Milford Road (149 km)
Te Anau to Milford Sound · back a different way, via Crown Range and Wanaka
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Why this ride
A 149 km one-way ride from near Te Anau, about 2 h 28 of riding. It goes by way of Mirror Lakes, Eglinton Valley and Homer Tunnel. The highest point is about 950 m. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
Roadbook
- Te Anau
start
Te Anau is the last proper town before Fiordland, and nearly everything about it is a preparation for the wild country beyond. It sits on the eastern shore of the lake of the same name, the biggest lake in the South Island, with the Kepler and Murchison mountains rising on the far side, and about two thousand people live here, serving the hikers, boaters and bus tours that pass through. Maori knew the area as a source of greenstone and a place to hunt weka and eel. In 1948 a doctor named Geoffrey Orbell found a small population of takahe, a large flightless bird thought extinct for fifty years, in a remote valley in the Murchison Mountains across the water, one of the great wildlife stories of New Zealand.
For riders the town is the hinge between two famous roads. The Southern Scenic Route runs in from the south through sheep country and tussock, while the Milford Road, State Highway 94, heads north-west for about a hundred and twenty kilometres to Milford Sound. That road is one of the world's great drives, running through beech forest, the open glacial valley of the Eglinton, the Mirror Lakes and finally up to the Homer Tunnel, a rough rock bore of more than a kilometre that drops steeply out of the mountains on the far side. In winter and spring, avalanches can close the road, and chains may be required.
The most important practical point is fuel. Te Anau has petrol stations, and there are none along the Milford Road, so fill up here before you go, and again on the way back. Food, supplies and accommodation are plentiful in town, but summer demand is heavy, so book ahead. The weather is the other consideration. Fiordland is among the wettest places on earth, and rain can arrive within minutes and last for days, though the waterfalls it creates are spectacular. Sandflies are fierce at the roadside stops, so carry repellent.
There are glowworm caves across the lake, reached by boat, and walking tracks start close to town, including the first section of the Kepler. The best riding months are December to March, with long evenings, but even then pack a proper waterproof and warm layers.
- Mirror Lakes
scenic
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.
- Eglinton Valley
scenic
The Eglinton Valley is a long, flat-floored glacial trough in the heart of Fiordland, and the Milford Road runs straight down the middle of it for kilometres. The valley is walled by steep mountains, covered at their feet in red and silver beech forest and, higher, in bare grey rock, and the valley floor itself is a mosaic of golden tussock flats, meandering streams and clear pools. The effect is wide, quiet and impressive, and the road seems to disappear into the distance between the peaks.
There are a handful of stops that are worth the time. The Mirror Lakes, a short walk from the road, reflect the mountains in still water on a calm day, and a boardwalk makes the visit easy. Lake Gunn, further along, is a beech-lined lake with a short nature walk, and the camping grounds beside the road, simple and cheap, are popular with those who want to wake up in the valley. At Knobs Flat the valley opens into broad meadows where deer graze at dusk.
For a rider, the Eglinton is a pleasure. After the long, fast approach from Te Anau, the road is flat and smooth, with only a few gentle bends, and it gives you time to look around. The corners begin at the head of the valley, where the road climbs toward The Divide and the road to Homer Tunnel. Traffic is steady, with coaches and camper vans, and frost and ice can linger in the shade, so be careful on cold mornings. The weather turns quickly, and you can ride from sunshine into rain within minutes.
Food is scarce, so bring a lunch and a flask. The kea, the cheeky alpine parrot, is common at the road's end, and will pull at your luggage if you give it a chance. Sandflies are fierce around the lakes, so carry repellent. In the early morning, mist hangs in the valley and the first light turns the tussock gold.
- Homer Tunnel
scenic · 945 m
Homer Tunnel is one of the great curiosities of New Zealand roads: a rough, unlined bore through a wall of granite, about 1.2 kilometres long, that connects the Hollyford and Cleddau valleys and opens the way to Milford Sound. Work began in 1935, when men with picks and shovels were hired to dig it as a Depression relief project, and it took until 1954 to finish, since avalanches, floods and the Second World War delayed progress. The tunnel's mouth sits at about 945 metres, at the foot of a vast cirque of rock walls and waterfalls, and the Homer Saddle above it was named after the man who found it in 1889.
Riding through is a strange and thrilling business. The tunnel is dark and damp, with bare rock walls and water dripping from the ceiling, and its floor slopes downhill at about one in ten toward the Milford side. Traffic is controlled by lights, so you may wait some minutes at the entrance, which is a good chance to look at the cliffs and listen to the sound of water. Take your sunglasses off before entering, and be careful of the wet surface, especially in winter, when ice builds up on the road.
After the tunnel, the road descends to Milford Sound in a series of tight hairpins, with spectacular views down the Cleddau valley. The descent is steep and winding, with tight bends, and the surface is usually good but wet. Avalanches are a real risk in winter and spring, and the road can be closed at short notice, so check the road status before setting out. Chains may be required between May and November.
The kea parrots gather at the tunnel entrance and are excellent at stealing food and tearing rubber, so do not leave your gloves on the seat. Take a flask and some food, as Milford itself has only a small cafe. The scenery is magnificent in any weather, and when the rain falls, hundreds of waterfalls spring from the cliffs.
- Milford Sound
finish
Milford Sound is not a sound at all, but a fjord, carved by a glacier and flooded by the sea, in the far south-west of New Zealand. Steep cliffs rise from the water to over 1,200 metres, including Mitre Peak, a pyramid of rock that dominates the view, and waterfalls drop from the heights, especially after rain, when hundreds appear. The area is part of Fiordland National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the wettest places in the world, with about 6,800 millimetres of rain a year. There is no town here, only a small terminal for cruises, a few buildings and a runway. Te Anau, the nearest town, is about 120 kilometres away.
The Milford Road is a legend among riders. It leaves Te Anau and follows the lake and the Eglinton Valley, a flat-bottomed glacial valley with beech forest and tussock, and then climbs towards the Homer Tunnel, a one-lane tunnel about 1.2 kilometres long, cut through solid rock, which took nearly twenty years to build and opened in 1953. It slopes steeply downwards, and traffic is controlled by lights. Beyond it, the road zigzags down to the fjord. The surface is good, but the road is narrow, and tour buses are common.
Also take warm and waterproof clothing, because the weather can change from sun to storm quickly. In winter and spring, avalanches threaten the road, and it is sometimes closed for days; check conditions before you set out. Chains may be required, and the Homer Tunnel is cold and wet. In summer, sandflies are fierce at the fjord, and insect repellent is a good idea.
The wildlife is memorable: kea, the mountain parrots, hang around the tunnel and the car parks, and they enjoy picking at bike seats and straps, so be careful. Fur seals bask on the rocks, bottlenose dolphins swim in the fjord, and the Fiordland crested penguin nests in the forest. A cruise on the water, which takes about two hours, gives you the scale of the cliffs. In rain, the waterfalls turn the fjord into something unforgettable.