The spectacular way to see one of New Zealand's most secluded spots

Milford Sound has been seen by millions of people over the years, but few have ever experienced it like this.

I'm taking off from one of the most famous places in the world - but we're using the water as a runway. Before I continue, let me explain what we’re up to.

Fiordland National Park is a very precious slice of New Zealand. Despite being our largest national park, covering more than 12,600sqkm, there is only one main road in: the spectacular State Highway 94 to Milford Sound. , but you’ll only end up seeing less than 1% of the beauty that makes up this magical place.

What about the other 99%? It's beyond spectacular, so breathtaking it's part of a Unesco World Heritage Area. That means it has the same status as the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon.

The United Nations even said that Te Wāhipounamu (The South West New Zealand World Heritage Area) is one of the best places on Earth to see what the supercontinent Gondwana once looked like.

If we could travel back in time to see this ancient wonderland, you probably wouldn't hesitate to do so. Well, this is the next best thing - and you can fly right over it.

Back to our plane trip, and legendary Te Anau local Kylie Krippner is in the captain’s seat of our float plane, as she swoops over Milford to come and pick us up (we’d earlier driven in by car). She lines up along a river, before gently putting her plane down and motoring over to the boat ramp.

After a quick safety briefing, the engine revs along New Zealand's most beautiful runway: the Arthur River. It's the mountain-lined waterway that marks the final stage of the

We soon gain height, and there is almost no evidence of humans, with peaks soaring from the sea to the sky in every direction.

We pass Sutherland Falls, one of the tallest in the country, with a drop more than half a kilometre – much taller than Auckland's Sky Tower.

We spot tiny lodges dotted along the Milford Track, emerald lakes sunken into the side of mountains, and glacial-fed rivers weaving their way slowly towards the sea.

With a twinkle in her eye, Krippner asks if we want to stop anywhere before reaching Te Anau. That's the remarkable thing about a float plane; courtesy of lakes, we have runways available in one of the most remote parts of New Zealand.

We eagerly nod, and before long we’re flying low over a remote series of islands in Lake Te Anau. The plane eventually comes to a stop on a golden beach - one that only a handful of Kiwis would have ever stepped foot on. That’s what a trip to the true Fiordland feels like, when you get beyond the beaten track. You’re experiencing a slice of Aotearoa that few ever have. And that’s priceless.

Te Anau is a 2-hour drive from Queenstown or a 2.5-hour drive from Invercargill.

Fiordland Lakeview Motel and Apartments has lakefront accommodation in Te Anau from $240 a night. The new Tanara Studios are excellent. See:

Te Anau's floatplane has numerous flights exploring Fiordland, with the most popular being a 40-minute flight around Doubtful Sound for $385 per person. Milford Sound scenic flights start from $585. Pickups from Milford Sound, as outlined in this story, are POA. See: