Milford sound is really a fiord ( fiords are carved by ice and sounds by water ) It is probably the best known tourist attraction in the country. Many buses ply into Milford each day and must take the people out again after the boat trip for there is ( deliberately ) very little accommodation available at Milford itself. It is best to travel just the  two hours back to the nearest settlement, Te Anau ( and not on to Queenstown ). The National Park Board do an excellent job in keeping Milford environmentally secure and the building blends in well to the landscape. All rubbish and waste is trucked out. In winter the road is sometimes closed by snow or by the threat of avalanches and the Homer tunnel which takes us into the Milford fiord gives new meaning to the words ' hewn out of the rock'. It has been improved recently by the addition of traffic lights to control the flow. It makes it much better than having to pass a large vehicle in the narrow confines of the 1.2km long tunnel.