I'm a professional adventurer, RU-vid coach, travel expert, and lover of all things behavioural science! My mission is to help you discover your highest purpose and build a life that allows you to adventure, live life to the fullest, and serve others!
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📍New Zealand & the South Pacific
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When you said Milford by boat I suggest you watch the two recent episodes from the YT Channel “Parley Revival” they visited the area as part of an NZ circumnavigation (rare in itself) and a sub part of a world circumnavigation . Cheers Chris 😀 PS been to Milford twice, I don’t remember it being so crowed.
@@TheAudaciousPath No I didn’t, but certainly as a decent human Colin is the best NZ ambassador we’ve had 😀. I thought went he was at the Sail GP in Lyttelton and he found some of our top sailors follow his channel was a humbling measure of how much respect the guy has earned .
What an amazing video! It is shocking how beautiful NZ is...Bob Ross would have loved this. Could not imagine how the first people would witness this felt
I have been luckily and have visited and lived in this area for the last 50 years, visiting in the summer and in the middle of winter's. milford. Sound is only one very small road accessible which allows the tourist industry . yes, expensive and very popular sightseeing of this very small area ,the best sightseeing is by far off the beaten track like a four day walk down the milford track and the other sounds . Thank you. This was a well presented video
It's nice, but if you grow in NZ it's really hard not to regard it as what it is: just another pretty spot in NZ. As for crowds, you need to leave for Milford before 8am from Te Anau. The buses and crowds all leave after 8:30am, and usually from 9. Leave earlier and the road is quite, Milford itself is quiet, and you can get a boat out with fewer than 20 people on it. By the time you get back and the crowds have arrived you can be on the road back out.
Such an interesting perspective. I think I could say the same about some of the beautiful sites I’ve seen I the USA. Next time I go back, I’ll be hiking it! 😁💜
It's great how you appreciate the beauty, but it's very sad you don't give the credit to the beauty creator but rather you give credit to evolution (a flawed theory that is losing traction everyday).
This might not be the channel for you, though you are welcome here regardless if you are able to tolerate my lack of belief in your god without commenting on it constantly. 💜
The university and its campus are so beautiful, really a must visit. Has a strong english vibe. And as with everything steep and exhausting to explore, some small older woman runned that road up. I think we actually missed the Chinese garden for some reason. So nice to see some pictures of that! And speights is an alright beer, to be honest. Most brews from them are more flavourful than Bud, I think. Fun fact while being in Minnesota: in New Ulm they have one the oldest brewery's in the state and it's even a German one 😂 August Schell is the name. Extremely good beer, absolutely worth a try. Sadly I didn't had baggage space left to take a brick back home... But that's another topic 😅 As always thanks for the great video and showing the important things to see! We are really busy lately, so we have almost no time to watch your episodes with the attention we want to. Thanks and I'm eager to see the episode of Milford!
Yeah, we are good! Marius is often a bit jealous of his brother when we have to take care of him. But other than that we're mostly alright. I sometimes show Marius videos of you and he's kind of reacting, but I'm not sure quite sure what he's feeling seeing you 😂
Daniela, I am a true South Island Kiwi. I live offshore now, and your video made my old eyes water a bit. During the last half-dozen visits home, I have taken many tourist friends to see my country. Astoundingly, in six trips to Milford Sound, each has been a picture-perfect sunny day with no rain! I find that tragic! Yes, everybody needs to see Milford in glorious sunshine to appreciate its majesty, but you need to go back! You must see Milford in the rain, with low clouds lurking and dark green foliage hiding the mythical beasts of our imagination. The mountains light up, and the cascades flow. The performance starts at the entry of the Homer Portal and is beyond memorable. Thank you for liking my country. PS... Forget the sandflies - they don't eat much and are part of the occasion...
Indeed! It is most definitely on my list to see Milford in the rain! Also, your writing is amazing! I could see what you are describing! Your country is amazing. Thank you for welcoming me. I love it here! 💜💜💜
It sounded like there were cicadas in the background, so if that is the case and you were there during summer, then it is indeed the most tourist-laden time of year at Milford Sound, or any tourist hotspot in the country. Things are typically much quieter during the winter.
It was summer indeed. And you’re right… everywhere was PACKED! Goal is to go to the South Island again around March before it gets too cold but after the majority of the tourists have gone! And I’ll definitely go much slowwwwwwwer. 💜
@TheAudaciousPath I was born in a country I can't afford to live in monetarily speaking, but being Maori I can live sustainably, we never needed money, even today, we are utilizing our lands
It is ridiculously expensive. That from a Kiwi who lives in Queenstown. I went in January this year & was blown away by the expense. I have been numerous times before but not for a while & the costs were crazy. They count on you going on the pricey boat trip as, like you said, you are there. The cost of parking was crazy, & it was very busy. The drive in is the cheapest part of it. Once in there you PAY for everything.
Yup. Indeed. Parking… I forgot about that. We almost didn’t find a spot. Still worth it for me personally, but I’d rather go back and do some sort of back country tour. 💜
I have heard that, but unfortunately I did not get the chance. I was at the will of my friend’s schedule, since they paid for all the gas and accommodation. BUT, I 100% plan to go back, but this time trekking or kayaking or something more laborious! 😁💜
I am going to do Doubtful sound 2 night trip if I can but am not sure about going to Milford sound as I have been before but he wife hasn't, crowds are not my thing...especially since developing nero issues. Doubtful is one to tick off while I can as when I went to do it years ago but the boat hit a log on the trip before us, we did do the power station tour that I believe they dont do now
Oh cool! Enjoy your trip. Everyone keeps recommending Doubtful Sound, but I don’t get how they can be so sure about. 😉 😜 For real though, enjoy the trip! You’re right… do it while you can! 💜💜💜
Having been NZ tour guide, it only crowed by NZ standards, we aren't talking big European city crowded. Even with this due the dead end road access issues - there's only one road in and out, plus logistics of tours in this region means almost all the visitors are crammed into the 2 hours of either side of Noon, mainly during our down under summer high tourism season, so Nov to April. Outside these times, it almost empty of people and aircraft. Visiting overnight (there a few overnight cruise options which combine the accommodation boat cruise + meals to a pretty reasonable level of price) so you leisurely get transported to Milford, either by air or road on empty road/sky, in the afternoon, there hardly anyone about and the overnight cruises aren't on massive boats. The exception being sometimes large cruise liners come into the sound from the Sea but they don't stay overnight generally and again they don't come in during the winter or shoulder season. You could visit easily in quiet times and not have any issues with feeling over crowded.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q interesting comment here. Had me thinking. I was trying to think back on my experiences of Europe and my first thought was that you’re right about it being less crowded here. BUT, then most of the sites that I’ve been to in Europe are not nature sites. And the times I have been in nature sites there, it’s not been too crowded. I think the biggest reason it FEELS so crowded is what you have pointed out: one road in, one road out, and everyone packed into a small window with limited parking. But alas, I may have become a true kiwi 🥝 and now feel crowded by any people. 😅🤣💜
Ha! I bet, if you have the funds! I felt weird tho about the helicopters flying over the glaciers. Kinda seems like the opposite of what we should do. 😅🤣💜
@@TheAudaciousPath well funny story, my pilot was an old bloke called Albie...i asked him if he was involved in the mission impossible movie, yes he said he flew the helicopter that was chasing Tom cruise around Milford Sound for a few weeks of filming. Its well worth the cost you got the boat cruise and also landed on a glacier for half an hour. Hovered near blue ice at the top of a mountain...on a great day you can't beat it. 600 per person from memory.
Went to Milford Sound in March this year for the fourth time since I arrived in NZ in 1989. This time I had a visiting friend from the Netherlands with me as we were doing a three-week motorcycle trip through NZ which included a visit to Milford Sound, it's spectacular. Riding the trip from Te Anau to Milford Sound on a Harley Davidson Tourer adds a special dimension to the trip. You should try it on a motorcycle👍
Oh wow! I bet that was incredible! While o grew up on bikes and love them, I’m a bit adverse now as my ex got hit by a car twice in one year. One time he was fully stopped at a roundabout and the guy just didn’t stop and sandwiched him between another car. He was lucky to walk away! Still, that sounds like an incredible trip! 💜
They are, though about to be less so. I’m still unsure of the balance between trying to showcase Māori culture and words while also being conscientious that I am an onlooker and likely to butcher pronunciation. 💜
There's a weird thing going on in the deep South of the South Island where despite a lot of the early Scottish settlers having recently being dispossessed of their own culturally important lands (the Highland clearances are as equally disturbing as Maori dispossession) they seem to have been hell bent on eliminating any history of pre European occupation. Being reading about recently about how MacKinnon Pass was 'discovered' which still is told to lots of people walking the Track to this very day. The idea in October 1888 Quintin McKinnon and his co worker Ernest Mitchell were the first people ever finding and crossing the pass is just bizarre. I mean there pounamu sourced from the sound all over the country prior to European settlement, and hell white people were living in the area over various times from the early 1800s. It very very unlikely He was the first white person over the pass let alone human. What the myth about the 'discovery' largely seems to have arisen over was after McKinnon was lost, presumed drowned in 1892, on a boat he used to access the Milford track he ran tours over, the Gaelic Society of New Zealand raised funds to build the current memorial and its completely ahistorical claim is simply based on this.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q Hate to burst your bubble but that white boy McKinnon DID discover this pathway, a fact which is undisputed amongst Fiordland researchers and historians alike. Cheers.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q interesting 🧐. My roommate is really into Māori history, and she’s been telling me all these random facts. It’s actually one of my favorite parts of being a RU-vidr: googling and learning about the places as I go. But, history is written by the “winners”. 💜
It took me 55 years to finally get there. But wow. I knew it would be wow but I was super lucky when I made it there. It was during covid. No more than 20 people on the boat. It snowed overnight and was a beautiful day. Got an amazing photo of Mitre Peak and was lucky to see kea at the tunnel as well as dolphins, seals and penguins. Now I need to go back as I want to see it in heavy rainfall. It's the most stunning place I've seen in my life.
Wow! Sounds like all the stars aligned for that trip! I unfortunately didn’t see much wildlife other than seal on seal rock. I honestly wish I had done more travelling during Covid, but I was unfortunately tied to the hospital system in Auckland at that time. How about a 🤝 we both aim to get back one day? 😁💜
Milford is a monopoly tourism venture that reduces the experience because of the sheer volume. Personally I think it would be better to increase the price and reduce the numbers. If you are after some more goals George Sound is isolated in the true sense of the word. Spent a month there in 2018 it is spectacular. Alice falls Lake Alice and Edith river well worth some time. Don’t go to Stewart Island without port Pegasus, the tin mine trail, Gog and MaGog, Easy Harbour all truely memorable but the most difficult parts to get to.
Almost everything is within a National Park (which by the way both George Sound and Port Pegasus are both in exactly the same position) and given the limits of geography and that tourism existed into the Sound well before the National Park was created, (tourism started in the area in the mid 19th century, Fiordland wasn't made a national park in 1952) the crowds isn't a function of a monopoly but of balancing environmental impact against demand within a area with the highest level of protection an area of natural beauty can have. George Sound and Port Pegasus have the same level of protection - which you like, its just the access logistics and demand is much less. Having seen say how US national parks operate - say Yosemite, which I've visited quite a few times as lived near by, Milford's volume of visitors doesn't come even close to comparing. I agree the area needs to be be highly managed, but not by economics. A highest bidder type of rationing of access in there would exclude almost all New Zealanders and make the area the exclusive realm of the super rich. I'm not keen on you removing what I consider a birth right of every New Zealander.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q I love this comment. Not sure if you watch Eva Zu Beck also, but she just made a video where she went to a previously free lake that now charges and she went on a rant about how sad it is. I’m with her…. Nature is our playground. It’s just there’s so many people who never learn how to care for and respect nature, hence the rules. I kind of like the idea of a certain number of permits, but low cost or free to solve the issue. That said, if we can keep all the tourists at Milford and leave the others for kiwis, maybe that’s already a good solution. 😅💜
Hehe… go on. How’d you spell it? I should do one of those RU-vid pronunciation videos. I’m normally pretty good at this stuff with speaking three languages, but tonal is hard!
My memory of his place from 2020, has become my safe calm place in my Trauma Therapy and EMDR Therapy, along with the mum and baby dolphins that I saw gliding through the water and the seals I saw laying and playing on the rocks in the sun through the Fiord. Its amazing the memories bring me back into the present and calms my anxiety. I agree all the people ant the time crunch definitely caused me anxiety.
@@TheAudaciousPath it's hard but it really works. its helped me to work through some pretty horrible things. I can tell you more about it how do I contact you privately? Also, heard you say 'She'll be right" that's a very Kiwi thing to say lol. 😂
If you enjoyed this video, you can find the full South Island series here: ru-vid.com/group/PLbksWzVtbXBnWoFEbdg1ZLk_yaMsCnVju&si=nRUwngvMQNH0ELa9 Thanks for having a watch! 💜
Yay! absolutely worth a trip to New Zealand just for Milford Sound! It was incredible. I couldn't believe my eyes sometimes. Definitely a few tears! 💜💜💜
