Air Milford Flight Commentary Preview

Welcome aboard your Air Milford flight to Milford Sound.

We’re delighted to have you with us as we journey through the stunning mountains to Milford Sound, often hailed as the 8th wonder of the world.

Before we take off, please take a moment to review your personal safety. Make sure you’ve watched our safety demonstration and always follow the instructions from your pilots.

Please switch all electronic devices to airplane mode.

Drones are not allowed in Fiordland National Park; please leave any drones at our office, where they can be collected upon your return.

As with airlines, dangerous goods such as flammable liquids, aerosols, gels, explosives, cigarette lighter fluid, corrosives, and poisons are prohibited. However, if you are carrying battery packs, laptops, iPads, e-cigarettes, or vapes, please inform your pilot now.

Both on the apron outside our hangar and in Milford Sound, the area may be busy with other tour groups, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft. Please stay close to your pilot, avoid wandering off, and ensure that young children are under your control at all times.

Please keep your seatbelts fastened for the entire duration of the flight.

In the unlikely event of an emergency, there are two exit doors at the rear of the aircraft and the pilot and co-pilot’s doors at the front. There are standard aviation lifejackets under your seat, and in the seat pockets in front for the passengers in the back row. Co-pilots lifejacket in the door pocket to the right.

Also in the seat pockets are a blue bag containing a white sick-bag, as well as a safety briefing card and a cloth to wipe the window should they fog up. Please keep your cameras off the windows as the Perspex is really soft and can scratch easily. There are air vents above you which you can twist to adjust the flow of fresh air.

For more detailed information, please refer to your safety briefing card located in the seat pocket in front of you.

On the right-hand side of the aircraft and carved out by the mighty Kawarau River, Gibbston valley is our famous wine region. Not only home to the southern most grown Pinot Noir in the world, this is also where AJ Hackett Bungy jump is located.

Arrowtown is a historic goldmining town founded in the 1860s. At the height of the gold rush, The Arrowtown population grew to over 7000 residents and is only a 20-minute drive from central Queenstown. Modern day tourist activities include Millbrook Championship Golf Course, pristine hikes and mountain bike trails, wineries and fine cuisine.

As of 1947, Coronet Peak was the first commercial ski field in New Zealand. The summit is 1,636 m or 5,368 ft which resembles a Coronet (small crown) similar to Queen Elizabeth’s. The Ski season in New Zealand typically runs from June – October.

Gold was found here on the Shotover river in 1862, and at the time it was the second richest gold bearing river in the world. At the peak of the goldrush the resident population of Skippers township was 3,600. These days gold can still be found, but mainly used for recreation and tourist activities. The Shotover Jet also operates on the river and is an exhilarating day activity. The Richardson Mountain ranges are alluvial with lots of gold brown earthy tones in these mountains, and all made out of shist stone which is commonly used in central Otago residential housing.

Built originally by the Scheelite miners of 1862 and most recently utilized as the stunning imagery of Middle Earth, Glenorchy and its surrounding areas have come to be meccas for adventurous hikers. Just 40km outside of the hustle and bustle of Queenstown this little village is home to approximately 400 residents. This region situated at the head of Lake Wakatipu is called Paradise, and very popular for filming. Films such as Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible 6, Lord Of The Rings, The Hobbit, and King Kong were all filmed up here.

Mt Earnslaw and the Earnslaw Glacier span 2803 m or 9250 ft high - the second tallest peak in the Mount Aspiring National Park. The TSS Earnslaw steam ship on the Queenstown waterfront was named after this mountain. Either side of Mt Earnslaw are the Rees & Dart rivers,both excellent examples of glacial braded rivers, common only to the South Island of New Zealand.

The Humbolt Mountain ranges are very popular for hiking and is home to one of our great walks called the Routeburn track. It is typically hiked over a period of 3 days and 32 kilometres. The highest point on the Routeburn track is at the Harris Saddle on 1255 m or 4118 ft and is located next to two beautiful alpine lakes called Lake Harris and Lake Wilson.

The Hollyford valley looks out towards Lake McKerrow, Martins Bay and the Tasman Sea – the eastern boundary to Fiordland National Park which encompasses 12,600 sq km or 3.2 million acres. It is the largest of 13 National Parks in New Zealand.

Mt Tutuko sits on 2800 m or 9000 ft high and is the tallest, most glaciated peak in Fiordland National Park. It is one of the several mountains over 2000m high in the Darran Mountains, which are all solid granite cliff faces. This terrain is very steep, rugged and dramatic in terms of the scenery, with lots of native beech trees lining the u-shaped valley floors. All which were previously carved out by large historical glacial formations.

Milford Sound was named by the Māori as Piopiotahi (an extinct bird). Captain James Cook incorrectly labelled it a Sound, even though it is a true Fiord and Rudyard Kipling referred to it as the “8th Wonder of the World”. Fiords are formed by submergence of a glaciated valley. 12 km, 8 mi long, and one of the deepest Fiords in the National Park (320 m or 1000 ft). A unique marine environment where the top 10 m or 30 ft is fresh water, separated from the salt water. Mitre Peak is one of the tallest hanging cliffs in the world (1 mile high) named after a catholic bishop’s mitre hat. The two major waterfalls cascade into the fiord - the Bowen and Stirling falls.

Lake Ada was formed by a slip in the early 1900s. What’s now left is a piece of the rock face that’s missing, called the Devil’s Armchair. The finish of the Milford walking track goes past lake Ada just as you are about to reach Milford Sound.

The Arthur Valley is known as “the finest walk in the world” or the Milford track. The Milford track is one of the busiest great walks in the country. Over 15,000 people hike this track every season. Which is 54 km/33 mi, over a period of 4 days.

The Sutherland Falls are 580 m/1904 ft and are fed by Lake Quill over 3 steps, the upper is 229m tall, the middle is 248m, and the lower is 103m. This is the highest waterfall in New Zealand. Originally named after a Scottish settler Donald Sutherland who first discovered a glimpse of these waterfalls in the 1880s. The 3rd night of the Milford hiking track camp is not far from the base of this waterfall. The Sutherland falls are also featured in Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 6 – Fallout, and Sir Peter Jackson’s fantasy film The Hobbit during the eagle scene.

Lake Te Anau is the second biggest lake in New Zealand to Lake Taupo in the North Island, and the largest body of fresh water in Australasia. Carved out by glacial erosion thousands of years ago the lake is 65 km and 42 mi long. Te Anau township is considered the gateway to Fiordland & situated at the southern end of this lake.

The Homer Tunnel was named after William Henry Homer, an explorer who suggested that a tunnel under the mountains would be the best way to bring a road to Milford Sound. However, it took many decades before his idea became reality. Construction began in the 1930’s as a means to create jobs in the Great Depression but due to a challenging environment & World War Two, the road was not opened until 1954. The tunnel is 1.2 km or three quarters of a mile long.

The road is the most expensive to maintain in New Zealand, mainly due to the operating environment including high rainfall and snow, avalanche risk, and high winds.

The Greenstone Valley is one of the many popular walking tracks in the area. The valley was used by Maori’s to carry their greenstone (Pounamu) from the west to the east, that’s originally how it got its name. Also, it is quite popular for hunting as well as fly fishing.

Lake Wakatipu is 80 km or 50 mi long and 5km wide at its widest point. It is the longest lake in New Zealand. 380 m or 1250 ft at its deepest, Queenstown is situated halfway along the lake on the Northern Side. The water in this lake is very cold, averaging 10 degrees Celsius. This is mainly due to the lake being fed by multiple glacial rivers towards Glenorchy and Mt Aspiring National Park. Locals will also catch Rainbow trout, Brown trout and even freshwater salmon in this lake.

Mt Nicholas station is home to 30,000 merino wool sheep and the Wakatipu’s largest station 100,000 acres. Much of this wool is supplied to a New Zealand clothing brand called Icebreaker, who specialise in high quality outdoor clothing.

Walter Peak is slightly smaller, approximately 20,000 merino sheep or 64,000 acres. Tourists can visit these working stations on the Spirit of Queenstown and Earnslaw (historic steamship) respectively.

The Remarkables is 2300m or 7500ft high, the tallest ski-filed in the Wakatipu basin. One of only three significant mountain ranges in the world that runs in the direction of true north and south.

On behalf of Air Milford, it has been our absolute privilege to have you fly with us today. We value your feedback, photos and videos so please share them on our social media channels such as Trip Advisor, Google Reviews, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.

We ask that you please stay seated until a crew member opens the exit door.

We wish you all the best for the rest of your time here in Queenstown.

Safe travels - see you again – mā te wā