◊ See correction below
Weather presenter Jim Hickey is going to attempt to make history by broadcasting live from the fiord tonight - providing the road opens in time.
One News editor Paul Patrick said it had never been done before because, until recently, the terrain, climate and isolation had made it "technically impossible".
"But now we have sophisticated satellite broadcast and communications equipment that can get us over those obstacles."
Hickey and fellow weather presenter Tamati Coffey will be doing a "weather tour" of Fiordland and Central Otago this week, from Alexandra, Te Anau, Milford and Queenstown.
Last night, Hickey broadcast from Te Anau, with Coffey following suit this morning.
Tonight, Hickey will broadcast from Milford Sound, followed by Coffey tomorrow morning, with Queenstown broadcasts tomorrow night and Friday morning.
Correction
Much was made by TVNZ this week about being the first television network to broadcast live from the remote Milford Sound, with Jim Hickey presenting the weather forecast from there on Wednesday night.
Well, not so fast says TV3's Queenstown reporter Leanne Malcolm, who distinctly recalls fronting a live broadcast from Milford Sound in February, 2007, when she covered the tragic story of Australian kayaker Andrew McAuley, who disappeared while attempting to paddle 1600km across the Tasman to Fiordland.
And why does Leanne remember this so clearly? "Because as I began to speak my mouth was shrouded by a veil of sandflies."
Our reporter Tracey Roxburgh also remembers it clearly, being impressed with Leanne's composure: "She just carried on, being as serious as she possibly could, as the little midges flocked to her glossy lips and became stuck, and then they started attacking her hair and her eyes and she didnt miss a beat."
