Milford Road

The Milford Road (State Highway 94) runs from Te Anau into the heart of Fiordland National Park and ends at Milford Sound, one of New Zealand's most famous landscapes. It passes beech forests, mirror lakes and glacier-carved valleys before tunneling through the mountains.

It is a dead-end road — you ride back the same way — but the views are completely different in each direction.

Highlights

• The Mirror Lakes and their reflections of the Earl Mountains
• The open grasslands of the Eglinton Valley
• The Homer Tunnel, cut through solid granite
• The Chasm, where the river has carved the rock into sculptures
• Milford Sound and Mitre Peak at the end of the road

Best time to ride

November to April is the most comfortable. In winter the road can close for avalanche risk and chains may be required; rain is common all year — it is one of the wettest places on Earth.

The road

Paved but winding and steep near the tunnel. The Homer Tunnel is single-lane controlled by traffic lights in many periods, steep inside and often wet.

Riding tips

• There is no fuel after Te Anau — fill up before you leave.
• New Zealand drives on the left.
• Keep an eye on the keas (mountain parrots) at the tunnel — they love to chew motorcycle seats and straps.