Milford Sound, the 8th wonder of the world, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The history of Milford Sound dates back a long time, when all of New Zealand was still covered in forests and mountains, with rivers and seas that were still natural. The Māori people living on the South Island discovered Milford Sound more than 1,000 years ago. Tribes would travel there to fish and hunt around the fjord, and to collect precious pounamu. The journey from the east used traditional routes across the path, including what is now known as MacKinnon Pass on the Milford Track.

In Māori legend, Milford Sound was formed by Tu-te-raki-whanoa. He is an atua (sacred figure) responsible for shaping the Fiordland coast. While chanting a powerful karakia (prayer), he carved the towering rock walls with a toki (adze) called Te Hamo and sculpted it from the land.

The Māori name for Milford Sound, Piopiotahi, means "one piopio." When the legendary hero Maui died while trying to win immortality for his loved ones, a piopio (a native bird that has long been extinct) is said to have flown here to mourn.

Early European settlers did not explore Milford Sound by boat, unaware that within its narrow entrance lay a region so beautiful to explore. In fact, this location is so hidden that the famous explorer Captain Cook managed to pass through the fjord's entrance twice!

In 1823, a seal hunter named John Grono was the first European settler to visit. He named it Milford Sound after Milford Haven, a long narrow inlet on the Welsh coast.

Later in that century, a Scotsman named Donald Sutherland became the first permanent resident of Milford Sound. Sutherland led an interesting life, spending time in the military, as a seal hunter, and a gold seeker. In 1877, he left everything behind and sailed down the Fiordland coastline, accompanied only by his dog. When he arrived at Milford Sound, he decided to stay.

Sutherland chose to reside near what is now called Lady Bowen Falls. Although he lived as a hermit for many years, he envisioned a growing 'Milford City.' He also discovered Sutherland Falls, named after him. In 1890, he married, and his wife Elizabeth joined him in Milford Sound.

Together, the Sutherland family built the first hotel in Milford Sound, to accommodate the increasing number of walkers arriving there via what is now called the Milford Track. After Donald passed away in 1919, Elizabeth sold the hotel to the government.

"The more pedestrians that come, and the stories about the beauty of the untouched area begin to spread. English writer Rudyard Kipling visited it in the 1890s and declared Milford Sound as the 'eighth wonder of the world.'"

Since 1935, workers began constructing the Homer Tunnel, drilling through solid rock from the Hollyford Valley to the Cleddau Valley. The work was hard and the conditions were tough, but they persevered. The tunnel was finally opened in 1954, allowing road access to Milford Sound, and visitors began flocking there to see it for themselves.

In 1990, Milford Sound, along with other Fiordland areas and three other national parks, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Currently, Milford Sound is the most famous tourist destination in New Zealand and often ranks at the top of the list of the most beautiful places in the world. You can visit Milford Sound on a day tour and enjoy its stunning scenery by sailing in the fjord.

As a fjord, Milford Sound was formed through glaciation processes over millions of years. The village at the end of the fjord is also known as Milford Sound.

Milford Sound stretches 15 kilometers inland from the Tasman Sea at Dale Point (also named after its proximity to Milford Haven in Wales)—a fjord mouth—and is surrounded by steep rock faces rising 1,200 meters or more on both sides. Among its peaks are The Elephant at 1,517 meters, said to resemble an elephant's head, and The Lion, 1,302 meters, shaped like a crouching lion.

Milford Sound has two permanent waterfalls, Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls. After heavy rain, temporary waterfalls can be seen flowing down the steep rock faces that line the fjord. They are fed by moss that is soaked with rainwater and will last for a few days at most after the rain stops.

Milford Sound has a unique water composition where the top 10 meters of its surface water is fresh (like the volume of rainfall) and colored with tannins from vegetation, creating a reflective surface that stops light penetration to the deeper seawater below.

"Crystal and granite form the main types of rock in Milford Sound. This hard rock type is resistant to the strong glacial carving movements that create the towering fiord walls and flowing waterfalls. Milford Sound Piopiotahi is also home to deposits of bowenite, which is known by the Māori tribe as tangiwai, a lighter version of the famous greenstone or pounamu."

#OSCARLIVING #OLIV #BELANJAFURNITUREJADIMUDAH #FURNITUREJAKARTA #INDONESIABAIK #CARIFURNITURE #FURNITUREKANTOR #PUSATFURNITUREKANTOR #KURSIKANTOR #PTOSCARMITRASUKSESSEJAHTERATBK #jalanjalanbersamaoliv #kelilingdunia #travelling #Traveltheworld #jalanjalan #Newzealand #Milfordsound #NZ #Visitnewzealand #UNESCO #UNESCOHERITAGE