Product Overview

The crew at Pure Milford are proud to welcome you aboard the Gem of the Sound to explore their beautiful backyard, Piopiotahi / Milford Sound. Your wild place.

At Piopiotahi / Milford Sound every day is guaranteed to be special, always memorable, and each one a little different.

The Gem of the Sound is Milford’s only glass roof vessel, with spacious indoor and outdoor viewing decks guaranteeing you the best sightseeing opportunities in the fiord.  HD cameras project live outdoor footage onto TV screens throughout the boat so you can relax – you won’t miss a thing!

Each two hour exploration travels the full length of the fiord to the Tasman Sea and back, with the crew pointing out the highlights of their place such as towering cliffs, cascading waterfalls, local flora and fauna and ever changing natural wonders.

Choose to explore the National Park in your own vehicle in your own time, join an all inclusive coach day tour from Queenstown or Te Anau, or you can even fly!

Product Description

Two Hour Piopiotahi / Milford Sound Cruise:

• Informative two hour exploration of Piopiotahi / Milford Sound; the jewel in Fiordland’s crown
• Cruise the fiord in style aboard Milford’s only glass roof vessel
• Spacious indoor and outdoor viewing decks guarantee you unlimited viewing opportunities
• Most educational and entertaining cruise at Milford with our friendly and knowledgeable skipper and crew
• Join the skipper in the open wheelhouse for spotting seals, dolphins, and Fiordland crested penguins
• Be the first to experience fresh glacial melt as the boat noses under Stirling Falls with your singing and dancing crew at the bow
• Tea and coffee is complimentary throughout the cruise, with plenty of hot and cold refreshments available from the licenced Café Bar

Coach & Cruise Day Tour from Queenstown / Te Anau:

• Join an all-inclusive day tour from Queenstown or Te Anau aboard our modern air-conditioned coaches
• Enjoy an educational and informative commentary from our experienced driver guides as you travel through Fiordland’s famous National Park
• Plenty of short walk and photo stops are made through this World Heritage area of lush rainforest, glacier carved valleys and towering mountains
• Cruise through magnificent Piopiotahi / Milford Sound aboard the fiord’s only glass roof vessel for two hours
• Pure Milford’s mesmerising crew ensure it’s a day to remember as they share what they know about their place, point out their flora and fauna neighbours and sing and dance beneath the waterfalls
• Tea, coffee, and lunch are complimentary and served from the licenced Café / Bar

Fly Cruise Fly trip from Queenstown:

• The ultimate in Piopiotahi / Milford Sound sightseeing, and the quickest way to get a taste of the Fiordland National Park at 4-5 hours return!
• Enjoy 35-minute scenic flight on a fixed wing plane from Queenstown to Piopiotahi / Milford Sound over the Mt Aspiring National Park
• Soar over snow-capped mountains, hanging valleys, alpine lakes, and ancient glaciers with a guaranteed window seat
• Fly through the fiord itself before landing at Piopiotahi / Milford Sound, and heading to the wharf
• Board Milford’s only glass roof vessel for a two-hour exploration of the fiord with the Pure Milford crew
• Return 35-minute flight to Queenstown via the Fiordland National Park, with complimentary drop off at Queenstown / Frankton hotels

Departure Times

All Milford Sound cruises are 2 hours long and depart:

10:30am - 12:30pm (Summer) / 11:00am - 1:00pm (Winter)

1:00pm - 3:00pm (Summer) / 1:45pm - 3:45pm (Winter)

3:30pm - 5:30pm (December - April)

The coach and cruise day tour from Queenstown to Milford Sound is 12 hours return, and is 7.5 hours return from Te Anau. Pick ups from bus stops in Queenstown begin at 6:45am Summer / 7:30am Winter  and last pick up is Frankton Bus Shelter just before 7:10am Summer /  8am Winter. Pick up from Te Anau is 9:30am Summer / 10:15am Winter.

The fly cruise fly trip from Queenstonw is approximately 5 hours return and departs at 10am and 12pm.

 

Summer Season: October - April.

Winter Season: May - September

Duration

Cruises departing Milford Sound: 2 hours

Coach Tour deprting Queenstown: 12 hours return

Coach Tour departing Te Anau: 7.5 hours return

Fly Cruise Fly departing Queenstown: 5 hours return 

What To Bring

You are likely to experience all four seasons in one day in Fiordland, so warm layered clothing and hat, a good raincoat, comfortable footwear, sunglasses and sunscreen are a must. Leave the umbrellas at home as they don’t fare well in battle with a breezy cruise! 

The sandflies are just as hungry today as they were the first time settlers landed here, so we would recommend bringing along some repellant! 

The on board Cafe / Bar can accept credit card and Eftpos payment, but lack of connectivity can be a (good!) problem while out cruising the fiord, so it’s a good idea to bring some cash along for drinks and snacks on board. 

If you want to get the full Piopitahi / Milford Sound experience, then standing under Stirling Falls with the crew is a must! Apparently the glacial melt makes you look younger so there is only one way to find out. Bring along a change of clothes and a towel so you can dry off for our journey home at the end of the cruise.

Make sure to bring a fully charged phone and/or camera as there are plenty of moments you will want to remember! Power points are few and far between in the terminal and on board the cruise, so bring along a battery bank too if you can’t wait until you get home to edit your photos.

 

Company Info

Pure Milford takes you deep into the untouched wilderness of Fiordland National Park to find your wild place. Our vision is to be the most educational and customer focused experience in Piopiotahi / Milford Sound. We believe that every vistior shoud have the opportunity to learn, and leave wanting more from Piopiotahi / Milford Sound, and so we promise to help you enjoy every moment while we teach you what we know about our place.