HistoryMilford SoundThursday, 1 January 2026
The Homer Tunnel was started with picks and shovels in 1935
The 1.2 km granite tunnel that makes the Milford road trip possible took nearly two decades, an avalanche tragedy, and a world war to finish.
Without the Homer Tunnel there is no road to Milford Sound. Work began in 1935 with five men, picks, shovels and wheelbarrows, boring through solid Fiordland granite at the head of the Hollyford Valley. Avalanches killed workers, the war halted everything, and the 1.2 km tunnel finally opened to traffic in 1953.
It's still single-lane, controlled by traffic lights in peak season, and drops steeply towards Milford at a 1:10 gradient. The wait at the entrance is a feature, not a bug: it's one of the best kea-spotting locations in the country.
Quick answers
- How long is the Homer Tunnel?
- About 1.2 km, bored through solid granite between the Hollyford Valley and the Cleddau Valley on the Milford Road. Begun by hand in 1935, it opened in 1953.
Sources
- The Homer Tunnel (approx. 1.2 km) was begun in 1935 and opened to traffic in 1953. [source]