Should you visit Milford Sound from Queenstown or Te Anau?
Milford Sound sits deep in Fiordland, and the starting point changes the day far more than the map can make it look. Te Anau is the better Milford base if you can spare the night; Queenstown is the better compromise if another hotel move would cost more than one very long day. From Queenstown, Milford is a 12–14-hour outing, not a normal day trip.
Answer
Milford Sound is remote whichever way you approach it, but Te Anau and Queenstown create very different days. DOC suggests allowing about eight hours for a Te Anau–Milford return with scenic stops and a cruise, compared with roughly 12–14 hours from Queenstown. If Milford Sound is one of the reasons you are in the South Island, sleep in Te Anau. From there, the Milford Road can be part of the experience rather than something you race through before a long return journey. Queenstown still makes sense on a short itinerary, when your accommodation is already fixed, or when you would rather take a coach than add another check-in. If you are driving yourself, Te Anau becomes more compelling. If Te Anau would be a one-night luggage move with no other Fiordland time, staying in Queenstown and accepting the long coach day can be the cleaner compromise.