From our beautiful lodge in Queenstown, we drove two and a half hours to Te Anau, the gateway to Milford Sound. While typically a stunning, mountainous drive, we sadly had quite a bit of fog and couldn’t see anything. By the time we arrived at YHA Te Anau, it was downpouring. Te Anau as a whole is a cute little town with plenty of shops, offices advertising Milford Sound Cruises, and the cheapest souvenir shops in New Zealand.
As it was a rainy day, we decided to get some work done at YHA Te Anau before exploring Milford Sound. As always, our rooms were quite comfortable and there was a cozy TV lounge for me to nestled up in.
YHA Te Anau had a decent-sized common area with ample seating. The kitchen has plenty of burners and space as well.
The thing I loved most about YHA Te Anau was its outdoor area — they have an outdoor patio with tables, in addition to a yard with a volleyball net. On a nice day, this area would be the perfect place to relax. Even on a rainy day, however, people were eating out on the covered patio.
After an evening of socializing with people from Belgium, Germany, France, and New Zealand, all brought together through the topic of the American Elections, we went to bed in preparation of a long day at Milford Sound.
We were hesitant as to whether it was worth the two to two and a half hour drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound even though it was raining quite heavily. When we inquired at the front desk of YHA Te Anau, they suggested we went anyway because, supposedly, Milford Sound turned into one huge waterfall when it rained. Since David loves waterfalls, and realistically, we were virtually there, we decided to layer up and go explore the Milford Sound area!
The scenic Milford Road en route to Milford Sound has numerous stops. Watching the mountains turn to waterfalls was truly remarkable; we spent quite a bit of time admiring these waterfalls.
We opted not to do all of the side trips off the road, but we did pull over to check out the Chasm.
When we arrived in Milford Sound, we joined Southern Discoveries Nature Cruise. To be able to witness Milford Sound so up close and personal, was unforgettable.
Like This Post? Pin It Please!
**Special thanks to YHA Hostels and Air New Zealand for sponsoring our journey. As always, all opinions are my own. Photographs taken by David M Gallo Photography.
