Milford Sound is remote. Very remote. It’s here that you’ll find New Zealand scenery on a scale you’ve likely never experienced. But is it worth the 4+ hour drive ONE WAY from Queenstown just to see nature? In short, yes. As I told Kevin, it would be like flying halfway halfway around the world to Arizona, but never bothering to see the Grand Canyon. It is the quintessential day trip from Queenstown. And yep, this marked my third time visiting it.
The spectacular boat ride through Milford Sound. And yes, that tiny white speck is another cruise boat.
As a student in New Zealand, I was always looking for ways to save cash. So I decided to make the long haul in my own car for the first visit. Take it from me — it’s not worth the pain. It’s an exhausting and long drive over twisty roads. Plus, I never got a chance to really enjoy the scenery since I was nervous about missing the boat ride through the sound. For my second visit, I went on one of those giant, impersonal tour buses. I felt more like cattle than the intrepid traveler.
One of the big tour buses that travels to Milford Sound.
For this trip, I researched at least 10 different tour companies offering day trips to Milford Sound from Queenstown. But there was one that stood out the most — the BBQ Bus. They offer personalized tours for small groups so you really get to interact and get to know your fellow travelers. Plus, let’s face it. It has a pretty cool name. I’m not gonna lie, that alone sold me on it. It sounded like a delicious food truck! But more importantly, I liked their mission — to leave as little of an environmental impact as possible (using recyclable materials for the lunch) and using small buses (with just 8-15 seats). Not only does this reduce their carbon footprint, but gives a personalized small group experience. Win win!
And as the name implies, each tour includes a barbecue lunch in the middle of Fiordland National Park. So what is a full day trip like with the BBQ Bus? Check out our journey and itinerary below.
Rise and Shine: Early Morning Pick-up in Queenstown
Besides flying to Milford Sound, there really isn’t a quick way to get there. I could see the doubt on Kevin’s face when I told him that our pick up time would be 7 AM the next morning. It was almost 1 AM when I broke the news. There was even a tour that started earlier, but I knew that might be just torture. Our driver Chris showed up and explained what to expect for the full day while I elbowed Kevin to stay awake. But he wasn’t the only person struggling. There was a hungover British guy who was out cold for the first few hours of the drive.
Just a short drive outside Queenstown, Chris pointed out The Remarkables, a mountain range that was featured as the slopes of Dimrill Dale in the Lord of the Rings franchise. We visited Hobbiton earlier this trip, so I feel like my Lord of the Rings tour had come full circle. We also learned many other fun facts such as the Tuatara, a reptile from New Zealand, weirdly has a third eye on its spine, but skin eventually grows over it. How freaky is that?
Stop #1: Te Anau
Our first pit stop would be Te Anau, the closest town to Milford Sound. It’s a great place to freshen up, buy some snacks and a cup (or two) of coffee. Kevin and I were exhausted from our previous late night. It was also where Chris said we’d be able to get spit on by an Alpaca. And he wasn’t kidding! As our mini-bus pulled in, there were at least 8 Alpaca lined up and looking ready to take aim!
The alpaca and I share a special moment. No, you can’t have any coffee!
Stop #2: Hollyford Valley
Chris had us all jump for the photo. We felt silly doing it but actually loved the shot. I do my best frogger impression.
Hollyford Valley is named for the Hollyford River from the Southern Alps to the Tasman Sea. It’s a striking spot and we were pretty much the only people here (passing all the big tour busses at previous stops). While we were there, we got to see a Kia, a New Zealand parrot only found in the mountains. They are curious and considered one of the smartest animals in the world, with some saying it’s as smart as a 3-year-old child. All I know, is it seemed a lot smarter than our dog as it was checking out whether we had any snacks.
Stop #3: BBQ Lunch in Fiordland National Park
While our driver Chris was preparing lunch, we had time to take a 20 minute walk on a nearby loop trail. After all this sitting, we were ready to stretch our legs.
Kevin explores the chilly and wet trail near our lunch spot.
By the time we got back, lunch was ready. And you can’t beat the setting or the food. We chowed down on chicken and beef skewers, sausage, salads. I mean the whole works.
Buffet line to try all the delicious food.
Trying a little of everything. And yes, I definitely had more than one plate.
Stop #4: Homer Tunnel
Okay, not technically a LONG stop. But one of the things I remembered most about traveling to Milford Sound was the long and slightly creepy Homer Tunnel. I mean, there is a lot of mountain on top of that tiny tunnel. If you’re afraid of tight spaces, well, you might want to close your eyes. As you enter the tunnel it takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the light, but soon you’ll see a small speck of light at the other end of the tunnel. The journey only takes a minute or two, but when you emerge into the light you might feel like you’ve landed on the set of Jurassic Park.
Stop #5: Milford Sound, We Made It!
After going through Homer Tunnel, you’re in the home stretch. We made one quick stop once again alongside the road to snap some photos that scream, yes people, we are clearly in New Zealand!
A gorgeous day in Milford Sound.
Our driver/guide Chris then dropped the big bombshell. Milford Sound isn’t actually a sound. It’s all a lie! In fact, it’s a large ocean inlet which is wider than a fjord and bigger than a bay. I guess that would be a complicated explanation for the tourist brochures? He then told us about the weather and how much we lucked out. Milford Sound is the wettest place in New Zealand. In fact, it’s one of the wettest places in the world. On average, it rains 182 days a year and has even been known to reach nearly 10″ of rain in a single day. So you might want to consider bringing an umbrella. But on the plus side, the rain can create incredible waterfalls like Sterling Falls. Even if it isn’t raining, you’ll still get to pull right up into them on your charter boat.
Boarding our cruise ship for the next leg of our journey.
There is a Maori story that says if you get wet from Sterling Falls, you’ll look 10 years younger the next day. I imagined all our fellow LA neighbors dancing in the falls with a promise like that. But we stayed inside since it would make a long and wet ride back.
Pulling up to the water falls in Milford Sound.
Kevin is PERFECTLY fine looking at the waterfalls from inside the boat.
The crew on the boat was fabulous, and snapped our photos whenever we asked. Plus, we loved that they provided free tea, coffee and cookies. Though, everybody was wide awake by this part of the tour.
Smile for the camera! It’s hard to look away from the scenery.
The scenery is hard to capture on camera — it’s that striking.
The cruise goes from about 2:45 – 4:30 PM. Milford Sound was exactly as I remembered it and I’m thrilled that New Zealand is working to keep it protected from development even 16 years after my first visit.
The Return to Queenstown
It was a long day, but I still felt pumped up after seeing Milford Sound in all its glory. Chris told us that for the ride back, we’d get to watch movies. Yay! Now that is a huge perk over the other tour buses. The first movie we watched was a documentary about the unique animals of New Zealand. And then we watched Hunt for the Wilderpeople, an unlikely buddy comedy, written and directed by New Zealander Taika Waititi.
Enjoying the movies on our drive back to Queenstown. This really made the ride back go quickly.
We made it back to Queenstown by 9:30 PM and said our goodbyes to our fellow travelers. It was an adventurous bunch ranging from their late 20’s to one sassy grandma from Australia who was in her 70’s. Kevin and I were sad the trip ended and were still on a high from all the excitement from the day. So we headed into Queenstown and saw that Cookie Time, a chocolate chip cookie store that serves raw cookie dough was still open. BBQ and cookie dough — what could be better?
Ice cream and cookie dough, a sweet ending to such an incredible day with the BBQ Bus.
THE LOWDOWN
- All BBQ Bus tours include pick up and drop offs from most accommodation outlets in Queenstown and ‘Kiwi Country’ on Miro Street in Te Anau.
- You’ll travel in a comfortable small bus, fully air conditioned and equipped with a DVD player.
- Tour includes full commentary by friendly and experienced driver/guide.
- A great selection of sightseeing stops in the Fiordland National Park. You’ll get to enjoy a classic Kiwi style BBQ lunch, which includes New Zealand lamb and chicken kebabs, beef sausages, bread from the local bakery, fresh coleslaw salad, pasta salad and orange juice. Vegetarian burger patties and gluten free options available upon request.
- Optional short bush or alpine walks at breaks.
- Milford Sound Boat Cruise (duration 1 hour 45 minutes)
- Complimentary tea & coffee on the boat.
- Scenic fly back from Milford Sound options available (weather permitting) by fixed wing airplane.
- Price: Tours start at $150 USD per adult and $80 USD for infants and children (up until 12 years old)
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