Need to know
Kid-pilot Michael and I didn’t get off to a good start: ‘‘It’s a good day for flying, no worries, I’ll weigh you before we board.’’ Wrong on two counts Michael. First, there was plenty to worry about. Entrusting my life to a toy plane that he had nonchalantly pulled out the hangar with one hand. Secondly, a public weigh-in in the departure shed was surely tantamount to a human rights violation?
Milford Sound is one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand. Rudyard Kipling described it as the ‘‘Eighth Wonder of the World’’ – a 15km fjord flanked by sheer rock faces, majestic peaks and stunning waterfalls. The boat cruise is a mustdo for visitors and Kiwis alike.
To crank this ‘‘breath-taking’’ experience up to stratospheric levels, skip the 13-hour road journey, crawl into a tiny light aircraft in Wa¯ naka, hold on tight and try to keep your eyes open for ‘‘half a wonder’’, the one-hour flight. But, close your eyes for the landing at Milford. It. Is. Hairy.
‘‘You’ve got big feet – make sure you don’t touch the rudder pedals,’’ Michael cautioned my husband, who was strapped in where I would rather have seen a co-pilot. ‘‘Whisky, Tango, Bravo,’’ cackled the air-traffic controller as we trundled down the runway, adding to the sensation that I was an unwitting extra in a Biggles movie.
Within minutes, we were morbidly fascinated, joining the dots between familiar landmarks, Lake Wa¯ naka, the braided Ma¯ tukituki river, Mt Aspiring ‘‘the steep peak of glistening white’’. This was a 3D geography class, soaring up and down the Southern Alps, illustrating why the jagged backbone of the South Island is called ‘‘The Main Divide’’. ‘‘Scenic’’ doesn’t do it justice – the views were ethereal.
There was momentary relief as we glided over the Tasman Sea and stomachs settled. Milford on the West Coast is drenched with 7 metres of rain a year, whereas east of the Divide, Wa¯ naka makes do with 600 millimetres.
Rain bestows Milford with lush rainforest, crammed with ferns and palms which soften
Milford Sound Scenic flights operate daily from Wa¯naka and Queenstown airports. Helicopter or light aircraft options, all weather-dependent, southernalpsair.co.nz
precipitous cliff edges. I swear leaves were shaved off the native bush as we barrelled down the full length of the Sound and corkscrewed onto the landing strip.
The Milford boat cruise deserves the accolade of New Zealand’s top visitor attraction, but as a combo with the scenic flight, it pales into insignificance on the Richter scale of ‘‘I’ll never forget’’.
On that subject, Milford ‘‘shakes’’ around 2000 times a year. It is feared that one day an earthquake will unleash a tsunami up the narrow, deep-water channel – so much for Terra Firma.
Back in Wa¯ naka, Yorkshire lass Helen, volleyed questions at Michael: ‘‘Why did you fly so close to the cliffs? Why did the plane jolt over every ridge? Why?’’ she spluttered as adrenaline surged.
Michael explained: ‘‘There’s no room for error. You have to hug the side of the cliff in case another plane is flying in the other direction. Otherwise, 15 people would be dead.’’ Oh, how fortunate questions were saved until the end.
An unforgettable experience – whether you’d like to forget it or not. Dream or nightmare? You decide.
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