If you don't have time to make the long drive to Milford Sound, there are numerous operators offering trips from Queenstown. Flying is money well invested, as the long 1-day coach trips can be exhausting and you'll spend most of your time on a bus. If you are planning to drive yourself, I definitely recommend spending a night at Te Anau before undertaking the journey to Milford Sound. That way, your Milford trip can be taken at a leisurely pace, and you can stop along the way to enjoy the scenery.
For fixed-wing scenic flights from Queenstown to Milford, go with Queenstown Air (tel. 03/442-2244; www.queenstownair.co.nz), which offers a variety of flight and cruise combos from NZ$380 (US$270/£137); or Air Wakatipu (tel. 03/442-3148; www.flying.co.nz), with Milford options priced from NZ$299 (US$212/£108).
If flying and driving are not options, don't despair. Great Sights Queenstown (tel. 03/442-9445; www.greatsights.co.nz) and Real Journeys (tel. 0800/656-503; www.realjourneys.co.nz) both offer coach trips from Queenstown. Allow at least 12 hours for a trip of this nature, of which approximately 10 hours will be spent on the bus. A better option is to coach in and fly out, which saves time and lets you see the landscape from two different perspectives, but if the weather closes in -- and it often does -- you'll end up coaching both ways.
Real Journeys also offers a range of flight and scenic-cruise options priced from NZ$366 to NZ$399 (US$260-US$283/£132-£144). Their Coach and Nature Cruise (Oct-Apr) from Queenstown is NZ$220 (US$156/£79) for adults, NZ$110 (US$78/£40) for children ages 5 to 14. The vessel is designed along the lines of a traditional trading scow and there's an on-board nature guide. A coach/nature cruise/fly package (Oct-Apr) from Queenstown is NZ$469 (US$333/£169) for adults, NZ$272 (US$193/£98) for children ages 5 to 14. A coach/scenic cruise/fly package (all year) from Queenstown costs NZ$564 (US$400/£204) for adults, NZ$334 (US$237/£121) for children ages 5 to 14. You can book all Real Journey excursions at the visitor center at Steamer Wharf (tel. 03/442-7500; fax 03/442-7504). It has excellent coaches, comfortable cruising vessels, informed drivers, and interpretation in seven languages other than English.
