Natural wonder Milford Sound shortlisted
22 Jul 2009
New Zealand’s Milford Sound, described by Rudyard Kipling as the 'eighth wonder of the world', has been shortlisted in a global search for the new seven natural wonders of the world.
The popular South Island tourist destination, which attracts thousands of tourists each year, is among 28 finalists chosen from the 441 natural landmarks originally nominated.
The organisers expect more than one billion people to vote online for the final seven natural wonders. Voting begins on 28 July, and continues until 2011.
Extraordinary achievement
It was a significant achievement for the Fiordland region, and "the latest acknowledgement of Milford Sound’s exceptional beauty", according to Destination Fiordland manager Lisa Sadler.
"The eyes of the planet will be upon Milford Sound and New Zealand for the next two years," Sadler said.
"We rely heavily on our superb natural assets and this kind of exposure can only be positive."
As official sponsor of Milford Sound, Destination Fiordland provided judges with information on the area’s unique environment which lies within a UNESCO World Heritage Area, a national park, and marine reserves.
Destination Fiordland would be using social networking tools like ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’ to push for votes, Sadler said.
Wonderful choice
Nominations for the ‘seven natural wonders’ included mountain peaks, islands, volcanoes, lakes, landscapes, forests, national parks, rivers and waterfalls in 222 countries.
The contest defines a ‘natural wonder’ as a natural site or natural monument that has not been created or significantly altered by humans for aesthetic reasons.
new7wonders
The new7wonders competition, run by a Swiss non-profit foundation, involves an online voting and ranking system.
An online public vote whittled the original list down to the most popular 77 ‘wonders’, and a panel of international nature experts, chaired by former UNESCO chief Federico Mayor, chose the finalists.
The organisers are calling for individuals to vote online for their list of seven through web portal new7wonders.com.
Background: Milford Sound
A vast conservation area and tourist destination, Milford Sound attracts more than 500,000 tourists each year and was recently named #1 Destination in the World by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel community.
Located within Fiordland National Park, in the South Island, the 'sound' is actually a fjord running 15km inland from the Tasman Sea, and surrounded by sheer rock faces rising to 1200m or more on either side.
Among its most striking features are Mitre Peak, rising 1,692m above the sound, the Elephant at 1,517m and resembling an elephant’s head, and Lion Mountain, 1,302m, in the shape of a crouching lion. Lush rain forests cling precariously to these cliffs, and the deep waters are populated by seals, penguins and dolphins.
Lonely Planet says: "Gliding over calm waters between sheer, weather-scuffed cliffs, and catching sight of the spectacular 1692m high Mitre Peak in the distance, is a captivating experience that drives home the uniqueness of this corner of the world."
Vote for Milford Sound (from 28 July)
More information:
Fiordland region
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