Sandfly Point

Overview

About Sandfly Point

Sandfly Point is the Milford Track’s finish line: a tiny jetty and shelter tucked where the Arthur River meets Milford Sound. It’s not a standalone destination so much as a moment—equal parts triumph, scenery, and swatting at bitey little namesakes.

Why stop

Official end of the Milford Track with boat pickup jetty
Basic shelter and toilets at the waiting area
Gateway for the day walk to Giant Gate Falls

Heads up

Infamous, relentless sandflies
Boat transfer required and schedules are strict

Everyone who walks the Milford Track ends here, which gives Sandfly Point a celebratory buzz. You share the shelter with newly minted finishers and day hikers, swapping stories while watching the fiord. The perspective from this side of Milford Sound is a little different from the usual roadside viewpoints—earned, not driven.

Parkwolf’s verdictWhy It’s Special

Map

Where it is

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Full map

TrailheadSandfly Point-44.68359, 167.90248

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Local know-how

Tips for visiting Sandfly Point

Pre-book your boat transfer to and from Milford Sound—no road access.
Bring strong insect repellent or a head net; wait inside the shelter when you can.
Treat the shelter’s rain-tank water or carry your own.
If day-hiking, plan your boat times to comfortably reach Giant Gate Falls and back.
Have your camera ready on the jetty—take the shot fast and move on.

Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to visit

Come when your boat transfer is booked—this is all about timing. If you’re day hiking to Giant Gate Falls, pick a slot that gives you ample daylight for the return. For photos from the jetty, have your camera ready and keep it quick; the sandflies don’t pose politely.

Facilities & Logistics

There’s a basic day shelter with toilets and a rain-fed water tank (treat water before drinking). No road access, no store, no frills. You’ll need a pre-booked boat transfer to/from Milford Sound—missing it means more quality time with sandflies.

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Fiordland Tour Guide

Your drive to Sandfly Point, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Fiordland National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

See the Fiordland audio tour

Recorded for this area

Milford Sound's Hidden Midnight Zone

Listen

“Notice how the water here has a tea-brown tint? That’s because this is one of the wettest places on Earth.”

Plays on the road 1.5 km from Sandfly Point in the Parkwolf Fiordland Tour Guide.

More about Sandfly Point

What You’ll SeeStep onto the jetty for a last look at Fiordland’s drama: forested riverbanks opening to the…

Step onto the jetty for a last look at Fiordland’s drama: forested riverbanks opening to the fiord and, on clear moments, classic views toward Mitre Peak. It’s a short, simple space—just enough to frame the landscape and wait for your boat out.

Day Walk OptionNot doing the full track?

Not doing the full track? Use the boat transfer from Milford Sound to Sandfly Point and walk the lush section to Giant Gate Falls. It’s a popular out-and-back that gives you a taste of the Milford Track without the multi-day commitment.

WildlifeBirdlife flits through the surrounding forest, but the headliners are, honestly, the sandflies.

Birdlife flits through the surrounding forest, but the headliners are, honestly, the sandflies. Expect them in force whenever you step outside the shelter. In the wider fiord you might spot marine life, but Sandfly Point itself is about the river mouth and forest edge.

A Bit of HistoryThe smooth, wide feel of the track’s final kilometers isn’t an accident—parts of this last…

The smooth, wide feel of the track’s final kilometers isn’t an accident—parts of this last section were built with prison labor in the late 19th century, a practical legacy you’ll notice as the path levels off toward the finish.

Need-to-KnowBring strong insect repellent and/or a head net.

Bring strong insect repellent and/or a head net.
Don’t rely on the shelter for comfort—it’s just a waiting room.
Treat water from the tank or bring your own supply.
Build buffer time into your plan so you don’t miss the boat.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Fiordland

All Fiordland wildlife maps

1,181 sightingsKeaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map

199 sightingsFiordland PenguinMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

228 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map

32 sightingsBottlenose DolphinMost seen around 5 PMSighting map

247 sightingsNew Zealand Fur SealMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

58 sightingsKākāMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Fiordland. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.