With a mean annual rainfall of 6,813 mm on 182 days a year, a high level even for the West Coast, Milford Sound is known as the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world. Rainfall can reach 250 mm during a span of 24 hours. The rainfall creates dozens of temporary waterfalls (as well as a number of major, more permanent ones) cascading down the cliff faces, some reaching a thousand metres in length. Smaller falls from such heights may never reach the bottom of the sound, drifting away in the wind.
Accumulated rainwater can at times cause portions of the rain forest to lose their grip on the sheer cliff faces, resulting in tree avalanches into the sound. The regrowth of the rain forest after these avalanches can be seen in several locations along the sound.
The Hollyford River is located in the southwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It runs for eighty miles in Fiordland, its source being ten kilometres to the north of the northern tip of Lake Te Anau and close to the Homer Tunnel.
The river flows north through the glacier-formed Hollyford Valley, passing through Lake McKerrow before reaching Martins Bay on the coast of the Tasman Sea 25 kilometres north of Milford Sound. The Hollyford Track follows the river's course.
Part of the river's course is traditionally regarded as the boundary between the Southland and Otago regions.
The beauty of this landscape draws thousands of visitors each day, with over 550,000 in total per year.[11] This makes the sound one of New Zealand's most-visited tourist spots, and also the most famous New Zealand tourist destination,[2] even with its remote location and the long journey from the nearest population centres. Almost all tourists going to the sound also take one of the boat tours which usually last between 1-2 hours. They are offered by several companies, departing from the Milford Sound Visitors' Centre. There is also the option of extended overnight cruises on Milford Sound.
Tramping (New Zealand English for hiking or backpacking), canoeing and some other water sports are also possible. A small number of companies also provides overnight boat trips. There is otherwise only limited accommodation at the sound, and only a very small percentage of tourists stay more than the day.
An underwater tourist observatory found in one of the bays of the sound provides viewing of black coral, usually only found in much deeper waters. A dark surface layer of fresh water, stained by tannins from the surrounding forest, allows the corals to grow close to the surface here
Slope Due to the rain directly followed by New Zealand Alps Milford Sound is one of the most lively areas of the planet. Here annually up to 8000 mm rainfall.
On the slopes grows a moderate rain. Each rainfall creates dozens of temporary waterfalls in the surrounding steep slopes, some of which have a length of 1000 meters. However, the rainwater is slipping from parts of the rainforest cause. Live in the water seals, penguins and dolphins.
Milford Sound runs 15 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1,200 metres or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 1,517 m (4,977 ft), said to resemble an elephant's head, and Lion Mountain, 1,302 m (4,271 ft), in the shape of a crouching lion. Lush rain forests cling precariously to these cliffs, while seals, penguins, and dolphins frequent the waters.
Milford Sound is named after Milford Haven in Wales, while the Cleddau River which flows into the sound is also named for its Welsh namesake. The Māori named the sound Piopiotahi after the thrush-like piopio bird, now extinct. Piopiotahi means "a single piopio", harking back to the legend of Māui trying to win immortality for mankind - when Maui died in the attempt, a piopio was said to have flown here in mourning.
Milford Sound (Piopiotahi in Māori) is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey, and is acclaimed as New Zealand's own most famous tourist destination.Rudyard Kipling had previously called it the eighth Wonder of the World.
