Massive Milford Avalanche Triggered by Explosives
A dramatic scene has unfolded in New Zealand’s South Island, where a massive avalanche was deliberately triggered on Milford Road, one of the country’s most scenic yet dangerous highways. Footage captured from a helicopter showed tonnes of snow and ice crashing down the mountainside, a spectacle both awe-inspiring and unsettling. But this wasn’t nature acting on its own—this was carefully planned by the New Zealand Transport Agency as part of a long-running avalanche control programme.
Specialist teams set off explosives in the mountains above the road to Milford Sound, a world-famous tourist destination. The controlled blast sent huge volumes of snow down Avalanche Creek, near the Homer Tunnel. By channeling the snow in a predictable direction, authorities were able to reduce the risk of an uncontrolled avalanche striking the road while visitors were travelling. Afterward, heavy machinery cleared the debris, ensuring the highway could reopen safely.
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The operation was not just about safety in the moment, but about maintaining access to one of New Zealand’s crown jewels of tourism. Milford Sound attracts visitors from across the globe, but the road that leads there—State Highway 94—has always been vulnerable. In fact, before avalanche management was introduced in the early 1980s, the road was often closed for the entire winter. Now, thanks to this internationally recognized programme, year-round access has been made possible, though closures still occur during extreme weather.
Kevin Thompson, manager of the Milford Road Alliance, emphasized that the responsibility of keeping visitors safe is taken extremely seriously. He pointed out that while the avalanche programme may look dramatic, it is a carefully calculated science, refined over decades to balance public safety with keeping the route open.
Even with these measures, the weather remains unpredictable. Snowploughs are constantly at work, and authorities warn that the road may close at short notice when conditions worsen. In fact, the road was reopened after the avalanche but scheduled to close again the same evening, with forecasts predicting more snow showers over the coming days.
For travelers, the images of the avalanche are both a reminder of nature’s raw power and reassurance that experts are working behind the scenes to keep the road safe. What might look like destruction from above is actually part of a protective system—preventing a much more dangerous, uncontrolled slide from happening while vehicles are on the highway.
The controlled avalanche over the weekend will likely not be the last this season, as snow is expected daily through to Sunday. Visitors heading to Milford Sound are being reminded to check for updates, travel in convoys when required, and prepare for possible delays. It’s all part of the unique reality of exploring a landscape as rugged and breathtaking as Fiordland—where nature rules, but human ingenuity has found a way to coexist with it.
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