We visited New Zealand with our kids last year, where we spent time on both the North and South Islands.  Our scenic drive through Fiordland National Park to Milford Sound included views of glaciers and wildlife.  We took a boat tour of Milford Sound, which I highly recommend.  We arrived at the boat tour center, and then booked a tour with Southern Discoveries, which just happened to have the next tour going out at a convenient time for us.  There are several different boat tour companies, and it was a simple enough process to book our tour when we arrived, though it might be best to reserve in advance on more crowded days.

We were extremely fortunate to catch a rare sunny day in Milford Sound, which is one of the wettest places in the world.  The views of the glacier-created sound and surrounding mountains were truly breathtaking.  We saw abundant waterfalls, fur seals sunning themselves on rocks, and wide-winged albatross skirting across the water.  The underwater observatory gave us an interesting peek below the surface as well.

After leaving Milford Sound, we continued onto another Holiday Park near the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers.  We hiked up to get a closer view of the Fox Glacier, and we took a night walk at a nearby path to see glow worms.

We ended our trip to New Zealand by taking the TranzAlpine Railway from Greymouth back to Christchurch.  I recommend booking tickets in advance if you choose to do this.  We waited until the last minute and weren’t able to depart on our preferred date.  If the weather were more sunny, I imagine the views along the TranzAlpine route would definitely be worth seeing.  Unfortunately, we caught it on a rainy day with poor visibility, but our kids enjoyed the train ride nonetheless.