We'll be doing the Milford Road, taking the last cruise of the day at 3pm. Is there any cafe at Milford? Or are we better off bringing our own picnic? If so what would be a good place to pick up picnic food at Te Anau?

Thanks,
Kat

Hi, Katkat,
There is a cafe at Milford, but I'm not sure what time it is open. I would suspect it would be reasonably expensive as it is the only one near the wharf when the cruises leave from.
There is a supermarket in Te Anau that has picnic type food - e.g. bread rolls, ham, tomatoes, etc.
Have fun.
Dot.

Thanks, Dot!

Looks like we'll have a lot of picnicking to do... Milford Road, Catlins Coast, Haast... yum...

Kat

Generally you can buy food on the boat but I would take some food with you for sure. There is nothing between Te Anau and Milford because it is a National park (and no bugger lives there anyway). I took some snacks and we pre booked lunch on the boat which was nice but not worth the $$.

It is a long drive (great drive) and it would be good to nibble on the way too. Remember to fill up in Te Anau!!



L

Hi - as dotty said there is a cafe and a pub at Milford's but the cafe is pretty basic. You would be best to stock up on some yummy stuff in Te Anau and take it with you. Te Anau is a town and though small has a market (though I wouldn't call it a supermarket) but you should be able to buy some local produce (cheeses etc) that would be very nice to picnic on. We were warned about the large biting March flies at Milford (as big as B52's someone said) and grabbed some very potent repellent at the Chemist there (so I'd suggest if you're planning to picnic it might be a good idea to get some of that too. The one we got had a gold lid and it's fantastic stuff.

Thanks for the great suggestions on cheeses and that gold-lid repellant, guys!! Sure glad I asked.

Kat

When we were in Te Anau last June there were 2 grocery stores on the main "tourist" street through town -- a smaller one closer to the lake and a larger "supermarket" a few blocks further on where many locals were shopping...

Thanks, Rod.

It's really good to know that we'll actually have choices!

Kat

We were just at Milford Sound last week and found the cafe there very basic with nothing left at 1pm that was very appetizing. I'm surprised there is not more there in the way of food because of all the buses that come through. Even the bar was closed when we were there.

The markets in Te Anau did not have much of a selection either and opened after we left for Milford. We stocked up on muffins and yogurt and did not have lunch until we returned in the late afternoon. The best option might be to go for the meal offered on board by the cruise operators although it was $13 each.

However, you will be taking a later cruise and will be able to shop at the stores before you leave in Te Anau and there are also several cafes as well that might be good for sandwiches.

By the way, the last cruise is at 4:30.
On the day we visited, the earliest cruises were the best because of the afternoon winds that howl trough the fjord.

Thanks a lot for the latest tips fresh from Milford, Otis_B_Driftwood!

Kat