Milford Track

More photos from this segment!:
https://picasaweb.google.com/103620108216329120374/MilfordTrack?authkey=Gv1sRgCO2D8suUhNfUQA&noredirect=1

The Milford Track, a four-day hike amidst mountains and temperate rain forest in Fiordland National Park in the southwest of the South Island, was one of the most highly anticipated parts of our trip. We reserved our spots almost a year in advance, since the only ~30 people are permitted to start the trail each day. It was my very first multi-day hike!

Day 1: Glade Wharf to Clinton Hut

The first day starts with a boat ride across Lake Te Anau. There were two groups of ~30 starting with us that day - one group was part of the guided trek, which provides meals and decent accomodations to its participants; the other group, which we were in, trekked independently, stayed in basic lodges and made our own food.

From the other side of the lake, it was a short and easy two-hour hike to Glade House, where we spent our first night. The lodge was basic - three simple cabins were filled with bunk beds with matresses for your sleeping bag. There's a separate cooking cabin with benches and stoves. There was a helipad by each of the lodges for supplies.

Day 2: Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut

The scenary for the first two days was pretty much the same. We walked on a well-marked trail through a rainforest, which often opened up to beautiful mountain and river views. The trail was mostly flat, climbing about 300 meters today. Six hours later, we arrived at Mintaro Hut. 

The rainforest was magical. Everything is lush and covered in moss. Apparently, when there's no rain in 7+ days, all the moss curl up and the place looks really different.

We were greeted by keas at the second lodge. These birds are super smart and aggressive - they'll eat anything food you leave out, and pick at your belongings. We were told to keep our packs closed and our boots hung up.

Day 3: Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut

This is the big day! We crossed over Mackinnon Pass to get to the over side of the valley. The hike up was moderate. The path was good and not too steep. Even though the highest part of the pass is only 100m, we got great views in all directions! The day was calm, sunny and warm.

On the way down, an 1.5hr side trail took us to Sutherland Falls. At 580m, it's the tallest waterfall in New Zealand. If you want to get soaked, try going behind the falls for a minute.

This was by far the longest day - took us about 10 hours from start to finish, although we did take many breaks.

Day 4: Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point

The number of sandflies had been increasing each day on the trail, and had become unbearable by Day 4. The end of the hike is apted named Sandfly Point. We tried taking a picture there, but couldn't stop waving bugs out of face long enough for a good one. There were beautiful waterfalls on the last day though!

At a total of 53.5km, the Milford Track is a pretty easy four-day hike. Plus, it's made easier by having lodges and cooking facilities each night, greatly reducing the weight of our backpacks. Water along the trail is perfectly good to drink. We only had to carry our own food, cloths, and camera equipment.

Ever since signing up for the hike, my biggest fear was encountering lots of rain on the trail. Receiving 268in of rain annually, Milford Sound is known as the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest in the world. At least a few times a year, the trails get completely flooded - hikers are forced to stay extra nights in the lodges until water levels falls. As you can see from our pictures though, we had beautiful weather all four days! In fact, we didn't see a drop of rain, and most days were beautifully sunny, especially the day when we crossed over Mackinnon Pass. Maybe we'll get to use our rain gear in Patagonia next month?