MILFORD SOUND 1

MILFORD SOUND 1

MILFORD SOUND (page 1)
On day 12 our party left Te Anau at 9a.m. in our bus bound for a two hour ride to Milford Sound on the South West coast of the South Island. To get there we needed to cross the Southern Alps mountain range at the Homer saddle by way of the Homer Tunnel, the only road access to Milford. The road traverses mountainous country with magnificient bush and rocky mountain scenery. During winter months road access is sometimes not possible for days at a time because of snow. There are numerous waterfalls of great height to see along the way and as the area has an average annual rainfall of two and a half metres these falls must be a grand sight during periods of rain.
The Homer Tunnel.

Work started on the tunnel in 1935 and was not finished until 1953. It is 3,000 feet above sea level and drops 400 feet in its 3/4 mile length. The road from the tunnel to Milford Sound descends 2,300 feet in 12 miles. The tunnel was bored through solid rock and is not lined as the picture shows.

View of Milford.
A view of Milford Sound. The only buildings in the area are facilities for tourists and staff. Bottom left, Milford airport, light planes only. Bottom center, the Milford hotel. Lower right, sightseeing launch harbour.
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