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Milford Track, New Zealand

114 images Created 25 Apr 2016

The Milford Track…Awesome, Amazing, Incredible, Beautiful, Brutal. A trek of 67km over 4 days (forget the 54km in the glossy brochure)… Day 1: After a 1hr Boat cruise...prepared, we set off with our packs on the first, easy sunny 8km walking through primordial forest, beside the crystal blue streams and enormous mountains that are the signature of this place for just 2 hrs…welcome to Milford. Day 2: dawns grey and with late heavy rain forecast, we start early on the 20km journey of steady trekking with a total vertical climb of 500m, 400m of which comes over the last 6km with a steep and relentless climb over rough rocky terrain to the second hut…which never seems to come...it is a release after trekking for 5.5 hours when it does…glad the rain never did…we sleep well snuggled in our down cocoons. Day 3: Overnight heavy rain (part of the 7m they get here annually)…another 20km day with a total of 8.25 hours on the trail, the most incredible, and brutal…600m of vertical ascent in the first 4km clambering up narrow rocky tracks, where in the wrong place a slip will have you in serious trouble…reaching the summit of Mackinnon Pass after 2 hours in the fog, only to have it lift to the most beautiful views in the world…breathtaking…then follows a 1,000m vertical descent over the next 4 hours and 7km with more difficult rocky terrain around ledges and down waterfalls…intense…our heavy pack making sure knees and quads are seriously strained…reaching Sutherland Falls (the largest in NZ) by way of a side trip…the power of millions of litres of water crashing 600m to the valley floor in a constant roar like a 747 taking off…super relieved to finally reach the hut, again no rain, a phenomenal day, some soup, noodles and a restless sleep in a bunkhouse. Day 4: 19km in 5.5 hours. Second “easy day”…a flat blue-sky walk, we push ourselves and a boat awaits us…sore, tired, elated at the achievement...at Sandfly Point then our final destination: Milford Sound.
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  • Mitre Peak at Milford Sound and the wharf.
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  • Lake Te Anau and the township of Te Anau - a surprisingly large and well resourced (groceries, outdoor gear, eating places) and beautiful step off point for the trek.
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  • The first inkling of the amazing sights and scenes in the Fiordland forest
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  • The quite literal launch point for the trek. We drove there and had our car collected and taken to Milford Sound to be waiting for us when we finished the trek
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  • At the point of no retun...on the very pleasant 1 hour boat ride to Glade Wharf. We started our walk toward the end of the walking season in late April 2016.
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  • We were blessed with some lovely blue skies for the first and last days of our walk and a mix of cloudy and blue skies on the other two.
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  • That little white stretch on the shore is Glade Wharf...luckily you head left up the valley to the first hut.
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  • Try and be first in the queue for the photo...otherwise you'll be waiting in the queue a while to get going...
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  • Beautiful old forest, covered in moss...a riot or brich green.
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  • Glade House - the first "glamping" hotel for the guided walkers - is just down the track from Glade Wharf. The self guiders continue on past...
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  • The first of many swing bridges - some large - some small, but all spanning beautiful blue/green rivers that take your breath away.
    Milford_Track-1010.jpg
  • Day 1
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  • Day 1
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  • With a concerted trapping program for the stoats (ferrets) and possums, the birdlife is getting to be plentiful and friendly!
    Milford_Track-1013.jpg
  • These little guys come right up to you...no fear...
    Milford_Track-1014.jpg
  • Day 1
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  • Day 1 (just near the Clinton Hut)
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  • Clinton Hut, reached in about 1.5hrs, is the first of three with two bunk rooms (equipped with double bunks), a kitchen that provides running water and gas cookers and a small toilet block with cold running water and flushing toilets. BYO matches and if you just want a quick cuppa, maybe bring your own Jetboil...
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  • After dropping the pack at the hut, a short backtrack down to the river was lovely.
    Milford_Track-1018.jpg
  • The wetland walk was a short distance form the hut and worth a look, it is interesting and was in its Autumn colours when we walked.
    Milford_Track-1019.jpg
  • The colourful wetlands
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  • Wetlands trees had that African savannah look...
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  • Helpful signs let you know what you're in for. This sign is on the main track at Clinton Hut. The walk to the next hut, Mintaro, with plenty of photo stops and a couple of food breaks was completed by us in 5.5hrs so the signage is pretty reliable.
    Milford_Track-1022.jpg
  • Day 2 walk begins - forget the 16.5km in the guide - its closer to 19.5km with a healthy ascent at the end over the last 4km. We had been warned that heavy rain was in the forecast for later in the day, so we got going early...
    Milford_Track-1023.jpg
  • Day 2
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  • Day 2
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  • Day 2
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  • Day 2
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  • Just a reminder that in many places on the track flooding is common after heavy rains. Best to be prepared fo everything.
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  • The shelter at Hirere Falls provided a very pleasant stop.
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  • Always nice to get the packs off from time to time.
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  • Heavy cloud and mist thwarted out "First View" of Mackinnon Pass. But gave us incentive to keep pushing on to try and miss any heavy rain.
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  • Day 2
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  • Optional short side track to Hidden Lake...not the most breathtaking, but a pleasant diversion.
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  • Hidden Lake
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  • Note the grass flattened as the creek overflowed...thankfully some days before we had been through...
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  • Day 2
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  • Coming out of the green, green forest you walk down the valley in scrubby country that takes a battering from flooding in heavy rains and can easily become impassable.
    Milford_Track-1037.jpg
  • Bus Stop shelter - heed the warning in heavy rains to wait until it is safe to cross the rockfall that follows (see next images)
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  • Heed the warnings - just crossing the rock slide in the dry is challenging enough...
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  • Rockfall
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  • Rockfall
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  • Truly stunning
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  • After 5.5 hrs on the trail with 4km of climbing at the end, with rain just starting to fall, this sign provided significant relief.
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  • Mintaro Hut - the oldest of the three - all in one with a large kitchen and two small bunk rooms on the ground floor and a large bunkroom on the top floor. We managed to get beds in the ground floor bunk room and slept warm and soundly...
    Milford_Track-1044.jpg
  • With a heartening forecast of clearing showers, we began the biggest day of the track. 20km including 600m of ascent in the first 4km up to Mackinnon Pass, 1,000m of descent down to the Quinton Day Shelter over the next 7km Shelter as well, the side trip to Sutherland Falls then a final trek to Dumpling Hut. Forget about the ascent (which is hard), the 1,000m descent is the knee killer!
    Milford_Track-1045.jpg
  • The short gentle start...lulls you a little bit.
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  • Day 3
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  • The track up gets regular rock falls, making it challening in places.
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  • Gaining elevation quickly
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  • About two thirds of the way up you pop out of the forest and walk to the top in low alpine vegetation...on some raggedy rocky track at times...
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  • This angry Weka with her chick saw us off with some squawking and piercing stares...
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  • Day 3
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  • About to say goodbye to to the Clinton Valley - our starting point - way down below.
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  • Nearing the top, the cloud and mist closed in and we gave up hopes for a view from the top.
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  • The Quinton McKinnon memorial just before the peak.
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  • And yes - that edge and the cloud mark a sheer drop of hundreds of metres just beyond the sign - needless to say we did stay clear of the edge...
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  • Small pools litter the top of the pass. Luckily we did not have heavy cloud nor strong winds, which are prevalent. They close the track only when the winds at the top reach 110km/h...
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  • The climbing continues past the memorial to the highest point of the pass.
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  • Made it!
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  • The loo with a view...well on a clear day at least...
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  • The shelter at the top of the Pass was a welcome sight after a long uphill trek.
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  • The shelter is spartan, but warm and dry and with running water and a stove...
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  • After a coffee and muesili bar we headed off over the Milford side of the Pass and were speechless as the cloud began to break up...
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  • The stunning views form the top.
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  • At the top of the Pass
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  • On the way down...
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  • The track is marked in both miles (as a tribute to the old timers) and kilometres...but don't get carried away with their accuracy...
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  • More wow and stunning views down the valley
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  • Glad we didn't have to brave the emergency track, would have missed so much of the amazing countryside
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  • Day 3
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  • A steep, rocky and at time challenging descent with sheer drop offs.
    Milford_Track-1071.jpg
  • A steep, rocky and at time challenging descent with sheer drop offs.
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  • A steep, rocky and at time challenging descent with sheer drop offs.
    Milford_Track-1073.jpg
  • The view of the Pass...flat bit top left of the picture...we were only about a third of the way down!
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  • The Mountains and the power of the falls and slips make you feel insiginificant.
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  • Stunning...again
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  • And then there's the waterfalls - so many.
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  • Steep stairs go on and on, but give an amazing view of the river crashing down to the valley.
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  • Back into stunning green forest
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  • The reddish trees in the sea of green were a sight
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  • Still the endless challenging descent, picking your path down rockfalls in some cases waterfalls.
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  • Made it to the Day Shelter at Quinton lodge (for the guided walkers) but a great place to enjoy a cuppa compliments of Quinton Lodge and to take your pack off before the side trip to Sutherland Falls.
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  • The swing bridge to Quinton.
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  • Quinton
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  • The Quinton day shelter is on the left.
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  • Swing bridge on the track to Sutherland. The side walk takes about 1.5hrs  return and with about another 45 mins from Quinton to the final hut (Dumpling) you do need to have at least 2.5 hours of sunlight left when you start out to Sutherland Falls (unless you want the ranger chasing you while you trek in the dark over some tricky path). We started out from Mintaro at 8am (bit late - but waiting for the rain to clear) and just made it to Dumpling before dark.
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  • Lovely first view of the falls from the track.
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  • First two (of three) falls of the Sutherland Falls
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  • As close as you can get without getting drenched, but still the roar of the falls is like a jet taking off.
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  • Seriously getting wet here...along with my waterproof gopro...so much water crashing down from 600m above
    Milford_Track-1091.jpg
  • The sleeping huts at Dumpling. There are four separate rooms with 6 double bunks in each. Worst mattresses here...must be due for replacement...very hard, but no complaints. Be sure to pack your headtorch as there is only lighting in the kitchen and it runs from 6pm to 10pm only.
    Milford_Track-1092.jpg
  • Sunset on a clear sky over Dumplng boded well for a blue sky day dawning on our fourth and last day.
    Milford_Track-1093.jpg
  • We made it to Sandfly in about 5.5hrs with a few stops for photos and food, so the signage is pretty good.
    Milford_Track-1094.jpg
  • A forest slip just out of Dumpling provided a challenge clambering over slippery logs and mud.
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  • Day 4
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  • Day 4
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  • Day 4
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