A tourist cruise ship dwarfed by the steep cliff faces of Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand A popular tourist destination
A tourist cruise ship dwarfed by the steep cliff faces of Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand. Milford Sound (Piopiotahi in Ma¯ori) is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top travel destination and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Milford Sound runs 15 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea at Dale Point - the mouth of the fiord - and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 1,517 metres (4,977 ft), said to resemble an elephant's head and The Lion, 1,302 metres (4,272 ft), in the shape of a crouching lion. Lush rain forests cling precariously to these cliffs, while seals, penguins, and dolphins frequent the waters and whales can be seen sometimes. Milford Sound sports two permanent waterfalls all year round, Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls. After heavy rain many hundreds of temporary waterfalls can be seen running down the steep sided rock faces. The beauty of this landscape draws thousands of visitors each day, with between 550,000 and 1 million visitors in total per year. This makes the sound one of New Zealand's most-visited tourist spots, and also the most famous New Zealand tourist destination. Milford Sound, New Zealand. 29th April 2011. Photo Tim Clayton
Size: 4896px × 3264px
Location: Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand
Photo credit: © Ben Lewis / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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