Updated 4 March 2009. Accessed 3 February 2010.</ref>
In the deed of sale to the [[New Zealand Company]] in 1848, Milford Sound was misnamed as Whakatipu Waiti (or Whakatipa Waita on the deeds map), which was corrected in the purchase deed for Southland to Piopiotahi.<ref name="Hector1892"/> Piopiotahi also refers to a torrent going into the fiord.<ref name="Hector1892"/> Following the passage of the [[Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998]], the name of the fiord was officially altered to Milford Sound / Piopiotahi.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0097/10.0/DLM431335.html | title=Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 | access-date=28 March 2016 | archive-date=23 February 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223145518/http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0097/10.0/DLM431335.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

While [[Fiordland]] as such remained one of the least-explored areas of New Zealand up to the 20th century, Milford Sound's natural beauty soon attracted national and international renown, and led to the discovery of the [[McKinnon Pass]] in 1888, soon to become a part of the new [[Milford Track]], an early walking tourism trail. In the same year, the low watershed saddle between the [[Hollyford River]] and the Cleddau River was discovered. Sixty years later, this became the location for the [[Homer Tunnel]], providing road access.<ref>[http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/UnderstandingTheNaturalWorld/EuropeanExploration/9/en Fiordland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016081910/http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/UnderstandingTheNaturalWorld/EuropeanExploration/9/en |date=16 October 2008 }} (from ''Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand''. Accessed 6 February 2008.)</ref>

As of the 2006 census, 120 people lived in Milford Sound,{{update needed|date=October 2024}}<ref name="HIGHWAY">{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10627334|title=Highway through heritage|work=[[New Zealand Herald]]|access-date=24 February 2010|first=Marjorie|last=Cook|date=20 February 2010|archive-date=22 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022121018/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10627334|url-status=live}}</ref> most of them working in tourism or conservation.

==Tourism==
[[Image:Milford Sound Cliffs Towering Above.jpg|thumb|right|Cliffs and waterfalls after dry spell, with a two-storey tour boat providing relative size]]
[[Image:MitrePeakNZ.jpg|thumb|right|[[Mitre Peak (New Zealand)|Mitre Peak]], towering over Milford Sound]]
[[File:Fiordland National Park NZ FZ200 (14303138684).jpg|thumb|]]

===Overview===
Milford Sound attracts between 550,000 and 1 million visitors per year.<ref name="HIGHWAY"/><ref name="ENZ">"Over and Under: Linking Queenstown and Milford Sound". ''e.nz magazine'', [[IPENZ]], May/June 2007</ref> This makes the sound one of New Zealand's most-visited tourist spots even with its remote location and long journey times from the nearest population centres.<ref name="SC"/> Many tourists take one of the boat tours, which usually last one to two hours. They are offered by several companies, departing from the Milford Sound Visitors' Centre.

[[Backpacking (wilderness)|Tramping]], [[canoeing]], and some other water sports are possible. A small number of companies also provide overnight boat trips. There is otherwise only limited accommodation at the sound, and only a tiny percentage of tourists stay more than one day. Tourists usually stay in Te Anau or Queenstown.

The Milford Discovery Centre & Underwater Observatory is located in Harrison's Cove on the north side of the fiord. Situated within the Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, the underwater observatory allows visitors to view the fiord's unique marine environment at a depth of {{convert|10|m|ft}}. Due to a natural phenomenon called '[[deep water emergence]],' deep-water animals such as [[black coral]] can be viewed in the shallow waters surrounding the observatory.<ref>Erika Delemarre, Milford Discovery Centre nature guide, tour presentation material 2014–2015.</ref> A dark surface layer of fresh water, stained brown by tannins from the surrounding forest, along with cold water temperatures, allows the black corals to grow close to the surface throughout Milford Sound and Fiordland.<ref>Paddy Ryan. "[http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/MarineEnvironments/Fiords/2/en Fiords – Underwater rock walls and basins] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016231505/http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/MarineEnvironments/Fiords/2/en |date=16 October 2008 }}", ''Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand''. Updated 21 September 2007. Accessed 18 April 2008.</ref>

Milford Sound is also a destination for [[cruise ships]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cruising the New Zealand Sounds on a Cruise Ship |url=https://www.ahappypassport.com/blog/new-zealand-sounds-cruise |access-date=2022-04-23 |website=A Happy Passport |date=4 March 2019 |language=en-US |archive-date=15 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015024330/https://www.ahappypassport.com/blog/new-zealand-sounds-cruise |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Transport===
{{Main|Transport in Milford Sound}}

By road, Milford Sound is {{convert|291|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Queenstown, New Zealand|Queenstown]] and {{convert|278|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Invercargill, New Zealand|Invercargill]] (about four hours' drive),<ref name="tp">{{cite web|title=Driving Times|url=https://www.realjourneys.co.nz/en/plan/driving-times/|work=Real Journeys|access-date=5 February 2018|archive-date=2 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202042503/https://www.realjourneys.co.nz/en/plan/driving-times/|url-status=live}}</ref> with most of the tour buses to the sound departing from Queenstown. Some tourists also arrive from the smaller tourism centre of [[Te Anau]], {{convert|121|km|mi|abbr=on}} away. There are also scenic flights by light aircraft and helicopter tours to and from [[Milford Sound Airport]]. The drive to Milford Sound itself passes through unspoiled mountain landscapes before entering the {{convert|1.2|km|mi|abbr=on}} [[Homer Tunnel]] which emerges into rain-forest-carpeted canyons that descend to the sound. The winding mountain road, while of high standards, is very prone to [[avalanche]]s and closures during the winter half of the year.

The long distance to the sound means that tourist operators from Queenstown all depart very early in the day, arriving back only late in the evening. This means most tourists visit Milford Sound within a few hours of midday, leading to congestion on roads and at tourist facilities during the primary season. The peak-time demand is also why a large number of [[tour boat]]s are active in the sound at about the same time.<ref name="ENZ"/>

Over the years, various options for shortening the distance to Milford Sound from Queenstown have been mooted, including a gondola route, a new tunnel from Queenstown, or a monorail from near [[Lake Wakatipu]] to Te Anau Downs. All would reduce the current round-trip duration (which has to travel via [[Te Anau]]), thus allowing tourism to be spread out over more of the day. While a gondola is considered out of the running after the [[New Zealand Department of Conservation]] (DOC) declined approval for environmental reasons, the tunnel and the monorail proposals have applied to the DOC for concessions for land access.<ref name="ENZ"/>

Several charter companies fly to Milford Sound. Most of the companies fly out of [[Queenstown Airport|Queenstown International Airport]].

==Diesel spill==

On 8 February 2004, a spill of {{convert|13,000|l|gal}} of diesel fuel was discovered, resulting in a 2-kilometre-long stretch that was closed for 2 days while intensive cleanup activities were completed. A hose was apparently used to displace the fuel from the tanks of one of the tour vessels. Various government officials claimed it appeared to be an act of [[ecoterrorism]] motivated by rising numbers of tourists to the park,<ref>[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3548365 "Police probe Milford diesel spill 'terrorism{{'"}}], ''New Zealand Herald'', 10 February 2004</ref> though more details did not become known.

==Landslide hazard==
Since the glacier that formed the fiord melted about 16,000 years ago, at least 16 large landslips greater than {{cvt|1|Mm3}} in volume, have occurred at Milford Sound, and the potential for further landslips has risk significance due to the fiord's steep sides, confined waters, lack of realistic reaction time for evacuation and popularity as an international tourist destination.<ref name="Harris2024">{{cite journal|first1=O.L. |last1=Harris |first2=T.R. |last2=Robinson |first3=T.M. |last3= Wilson |title=Agent-based modelling of evacuation scenarios for a landslide-generated tsunami in Milford Sound, New Zealand |journal=International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction |volume=113 |year=2024 |issn=2212-4209 |doi=10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104847 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Davies2025">{{cite journal|last1=Davies |first1=T.|last2=Dykstra |first2=J. |year=2025 |title=Societal Risk-to-Life from Natural Hazards: Assessments, Acceptability and Actions at Whakaari/White Island and Piopiotahi/Milford Sound, Aotearoa/New Zealand |journal =International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction|at =105325 |doi=10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105325 |doi-access=free}}</ref> If a large landslip into the fiord occurs, likely triggered by an earthquake, it could create a large local [[tsunami]], with a risk of potentially about 750 deaths if it occurred at peak tourist density in the middle of the day.<ref name="Davies2025" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Davies |first=Tim |title=Devastating landslides have hit Milford Sound in the past – if it happened today, the impact would dwarf Whakaari/White Island |url=https://theconversation.com/devastating-landslides-have-hit-milford-sound-in-the-past-if-it-happened-today-the-impact-would-dwarf-whakaari-white-island-251700 |publisher=The Conversation Trust (UK) Limited |location=United Kingdom |date=12 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250312081519/https://theconversation.com/devastating-landslides-have-hit-milford-sound-in-the-past-if-it-happened-today-the-impact-would-dwarf-whakaari-white-island-251700 |archive-date=12 March 2025 }}</ref> Risk assessment has suggested 1-in-1000-year wave runup could be about {{cvt|17|m}} arriving on shore within 2–7 minutes.<ref name="Harris2024" /> The highest estimated historic displacement wave runup is about {{cvt|100|m}} at the Cleddau delta at the head of the fiord with an event frequency of every 2000 years.<ref name="Dykstra2012"/>{{rp|p=247}} Rupture of the far southern portion of the [[Alpine Fault]], which passes across the head of the sound, has happened seven times in the last 2000 years with 27 events since 6000 BCE.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=U.A. |last1=Cochran |first2= K.J. |last2=Clark |first3= J.D. |last3=Howarth |first4= G.P. |last4=Biasi |first5= R.M. |last5=Langridge |first6= P. |last6=Villamor |first7= K.R. |last7=Berryman |first8= M.J. |last8=Vandergoes |title=A plate boundary earthquake record from a wetland adjacent to the Alpine fault in New Zealand refines hazard estimates |journal=Earth and Planetary Science Letters |volume =464 |year=2017 |pages=175–188 |issn=0012-821X |doi=10.1016/j.epsl.2017.02.026 |bibcode=2017E&PSL.464..175C |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X17300948|url-access=subscription }}</ref>  There is a 75% probability in the next 50 years of a major Alpine Fault earthquake, and these have a 44% probability of generating a landslide-generated tsunami in the fiord.<ref name="Harris2024"/> The probability of an earthquake of similar magnitude to the 1717 ''great'' earthquake of {{M|w|8.1|link=yes}}±&nbsp;0.1 occurring along the southern portion of the Alpine Fault within the next 50 years is estimated at 30%.<ref name="Howarth2018">{{cite journal|title=Past large earthquakes on the Alpine Fault: paleoseismological progress and future directions|first1=Jamie D. |last1=Howarth |first2= Ursula A. |last2=Cochran |first3= Robert M. |last3=Langridge |first4= Kate |last4=Clark |first5= Sean J. |last5=Fitzsimons |first6=Kelvin |last6=Berryman |first7= Pilar |last7=Villamor |first8=Delia T. |last8=Strong|url= https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/00288306.2018.1464658 |doi= 10.1080/00288306.2018.1464658| year=2018 |volume=61 |issue=3 |pages= 309–328| journal=New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics |bibcode=2018NZJGG..61..309H |s2cid=134211005|url-access=subscription }}</ref> There is also the potential for significant trigger earthquakes associated with the Fiordland subduction-zone's [[Puysegur Trench]] to the south.<ref name="Dykstra2012"/>{{rp|p=7}}
{{align|left|<timeline>
ImageSize = width:700 height:106
PlotArea = left:1 bottom:20 top:20 right:100
Alignbars = early
DateFormat  = yyyy
Period = from:0 till:2049
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy order:normal

Colors =
  id:O               value:black     
  id:U             value:gray(0.90)
  id:B            value:rgb(0, 1, 1)
  id:V            value:rgb(1, 0.5, 1)

ScaleMajor = increment:100 start:100

PlotData=

 width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
 bar:Header from:100 till:1400 fontsize:M color:white text:"Fig.1. Approximate timing of events in or near Milford Sound during the Common Era"
 bar:Header from:0 till:0 color:white
 bar:Landslip from:1153 till:1157 fontsize:M color:red text:"                                             Sediment events in fiord"      # dated 795 BP
 bar:Landslip from:1045 till:1045 color:red                      # estimated at constant sedimentation rate
 bar:Landslip from:970 till:970 color:red                      # estimated at constant sedimentation rate
 bar:Landslip from:960 till:960 color:red                      # estimated at constant sedimentation rate
 bar:Landslip from:833 till:837 color:red                      # dated 1115 BP
 bar:Landslip from:735 till:735 color:red                      # estimated at constant sedimentation rate
 bar:Landslip from:650 till:650 color:red                      # estimated at constant sedimentation rate
 bar:Landslip from:608 till:612 color:red                      # dated 1340 BP
 bar:Landslip from:500 till:500 color:red                      # estimated at constant sedimentation rate
 bar:Landslip from:300 till:300 color:red                      # estimated at constant sedimentation rate
 bar:Landslip from:150 till:150 color:red                      # estimated at constant sedimentation rate
 bar:South from:20 till:83 color:pink 
 bar:South from:93 till:206 color:pink 
 bar:South from:370 till:416 color:pink 
 bar:South from:650 till:739 color:pink 
 bar:South from:723 till:845 color:pink
 bar:South from:1008 till:1213 color:pink
 bar:South from:1388 till:1407 color:pink
 bar:South from:1716 till:1718 fontsize:M color:pink text:"  Nearby Alpine Fault ruptures"
 bar:Spacer from:0 till:0 color:white
 </timeline>}}<small>References for Fig. 1:</small><ref name="Howarth2018"/><ref name="Dykstra2012"/>{{rp|loc=Fig 3.27}}{{efn|Landslips in the figure are as recorded in cores from Milford Sound.<ref name="Dykstra2012"/> It is not only Alpine Fault earthquakes that are associated potentially with the large Milford Sound earthquakes. Only a minority of the large landslides found are likely to be spontaneous rainfall-related events. Sedimentary records offshore, for example, document many more major earthquakes than are assigned to the Alpine Fault, but as only a minority of the large landslips within the Milford Sound sedimentary record have been radiocarbon dated, a fully dated sequence does not exist. Tradiocarbon-dated landslips in red are shown as wider lines, but uncertainty in dating is not shown, although it is shown for Alpine Fault earthquakes that involved rupture across the mouth of the fiord.}}
{{clear}}
===Risk context===
Individual risk has been estimated for a visit in 2019 modelling as 6.8 x 10<sup>−7</sup>, which is less than 1 in a million, and two orders of magnitude less than the now known risk of visiting [[Whakaari / White Island]], an active volcano, as a tourist.<ref name="Davies2025"/> However, the societal risk is higher than the level defined in the current New Zealand tourism culture after the [[2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption]], because Milford Sound is a much more popular tourist destination. The decision on whether to accept the recently defined societal risk and its possible consequences has been assigned to the New Zealand government.<ref name="Davies2025"/>

==See also==
*[[Doubtful Sound]]
*[[Dusky Sound]]
*[[Fiordland]]
*[[Milford Sound Airport]]
*[[Transport in Milford Sound]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last= Hall-Jones |first = John |title= Milford Sound: An Illustrated History of the Sound, the Track and the Road |location= Invercargil |publisher= Self-published |date= 2000 |type= Hardback |isbn= 0-908629-54-0}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Milford Sound}}
{{Commons category|Milford Sound}}
* [https://www.fiordland.org.nz/visit/milford-sound/ Milford Sound—Destination Fiordland] (regional tourism organisation)
* [http://www.linz.govt.nz/topography/topo-maps/map-chooser/singleview.php?xPos=1701&yPos=18809&scale=2&extent=7-CA08 Map Chooser] Land Information NZ Site – for downloading the Milford Sound / Piopiotahi topographic map

{{Fiordland}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Fiords of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Sounds of Fiordland]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the Southland Region]]
[[Category:Fiordland National Park]]