Sutherland Falls

Just when we thought Milford Sound couldn't get any better! Today we enjoyed Garry's Christmas present. I shouted both of us on a scenic helicopter flight to Lake Quill and Sutherland Falls. The experience was simply out of the world. I doubt we'll ever forget the truly awe-inspiring scenery we witnessed. My photos simply don't do it justice. This was nature at its very, very best. Wow! What a flight!

We woke this morning to perfect flying conditions. The skies were blue. The air was still and there was barely a cloud to be seen. To put this in perspective, Milford Sound is the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest places in the world! The mean annual rainfall in Milford Sound is 6,813mm, and it rains on average 182 days a year.

Our flight departed from Milford Sound Airport and retraced the famed Milford Track as winds its way down the Arthur Valley past Lake Ada, and on towards Sutherland Falls. I’d read that this was one of Fiordland’s more spectacular valleys. However, nothing could’ve prepared either of us for today’s breathtaking flight. The river valley literally shimmered in the morning sunlight and the falls were a sight to behold. I honestly can’t find enough superlatives to describe the entire experience.

Sutherland Fall is fed by Lake Quill, a tarn that sits in a stunning rocky amphitheater more than 979 metres (3,212 ft) above sea level. Year-round the lake’s snowmelt flows over a narrow granite rim and cascades more than 580 metres (1,904 ft), in three dramatic tiers, into the verdant Arthur Valley below.

As the helicopter crested the falls and Lake Quill came into view one of the most extraordinary sights I've ever witnessed came into view. The lake's surface was literally mirror flat with barely a ripple to be seen. Our pilot then deposited us gently on a grassy knoll where we took a short alpine hike across damp and spongy tundra straight into one of those “once in a lifetime” Instagram moments.

We then retraced our steps with a stunning circuit over the lake, a breathtaking flight over the verge of the falls, and back down the valley. Below us, we could see the fourth leg of the Milford Track winding its way toward us before veering off to traverse the grueling McKinnon Pass nearby.

I'll let the photo I've posted tell the rest of the story! (And don't miss the video below).