Te Anau to Milford Sound Self-Drive Guide

New Zealand’s Fiordland is one of the most beautiful areas in Aotearoa. I have written extensively about road-tripping around New Zealand, and this post deep-dives into the best stops when you self-drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. I definitely recommend hiring a car or camper (if you are comfortable doing so) and doing this drive yourself rather than taking a tour. With the flexibility to stop when and where you wish along the Milford Sound Highway, you can see the epic scenery along this route at your own pace.

Haere mai – welcome and let’s explore the gorgeous road trip route between Te Anau and Milford Sound in the South Island of New Zealand.

The Legend of Milford Sound / Piopiotahi
Māori legend has it that Māui (a demigod) journeyed to the underworld to battle Hine-nui-te-pō, the goddess of the underworld, attempting to gain immortality for humankind. He was hoping to reverse mortality by entering her body and stealing her heart while she slept. But a piopio (a long extinct native bird), grieving Māui’s bravery, followed him and sang a mournful song that woke the goddess. Māui was crushed and killed, and the dream of immortality died with him. The piopio is said to have flown to this remote and majestic place to mourn his passing, giving the fiord its name.

Milford Sound Driving Guide

Driving in New Zealand comes with a particular set of challenges:

• We drive on the left (right-hand drive). If you usually drive on the right in the US or Continental Europe, be sure to orientate yourself before pulling out into traffic.
• The roads can be narrow, and are often winding, so be sure to follow the speed and curve advisories.
• If you are driving a camper or other slow vehicle, please remember to pull over and let cars pass safely at regular intervals.
• If you are passing, do so only when on a safe straight (with broken white lines), and not near corners (or at a passing lane). We saw a LOT of tourists in rental cars driving really badly on our drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound. Examples of bad driving witnessed: Following too close, passing on blind corners, not indicating when pulling over for photos, stopping in unsafe pullouts, and not pulling over for queues of faster vehicles.
• I would categorise New Zealand’s roads as dangerous, not because they aren’t in OK condition, but because there are lots of single lane roads, not a lot of multi-lane highways, lots of bends, and lots of speed changes.
• NZ road cops are super serious (for good reason), so please remind yourself of the NZ road rules, and don’t bring any irresponsible road habits to these busy tourist routes!

The best stops on the drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound

Remarkably, this 2-hour drive is the easiest access of all the Fiords, with most being inaccessible / limited in their access. Doubtful Sound / Patea, for instance, is only accessible by boat transfer from Manapouri, where you’ll cross Lake Manapouri over to West Arm. Followed by a transfer to Doubtful Sound.

TIP: Leave at least 2.5 hours, preferably 3 hours for this drive. AND give yourself an hour in Milford before the marked required arrival time for your boat tour. This gives you time to find a carpark, use the rest rooms, grab a snack, and take your time walking the boardwalk to the harbour.

Eglinton River

As you enter Fiordland National Park, Eglinton River is your first valley. The Earl Mountains provide the first dramatic landscape, as the river carves its way along next to the road. At points, the road is right next to the river, at others, it is further off beyond the tussock grass and lupins.

Eglinton Valley

After a period of forest, you will emerge out into the wider Eglinton Flats – where the valley widens and a grassy plain awaits. The lupins (which are an invasive and unwelcome plant in the NZ ecosystem) can be seen dotted along the verges.

The really stunning view here is across the plains and down into the valley of peaks – the sky casting patterns on the grass – so beautiful.

Mirror Lakes (only on a still sunny day)

Mirror Lakes is a roadside pullout (of the left) with lookouts over small lakes. On a still and sunny day, the reflections of Mount Eglinton are fab, but if its windy or grey, the mirror effect doesn’t occur.

Some stops only have parking on one side of the road, so you may choose to stop at the left-hand stop-offs on the way north to Milford Sound, and leave the opposite for the way back to Te Anau. Certainly during busier periods, the traffic can be busy and slow (we visited in early December and the traffic wasn’t too bad at all).

Upper Eglinton Campsite & Toilet

If you need a rest stop (a little under half way), the Upper Eglinton Campsite is a good stop. They have a parking area for wild camping and a long-drop toilet. While they usually have toilet paper, bring your own tissues and hand sanitiser, as there is no running water.

The views from here across the meadows are lovely too.

Lupin Fields at Cascade Creek / Lake Gunn

Your next stop is at the south end of Lake Gunn, at the turn off for Cascade Creek. There is a brown sign on your left 300m before the turn off. The carpark is a bit hard to spot going north, as you come out of a patch of forest, into a clearing, and the road is immediately on your left (before the creek bridge).

This was the best spot for lupins that we found in New Zealand. With mountain views, forest in the background, and all the colours on offer, it was SO pretty!

Lupin season in NZ is mid-November to early December (late spring – early summer).

Lake Gunn Viewpoint

A minute down the road is the next lookout spot – overlooking Lake Gunn. Just a short way from the road, and with views over to the small mountain range beyond. Pretty, but not the same draw as if the lupins are out, naturally.

My inclination is to hype up these more subtle stops, because it’s not all blockbusters! If Mount Eglinton has snow on its cap, then it’s a very special spot indeed.

Lake Fergus Lookout

The road swaps sides and Lake Fergus will come up on your right. This one might be one you leave until your return journey if traffic is busy.

If you leave early in the morning, you might be treated to a lovely mist covering, which gives the lake a mystical appearance. In the winter, the cold water can appear a little turquoise (although it was brown on our last visit).

Hollyford Valley Lookout / Pop’s View Lookout

They sure got it right with the Hollyford Valley Lookout. A huge viewing platform juts out over the edge of a turn in the road. With a few parking spots, it is set up to educate and offer a multi-layer area for busy times.

The informational signs describe the two large mountains straight ahead of you (Mount Christina on the left and Mount Lyttle on the right), and glaciers have formed this area. The views to the right (the bottom two pictures below) are up the Hollyford River valley and are really very beautiful.

While we didn’t see Keas here, we heard their screeches in the tree canopy below us.

Christie Falls

As you come down the hill from the lookout, you’ll come to a turn off on the right (Marion Corner), which leads to Lower Hollyford Valley road and various hikes along the valley.

A little further on you’ll see some falls on your right, and just beyond that, a large carpark on the right. This is Christie Falls, a short but rigorous waterfall right near the road. The roar was impressive on the day we visited, and the water a beautiful turquoise.

Across the road, you’ll find the Falls Creek Falls hike if you have time.

Monkey Creek

As you leave Christie Falls, you’ll skirt around Mount Christina, and start seeing the glacial valley that heads up towards the Homer Tunnel. Your next stop is at the base of this valley, with carparks on both sides at Monkey Creek.

Monkey Creek is probably my favourite vista along this drive. That may be because we had beautiful weather at this part (and horrid rain on the Milford side of the Homer Tunnel), but the layers of mountains, cross cut glacier valleys, snow-capped crests and the wandering Monkey Creek sure made for a stunning stop (and cute selfie).

Mountain Views & Gertrude Valley

As you drive up this stretch of highway, you’ll get some fantastic mountain views (if the weather is in your favour).

• Mount Crosscut is halfway up this stretch on the right, with a staggered ridge, and what looks like a glacial valley cutting in front of it.
• Gertrude Valley is the next valley on your right, slicing between Mount Crosscut and Mount Talbot in a dramatic fashion. There is a hike up to Gertrude Saddle if you are in the area awhile and are prepared for mountainous conditions.
• Mount Talbot is ahead of you on this stretch, before you curve left and find yourself at the Homer Tunnel.

Cleddau Valley Vistas Waterfalls

Homer Tunnel is one-way, so it is likely that you will find yourself waiting in a queue, with prime views of the Cleddau Valley Vistas Waterfalls. Streams of water from melting snow falling down the rock face on your right.

You can see from the photos below that there was still a fair amount of snow at this altitude, and if we had pulled over we could’ve walked a short distance to the lower patches.

It was nice to have some natural wonders to admire while we waited.

Homer Tunnel

The Homer Tunnel works on a one way system for safety, and is quite a steep gradient down (you enter it near the summit) – the angle is significantly more pronounced than the Mont Blanc angle that I’m used to (10% vs. ~1.2% gradient compared).

You pop out to a beautiful set of switchbacks down towards Milford – although be warned, the weather can be vastly different on either side.

Milford Valley Lookout, Hundred Falls & 1855 lookout

The first view as you leave the tunnel is the best, but passes all too quickly, so I recommend a dash-cam (I stupidly forgot mine).

But don’t fear, there are a few stops on these switchbacks, but you’ll come upon them with very little notice to stop – so study the map I’ve provided before your journey and memorise them. We stopped at one on the way down, and another on the way up.

Cleddau River & The Chasm

You’ll eventually find yourself at the valley floor again, along the Cleddau River. The first stop is the Chasm lookout bridge, although this was closed on our way through. Supposedly the foot bridge allowed you to view some narrows on the river, but it had apparently been closed a while.

Donne River & Tutoko River Bridges

You’ll then head over two historic metal bridges, both are single track, so please follow the give-way signals. There are also pedestrian bridges alongside for the safety of hikers and cyclists.

I enjoyed the angle of the Donne River Bridge – with Mount Underwood rising up in front of you.

Stop at the Tutoko Bridge for photos and a hiking track.

Milford Sound Lodge

On the home stretch now, you will then pass Milford Sound Lodge. We would love to have stayed here overnight and spent more time either kayaking or hiking in the fiords… but alas it was a little pricey for our budget.

If you can afford to, I would definitely recommend staying here or on an overnight sounds cruise to give yourself more time and space to enjoy the exceptional beauty of the area.

Arriving in Milford Sound / Piopiotahi

Carpark & Visitor Centre

You’ve arrived! There are large visitor carparks near the information centre (a short walk away from the harbour, boats and ticket agents). These are chargeable and relatively expensive (~$25 for our visit), but to be honest, they are convenient, have bins and are nearby everything you need, so we didn’t mind paying.

The information centre has a cafe (with coffee, pies, chips, sandwiches and scones), rest rooms, and an information desk. We stopped in to use the bathrooms and get a coffee for our cruise. We wanted to be first in the queue to ensure prime top-floor seating, although as it transpired, it wasn’t a hugely busy cruise (mid-week, mid-afternoon, not in school holiday season).

Free Parking on Deepwater Basin Road

If you don’t want to pay a premium for parking, there is a free parking area on Deepwater Basin Road (back towards Milford Sound Lodge and near the airport). It makes the walk to the harbour around 30 minutes instead of a quick 10 minutes, so please factor that in when choosing your parking spot.

This parking is good if you have booked a scenic flight or helicopter ride.

Freshwater Basin & the Foreshore Boardwalk

There is a gorgeous boardwalk that offers great views of Freshwater Basin, the tip of the fiord that you are now in. This shallow area gives way to the steep sides of the inlet and is a breathtaking introduction to the Sounds.

Choosing a Milford Sound Cruise

There are lots of cruises on offer, so choose one that suits your budget and timescales. From modern catamarans to smaller boats that have a more personal touch, or nature guides that focus on wildlife. None are particularly cheap, but it’s an experience I cannot recommend more highly.

There are also luxury versions, and overnight trips too!

TE ANAU HOTEL: We stayed at the Lakeside Motel & Apartments in Te Anau (2 nights), and found it convenient, comfortable and with good parking.

Te Anau to Milford Sound Drive FAQ

If you love the idea of travelling to New Zealand,
check out my list of the best things to do in the country!

All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhone.