Milford and Doubtful Sound
 

We are planning on spending time in Milford and Doubtful Sound. What are you favortie ways of experiencing this beauty? Should we kayak or take a boat tour? How is the wildlife viewing? Any suggestions on what do do/see in this area?

Also, if we are limited on time, should we also go to the South Eastern side of the South Island? How does it compare?

You can drive to Milford yourself, and then do various things on the Sound (boat tour, kayak tour) when you get there. The only way to get to Doubtful Sound is by coach, from the far end of Lake Manapouri (you first must cross the lake by boat). If you can afford it, I'd suggest an overnight tour of either Sound, preferably Doubtful. The experience will be much more satifying, you will get to use kayaks at dawn or dusk on most tours, and you will definitely see much more wildlife (mostly shorebirds).

The SE coast is nice, but not at all comparable to Fiordland. There are some interesting beaches, and lots of opportunities for penguin- and albatross-watching. If time was limited, I would consider spending more time elsewhere.

I agree with everything ALF said. We did the overnight on Doubtful and loved it so much. great crew, great food, and all, but the experience was magnificent, and we were lucky to see a lot of dolphins, a penguin, and seals, along with various birds. A naturist on board gives a talk at night. We had terrific weather, but my folks went a few days earlier with terrible rain and loved it too. they said the waterfalls were everywhere.

If you couldn't do the overnight, would it still be fun?

Yes, it would still be fun, but you get to enjoy so many more hours in the Sound if you did the overnight cruise. The scenery in Doubtful Sound is stunning and the cruise was one of the highlights of my trip. Do consider doing it.