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 most famous tourist destination. Milford Sound is named after Milford Haven in Wales.

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 runs 15 kilometers inland from the Tasman Sea at Dale Point - the mouth of the fiord - and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1,200 meters (3,900 ft) or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 1,517 meters (4,977 ft), said to resemble an elephant's head, and The Lion, 1,302 meters (4,272 ft), in the shape of a crouching lion. Lush rain forests cling precariously to these cliffs, while seals, penguins, and dolphins frequent the waters and whales can be seen sometimes.

Milford Sound sports two permanent waterfalls all year round, Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls. After heavy rain however, many hundreds of temporary waterfalls can be seen running down the steep sided rock faces that line the fiord, fed by rain water drenched moss

Named after the wife of Sir George Bowen, one of New Zealand’s early governors in the 1870’s, Lady Bowen waterfall is one of only two permanent falls and drops 160 meters from a classic hanging valley in the Darren Mountain Range.

Stirling Falls drops 146 meters from a beautiful U shaped hanging valley carved out between Elephant and Lion Mountains. Stirling Falls is the second largest permanent waterfall in the fiord and is fed by glaciers situated in the mountains behind. Named after Captain Stirling when he brought the HMS Cleo into Milford Sound during the 1870’s.

Text: Internet

Pictures: Sanda Foişoreanu

Doina Grigoraş

Arangement: Sanda FoişoreanuSound: Kiri te Kanava - Hine E Hine

- Po Karekare Ana