Milford Track

Next: Routeburn Track Up: Tramping in New Zealand

Journal: December 12 - 15

Map

Milford Track

The Milford Track is billed as "the finest walk in the world", following a British journalist's description many years ago. I suspect she didn't get around to many other contenders, but it is a nice walk, and is so popular you must book huts months in advance to be sure of accomodations. Track access is by boat on both ends, so just getting there and away is a bit expensive, but this adds a nice feeling of isolation, and being in another world, that you don't get on the other tracks. They start forty independent walkers a day, and some number of guided walkers, and these are the only people you will encounter while walking, since everyone goes in the same direction. The guided walkers are usually a couple hours behind, because the huts are staggered.

The walk follows Clinton Canyon, a glacial valley, up to McKinnon Pass, crosses it, and follows another valley to Milford Sound. The most memorable features are the waterfalls, which are everywhere, the lush, primitive-looking forests, and the rain. The walk is in a rainforest, which gets around five meters of rain a year, so rain is expected, and the huts have gas-heated drying rooms to dry out your gear so you can get it freshly wet the next day. Getting a view from the pass requires some luck, and possibly the willingness to make the climb the afternoon before if you get a bit of clear weather (this worked for me). The isolation and controlled access, together with all the rain, has one nice consequence: all those beautiful, clear streams are safe to drink. You never have to worry about purifying water on this track, at least not yet.

After the trek, I stayed a night in the quiet town of Milford on the sound. The next day I took a cruise out to the Tasman sea. Sea kayaking is also popular on the sound. The sound has about ten feet of fresh water on top of salt water, making a unique underwater environment very interesting to divers. Deep sea corals can be found unusually close to the surface.

The New Zealand DOC has a Milford Walk web page where you can find more information.

Each small photo is linked to a larger version with a caption.


Clinton Canyon	Rainforest	Clinton Canyon	McKinnon Pass


Sutherland Falls	MacKay Falls	Milford Sound

Next: Routeburn Track Up: Tramping in New Zealand

Journal: December 12 - 15

Map