On February 9, we started the Milford Track, a 33.5 mile (54 kilometer) hike to the Milford Sound. It began with an hour boat trip from Te Anau Downs to the beginning of the trek at the Glad Wharf. Once the boat docked, we kicked off our shoes and socks and journeyed through the brisk water to shore since the docks were flooded from recent rainfall.
As we dried off our feet, put on our shoes and shoed away the sandflys, we gathered our packs and set out for the first of three huts on the Milford Track, the Clinton Hut located a short 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) away. We walked across a long suspension bridge to start the track and enjoyed the amazing surroundings of cascading mountains, clear blue streams littered with moss-covered limestone rocks, and the peacefulness of the track ahead.
Once we arrived at the hut, we headed to the bunkroom to unpack and figure out what freeze-dried dinner we should make that evening. We chose Nasi Goreng, a Balinese dish we enjoyed many times while visiting the Indonesian island. After a decent tasting dinner, we had a sleepless night in the snore-filled room of one of the Clinton Hut’s bunkrooms.
The next morning, we woke to overcast skies and light showers to begin our 9.5 mile (16.5 kilometer) hike to our next hut, Mintaro. As we ventured out, we enjoyed trails filled with singing birds, green ferns, moss covered logs and flowing streams along the trail. At many points, the trail opened up and we were surrounded by mountains and beautiful waterfalls. As we hiked along, crossing many bridges we enjoyed seeing some of New Zealand’s indigenous animals like blue ducks, weka and kea birds, and a huge rainbow trout that was in one of the streams.
After a 5.5 hour hike, and finishing with a 40-minute ascent, we were excited to arrive to a warm fire at the Mintaro Hut, as we were a little soggy from sloshing through puddles, and the light rain that accompanied us most of the day. We enjoyed another night of socializing with our 40 new friends and bunkmates, but headed to bed for an early night’s rest so we would be rested for the steepest part of our hike the next day, Mackinnon Pass.
On Friday (Day 3 of our trek), we ventured out early to endure the zigzag climb to Mackinnon Pass, the highest point on the track that would see us to an elevation of 1154 meters (3,786 ft). As we climbed up the pass and through the fog and mist-filled canyon, we emerged at the top of the pass to enjoy amazing views and the “12-second drop”, a straight drop down to the canyon floor below us. From the highest point on the pass, we enjoyed spectacular views of Mt. Hart and Mt. Balloon, it was truly spectacular! To warm up, we headed to the Mackinnon Pass Shelter to re-fuel and to put on some warmer clothes, as it was very cold on the top.
We enjoyed the amazing views for about 45 minutes before we started our hike down to the valley floor, a 970 meter descent (3,182 ft) to our final hut, the Dumpling Hut. As we maneuvered rocky, uneven terrain we enjoyed the spectacular views and waterfalls that surrounded us. This particular section is coined the ‘Roaring Burn’, and featured a wooden boardwalk and staircase section next to the numerous amazing waterfalls. Before arriving at the Dumpling Hut, we enjoyed a slight detour to enjoy the highest waterfall in New Zealand, the Sutherland Falls, dropping an amazing 508 meter (1,666 feet). We could really feel the awesome power these falls produced when we were standing at the bottom getting sprayed, it was incredible!
For our final day, we trekked 18 kilometers (11.5 miles) to our final destination, Sandfly Point. As the track gently descended following the Arthur River, we enjoyed the natural wonders like the beautiful Mackay Falls (in our opinion, the most beautiful waterfall we have ever seen- you were right Lori!). Shaped like a wish-bone, these falls are a definite highlight on the Milford Track. After Mackay, we continued on our journey enjoying our surroundings, and talking with our fellow hikers. We finally reached Sandfly Point after five hours and a reasonably easy day of trekking. We were excited to have completed such an amazing and beautiful trek and looked forward to a shower and a nice warm bed for the evening. Anyone considering this trek, we highly recommend it!
Love and miss you all,
Cathy and Adam
On Friday (Day 3 of our trek), we ventured out early to endure the zigzag climb to Mackinnon Pass, the highest point on the track that would see us to an elevation of 1154 meters (3,786 ft). As we climbed up the pass and through the fog and mist-filled canyon, we emerged at the top of the pass to enjoy amazing views and the “12-second drop”, a straight drop down to the canyon floor below us. From the highest point on the pass, we enjoyed spectacular views of Mt. Hart and Mt. Balloon, it was truly spectacular! To warm up, we headed to the Mackinnon Pass Shelter to re-fuel and to put on some warmer clothes, as it was very cold on the top.
