Milford Road Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
road in New Zealand
About Milford Road
The route of Milford Road could have taken a very different turn. Although the highway now starts at Te Anau, it was initially planned to start around Lake Wakatipu and run north-west from there. Planning for a road to Milford Sound began in 1909, though limited studies were also conducted beforehand in 1889. However, it was not until 1935 until this route's core chokepoint, the Homer Tunnel, was excavated and only in 1953 when the tunnel was completed. Unlike modern tunnels, the Homer Tunnel was excavated by pick and shovel (a practice far more common back then). Working conditions on the road were rough, especially with the ever-imminent threat of an avalanche (a threat that still poses an issue for workers today). It was not until the 1980s until the road was fully sealed; before then,
Milford Road Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 7 sections including: