Milford Sound is within easy reach of the Lodge

Milford Sound is 300 kilometres by road from the lodge via Te Anau or 70 kilometers as the crow flies - but we find light aircraft or helicopters more reliable than crows.

By Foot:

Historically the only way to get to Milford Sound was by foot and the Maori beat a track across the mountains to Milford, now known as the Milford Track and recognised as one of the finest walks in the world. The Track takes 4 days to walk and emerges at Sandfly Point on the southern shore of the Sound. Leave your luggage at the lodge while you do the walk and when you return we'll have the hydrotherapy spa ready for you and a masseuse on call to give you a New Zealand bees wax massage.

By Road:

From the lodge state highway 6 takes you directly to Te Anau and is approximately a 3 hour drive. The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound is 120 kilometres and the time taken will depend upon how many photo stops you make. Alternatively, by coach the return trip takes 12 hours and includes a cruise on the Sound.

By Helicopter:

The helicopter will collect you from the lodge grounds and fly you directly to Milford. You can take a cruise or overfly the Sound and Southerland Falls and on your return flight land on a glacier and take a stroll or just enjoy a glass of champagne on top of the world.

By Plane:

The flight time to Milford is 35 minutes and the flight over the Alps offers stunning scenery. By taking a flight in the morning you can join a cruise on the sound on one of the smaller boats and you will return to Queenstown early afternoon.
Alternatively fly back via Glenorchy and take a jet boat up the Dart River.

Combined fly via Te Anau and road:

There will never be a perfect solution to the dilemma about the best way to visit Milford Sound, as the drive is spectacular but so long yet the flight is wonderfully scenic but misses the thrill of driving the Milford Road.
Also flying is of course very susceptible to the vagaries of the weather.
So in partnership with Air Milford we have developed a great new package to provide the best of all worlds.
Guests take the flight to Te Anau Downs strip - 30km north of Te Anau - which unlike Milford Sound airstrip is rarely closed due to weather. They are then transported to Milford Sound by coach so they also get to stop and see the prime sights on the Milford Road such as the Mirror Lakes, Monkey Flat and the Chasm. The coach trip is about 2 hours.
After the 1½ hour boutique cruise boat trip on Milford Sound, including reserved seating on the upper deck, guests then fly direct back to Queenstown to arrive at 1:30pm, reducing by over 5 hours the time compared to the all-coach trip, but more importantly in time for an afternoon of activities in and around Queenstown.
Of course, if the weather is bad, there is always the option to take the coach back to Te Anau Downs for the flight home, arriving back in Queenstown at 3:15pm.

Three nights accommodation inclusive of breakfast and dinner:

• Day 1: Milford Sound combined fly-road-fly (via Te Anau Downs)
• Day 2: Trip on Queenstown's Gondola and cruise on the SS Earnslaw on Lake Wakatipu
• Lodge room NZ$1400.00 pp, Premier Room NZ$1700.00 pp