The Mirror Lakes are a pair of small ponds beside the Milford Road in Fiordland, and on a calm morning they do what the name promises: they reflect the Earl Mountains so perfectly that the world seems to be upside down. A short boardwalk leads from the car park to a viewing platform over the water, where the surface is dark with tannin from the beech forest and so still that you can see the mountains, the clouds and the trees doubled. When there is wind or rain, the effect vanishes, and the pools are just dark, so the magic depends on being there at the right time, usually early in the morning on a still day.
The Milford Road itself, State Highway 94, is one of the great drives of the world, a bit over a hundred kilometres from Te Anau to Milford Sound, through glacier-carved valleys, beech forests and tussock flats with huge peaks on every side. It runs past the lakes of Te Anau and Gunn, through the Hollyford and Eglinton valleys, and then through the Homer Tunnel, a rough-hewn tunnel through the mountain, before dropping to the fiord. The road is generally good, with long, easy bends, though in places it is narrow, and heavy tourist coaches make up a lot of the traffic. Be patient, and watch for oncoming vehicles on blind corners.
Fiordland is one of the wettest parts of the country, and it can pour for days. Milford Sound itself receives more than six metres of rain a year, and the road can be closed by slips, floods and avalanches, particularly in winter and spring. Check the road conditions and weather before you go, carry chains in winter, and bring good waterproofs at any time of year. Sandflies are fierce at the lakes, so repellent is a good idea, especially on still days, which are exactly the days when the reflections are best.
The last reliable station is at Te Anau, about an hour behind you, and the round trip to Milford and back is long, so fill the tank before you set off. A flask and a packed lunch are wise, because food options on the road are few. Take time to stop at the lookouts and short walks along the way, each of which gives a different view of the valley. The first light on the mountains is the best.