Milford Track - South Island of New Zealand

with Ultimate Hikes (www.ultimatehikes.co.nz)

(3/2003)

  Introduction 

  I booked a 14-day New Zealand hike  through The World Outdoors which was operated by Active New Zealand but 5 days of the 14 days was actually operated by Ultimate Hikes as they have an exclusive license to provide guided hikes in Fiordland National Park on the Milford Track.

The Milford Track was by far the best part of the trip, and the company (Ultimate Hikes www.ultimatehikes.co.nz) that guided this trip provided a fantastic experience. Hindsight is always better than foresight and if I was doing it over again, I would not book the trip with Active New Zealand. Their trip involved way too much time traveling in a bus and I didn't like their a little hiking/activity each day is enough approach.  Instead I would opt for the ultimate hiking package provided by Ultimate Hikes which is an 8 day/7 night package that includes the Milford Track and the Routeburn Track that starts and ends in Queenstown OR I might opt for the Grand Traverse (6 day) which combines the Greenstone & Routeburn, take a day or two off, and then do the Milford Track (5 days). 

I would give Active New Zealand an average rating for the part of the trip that they operated but the Milford Track portion was excellent and I rate it a perfect 10!.

The Milford Track is located in Fiordland National Park and approximately 14,000 people complete the Milford track each year. It may be walked in only one direction, Glade Wharf to Milford Sound, during the booked walking season (late October to late April), with a maximum of 49 guided hikers and 40 independent hikers permitted to start the track each day. Both are usually booked solid but there are frequently last minute cancellations. Without strict limitations the track would be overcrowded and the damage to the environment catastrophic.

Starting at the head of Lake Te Anau the track follows the Clinton River to its source, crosses the McKinnon Pass (1,073m) and continues down the Arthur Valley and Arthur River to Milford Sound. Sutherland Falls may be visited as a side trip. During the summer season boat transport at either end and bus connections to and from Te Anau are available. The 53km (33 mile) track takes four days and can be enjoyed as a guided walk, staying in comfortable lodges with hot showers and all meals provided, or for independent walkers, Department of Conservation huts are provided; camping is not permitted.

History - Traversing the heart of New Zealand's wild fiord country, the Milford Track is referred to as "the finest walk in the world", an opinion endorsed by thousands who have made the four day (three night) trip. The route follows the Clinton and Arthur Valleys which are separated by the MacKinnon Pass. These U-shaped valleys were carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age which ended some 14,000 years ago. On a sunny day there is a postcard shot around every corner, but only when it rains, and torrents of water cascade down the steep mountainsides, have you truly experienced the magic of the Milford Track.

Donald Sutherland discovered Sutherland Falls in 1880 and startled the world with the claim that they were over 1,000 meters high (they are actually 580 meters). Sutherland started building a track up the Arthur Valley so visitors could be shown his" falls, however the rugged Fiordland coast limited access to Milford and finding an overland route became an imperative. In October 1888 Quintin MacKinnon and Ernest Mitchell crossed the pass that was later named in honor of MacKinnon that linked with the Arthur Valley and the track built by Sutherland. The pass and the first track was completed within two years. Nevertheless, it was still pretty rough when the first tourists began to use the track and it was a lengthy expedition to Milford Sound. Also, in the absence of another feasible route, at the end of it all, walkers had to return the same way.

map available on a clickable link at http://www.ultimatehikes.co.nz/Milford_Track/maps_and_geography.asp

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our trip started by bus in Queenstown, then we went by launch to the head of Lake Te Anau, then in 4 days we hiked 33 miles to Milford Sound

map came from the

 Ultimate Hikes Website

The orange line shows the road between Manapouri and Milford Sound.

Hikers must board a boat at Te Anau Downs and travel to the end of the lake. From there the red line shows the 53 kilometers (33 miles) Milford Track.

(again if the map is small & you want it larger move your cursor in the lower right corner and when you see the enlarge icon appear click it)

our transportation from Queenstown to Te Anau where we had lunch - then we swapped buses with those returning from the hike and went in a different, but identical bus, to Te Anau Downs to board the launch to Glade House Wharf 

 guided & independent hikers boarded the same boat at Te Anau Downs

Lake Te Anau is the largest body of fresh water in the South Island - it covers over 186 square miles (300 sq. kilometers) and has 311 miles (500 kilometers) of uninhabited shoreline.

map of the hike came from the Ultimate Hikes Website

Preview of Day 1 (1mile) - Glade House

We left Queenstown at 9.00am arriving in Te Anau in time for a light lunch and a group photo. Then we drove to Te Anau Downs boat harbor and boarded a launch for a trip to the northern end of Lake Te Anau. From the wharf it is a short walk to historic Glade House, our first lodge, for a hot shower, filling meal and comfortable bed. (Independent trampers continue on up to Clinton Forks Hut (7.2km) for the first overnight stop.)

map & info from the Take the Walk section of the  Ultimate Hikes Website

the beginning of the Milford Track

We hiked less than one mile, but it took us 5.25 hours to get to the beginning of the hike. First we had a long bus ride with one rest stop. Then we had lunch and drove about 20 minutes further then had an hour long boat ride.

There are 49 on the guided walk and there are 3 guides. Most of us are from the US but South Korea, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are represented.

Clinton River

The Glade House is SUPER. There are 4 beds in each bunkhouse, but we have only 3 people in ours. Some of the couples paid $325 extra for a private room with a bath. We also have a VERY nice unisex bathroom and shower facility (previous pictures). It is super clean and everything--including shampoo, cream rinse, and a hair dryer are provided. We have a bunk with a bottom sheet and a thick comforter, and we were each given a sleeping sack to carry with us from hut to hut.

as you can see, the bathroom facilities were VERY nice

The guides (Vaness, Scott, & Mike) split us up into 3 groups and led us on a nature hike shortly after we arrived. It acquainted us with some of the trees and bushes and was very interesting. It also gave us a chance to limber up some more without the packs. Yes, I am carrying a heavy pack again, but this one is NOT as bad as the Nelson Lake one. This one is a day pack and the other one was an overnight pack. Thus, the pack itself is smaller and weighs less and I don't need to carry a sleeping bag, towel, & a few other items.  

Vanessa (one of our guides, Mike & Scott are the other two) is explaining about the 9 suspension bridge we will encounter on the trail and weight limits

we were introduced to the concept that it was safe to fill our water bottles from the streams

Dore Pass

In the 1930s walkers would leave from the Wakatipu, cross the Harris Saddle and from the Hollyford Valley enter the Eglington Valley then cross Dore Pass to Glade House and continue on to Milford Sound via Mackinnon Pass. Unfortunately they had to return the same way.

a bush robin we encountered on the nature hike

Every hut had snacks available when we got in, and we could charge cold drinks, including beer and wine to an account and then pay with a credit card when we got to Milford.

They had 3 entree choices each night and we made our selection in the morning so they ccould fix the correct amount of each. Our choices the first night were steak, salmon, and vegetarian. I chose salmon, and it was delicious.

Preview of Day 2 (10 miles) - Pompolona Lodge

Leave Glade House and cross the Clinton River by swingbridge. Walk up Clinton Valley, being sure to stop at the wetland walk. Eat lunch at the Hirere Falls shelter. After lunch the beech forest gets more luxuriant & the valley walls climb steeper and higher. Then it's on to the prairie, an open meadow where you can capture the true nature of the ice carved Clinton Canyon--named the Valley of the Perpendicular by the early pioneers because of the high rock walls that tower 4000 feet. Then it's a short climb to Pompolona Lodge for your second night on the Milford Track. (independent walkers continue for about another hour to the hut at Lake Mintaro, the source of the Clinton River.)

map & info from the Take the Walk section of the  Ultimate Hikes Website

Day 2 -- I came across this first mile marker shortly after leaving Glade House (they are using mile markers for historical reasons and the equivalent kilometer measurement is on the side of the marker).

it rained most of the day--not hard just constant & we were VERY fortunate that was all the rain we encountered on the trip

view of Sentinel Mountain from the wetlands (as you can see the weather conditions were not conducive to good pictures but God was smiling on us as it could have been a lot worse)

another view from the wetlands

as you can see from the following pictures there were MANY spectacular falls

Dead Lake & a falls

a young lancewood tree & a falls

my first view of Sutherland Falls

Hieru Falls (we had lunch at a shelter here)

Mackinnon Pass

(this is the pass that we will cross on the 3rd day)

Toi Toi & another foot bridge

the Clinton River

From the Prairie, an open meadow, you can capture the true nature of the ice carved Clinton Canyon named the Valley of the Perpendicular by the early pioneers and it is easy to see why as the rock walls tower up to 4000 feet above you.

(this description & picture is available at the Day2 Milford Track link for UltimateHikes)

Mackinnon Pass

there are no enlarged images for these 2  

the sign says "during high river levels remain at 'bus stop' until river level drops"  

( the bus stop is shown in the 2nd picture)

these 2 pictures give you an idea of what can happen when there is heavy rain

and remember it rains a LOT in this area - in fact, the entire west coast of New Zealand is often referred to as the 'wet' coast

Pompolona Lodge

we found out very quickly that Pompolona had some very "cheeky" kias and were warned to keep our doors locked and all of our belongings inside our rooms

Keas are important for New Zealand's tourism industry. The birds have been called "the clown of New Zealand's Southern Alps" by the Department of Conservation. The fearless birds are playful scamps, but can do damage to cars, tents, shoes, etc. with their sharp beaks. And increasingly, the parrots have come into contact with human habitations, sometimes foraging at dumps and cabins. Keas have been known to destroy car accessories, such as windshield wipers and weather stripping. The birds also have shredded hiking boots and have stolen objects such as sunglasses. There are colorful tales of people leaving their cars in a back-country carpark all day, then when driving home, the windows all fall out. A bit fanciful, no doubt, but the birds are known for damaging tents and boots of trampers (backpackers).

a welcome addition to the hand wash basin  was a hand operated wringer

helicopters bring in most of the supplies

Summary of Day 2

The hike today was 10 miles, and all but the last approximately 1/2 mile was a 4-6 foot wide well packed trail without too many rocks. But near the end we were starting to get a foretaste of tomorrow's trail (I think)--it got very rocky and also we were  climbing more. I left at 9 and finished at 3:15. I was not real tired & my feet were OK, but I wanted to get rid of the pack & take a hot shower. The hut hostess, Rose, met everyone with a cold cup of juice, a hug, and a tour of the facility. We are definitely catered to--snacks are ready when we arrive and the meals are EXCELLENT!!! They start 49 people each day + 40 independent hikers are allowed to start each day. The independent hikers stay in different huts that are similar to the ones I stayed in on the Nelson Lakes hike.

Pompolona Lodge is VERY nice. This time we are in a bunkhouse that sleeps 6, and there are 5 of us. Janet. Barb, and I are together again + Sally & Ward are with us. I have an upper bunk again, but it was no problem last night and tonight the ladder has an extra step. There are two bath rooms here so there are separate ones for men and women. Also the laundry area had a wringer so the clothes could be wrung out better before putting them in the drying room.

As you begin your climb the 3 leaps of Quintin Falls can be seen and Mt Balloon rears into view. From here you climb a series of zig zags, the views on the way up will astound you as the valley floor drops away beneath your feet. Once you reach the top there are magnificent views southward into the Clinton Valley and northward into the Arthur Valley towards Milford Sound. From here the track drops steadily down to Quintin Hut (for guided trampers) and on to Dumpling Hut (for independent travellers). After lunch in Pass Hut the track takes you down a long downhill section to Quintin Lodge. On the rocky descent you will pass towering rock cliffs, glacial streams, moss covered forest, a cascading waterfall section and have your first view of Sutherland Falls.

map & info from the  Take the Walk section of the  Ultimate Hikes Website

the 3 leaps of Quintin Falls

a weka

The weka is a large, brown flightless bird that has a famously feisty and curious personality.

looking back down the Clinton River Valley from the Mackinnon Pass

Clinton River Valley

Mt. Baloon

Mckinnon Memorial at the Pass

Clinton Valley

McKinnon Valley

(Clinton to the left & Arthur to the right)

Arthur's Valley

looking down into Arthur's Valley

Frank

looking down at Quentin Lodge--thus into Arthur Valley

Quentin Lodge with zoom 

Arthur Valley

We had lunch in the Pass Hut. There is one room for independent hikers and one for guided hikers. Our guides provide drinks--hot chocolate, coffee, juice, soup--and we eat the lunch we packed at breakfast. I usually take a sandwich and some cookies and/or candy

starting the descent

There was a beautifully constructed series of wooden platforms with 198 steps that followed a stream with a series of cascading waterfalls. It was marvelous! Without the wooden steps it would have been impossible to descend the deep canyon.

we had to get to the lodge by 4:30 in order to have time for the 3 mile side trip to the falls and I made it there at 4:15!

Sutherland Falls

A series of three cataracts on the Arthur River, 14 mi (23 km) southeast of Milford Sound in the southwest portion of South Island, New Zealand. The falls rank among the world's highest, with a total drop of 1,904 ft (580 m) in leaps of 815 ft, 751 ft, and 338 ft. Fed by water from the snow-fed Lake Quill, the falls are within the Fiordland National Park.

Donald Sutherland and John Mackay found Mackay and Sutherland Falls in 1880, and possibly also crossed Mackinnon Pass before pioneer explorer and surveyor Quintin Mackinnon. In 1888 Sutherland and others were commissioned to cut a track up the Arthur Valley as far as Sutherland Falls, while Mackinnon was employed to cut a track up the Clinton Valley from the head of Lake Te Anau. On October 17,1888 Mackinnon and his companion Ernest Mitchell reached the head of the Clinton Valley, crossed the pass and continued down the Arthur Valley on the track cut by Sutherland.

this is an aerial view I found on the web showing the snow fed Lake Quill which is the source of Sutherland Falls

Quinton Lodge

Tonight after the slide show they gave us the option of flying most of the items in our packs out by helicopter for $20 NZ. I decided immediately to accept that offer. Some had their entire pack flown out, but I wanted to keep the pack so I could use my CamelBak bladder, and I still needed to carry several basic items: rain jacket, fleece jacket, sunscreen, bug repellant, etc. + I would need to carry my lunch.

Preview of Day 4 (13 miles ) - Mitre Peak Lodge

Follow the Arthur River as it makes its way to Milford Sound. Walk through a deep beech forest, catch a final view of Sutherland Falls, also glimpses of Diamond Creek and Danger Mountain can be seen before arriving at Boatshed for morning tea. Then cross the river by swingbridge and carry on to MacKay Falls and Bell Rock, an unusual rock which has been worn by water and rocks to form a hollow interior. As you near the 30 mile marker you may hear the steady roar of Giant's Gate Falls. The final stretch of the track follows tranquil Lake Ada to Sandfly Point where the Maori goddess released the sandfly to stop men lingering too long in the beauty of Fiordland. From here you catch the launch to Milford Sound and Mitre Peak Lodge.The hard part is now behind you while the beauty of Milford Sound is before you.

Milford has an average rainfall of 6200 mm - the highest recording site in New Zealand. Fiordland is a place of many high and large waterfalls, dense native forest and few inhabitants. It is a world heritage park. The falls are named in honor of Sir George Ferguson Bowen, the Governor of New Zealand from 1867 to 1873.

map & info from the  Take the Walk section of the  Ultimate Hikes Website

Sutherland Falls from the trail

this platform was built to provide a trail alongside a steep cliff

McKay Bridge

McKay Falls

Giant's Gate Waterfall

ditto

a final view of a beech forest

the Arthur river

the back side of Mitre Peak

the last mile marker

Sandfly Point

and "The End"

The Mitre Peak Lodge is VERY nice. I am in a room with 3 twin beds, but I have it all to myself and there is a marvelous view of Mitre Peak from my window. The lodge is owned by the Ultimate Hikes company and only hikers doing the Milford Track Guided Walk stay there.

Summary of Day 4

Today was 13.5 miles, and we had to meet a boat for the 25-minute ride across Milford Sound from Sand Fly Point to Mitre Peak Lodge. I knew as a guided walker I would get across when I got there, but I didn't want to be late. Thus, I didn't wait for the hot breakfast--I ate a big bowl of cereal and a banana, packed my lunch, and left at 7:20. Sally and Ward left even earlier. The track was in superb condition and without the heavy pack I moved fast. Two couples passed me at one point, but they must have taken a long lunch break--probably at Giant's Gate Falls. I stopped and walked out on the rocks to get some good pictures and enjoy the falls, but I didn't sit down on the rocks. I got to Sand Fly Point a few minutes after two and found out I was the first person to finish today. I was able to catch the boat for independent hikers that was leaving in 20 minutes and the person who had been staffing the reception area worked at Mitre Lodge and said she was leaving on the boat and I could return with her. I chatted with her as we rode the boat and walked the short distance from the landing site to the hotel and found out that she lives at the hotel and has all her meals provided so she is able to save most of her wages. She gets 1-2 days off each week and is able to hike the Milford Track and stay in the lodges free. Sounds like a good job.

source of map 

http://www.milfordsoundcruises.com/map.html

The inset on this map shows there is no direct road from Queenstown to Milford--you have to circle a long way around because of the mountains.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound was incorrectly named as it is not actually a sound, rather a fiord. Geologically speaking, a real "sound" is water-carved, but a fiord is glacier-carved. Milford Sound is the most accessible of 14 fiords in the Fiordland National Park and one of the most spectacular. Milford Sound was formed by glaciers around 14,000 years ago. The earliest inhabitants in Fiordland were the indigenous Maori, attracted to the area by the greenstone (jade) and the hunting for birds and fish. The first European to visit the area, a sealer called John Grono, named Milford Sound in 1822 after his birthplace in Wales. It was not until 56 years later in 1878, that the first European, Donald Sutherland, settled here and the site became known as the "City of Milford."

Because Milford Sound is situated in a temperate rainforest, surrounded by mountains and close to the sea, the weather is often unpredictable. The area experiences one of the highest annual rainfalls in the world, with an average of seven meters of rain falling per year.

Preview of Day 5

After breakfast embark on a Milford Sound cruise. Out on the Fiord, you realize the grandeur of the surrounding mountains, the centrepiece being Mitre Peak, rising vertically over one mile from the water line. The Fiord is a marine reserve and a haven for many marine animals. Look for Southern Fur Seals basking on the rocks. Bottlenose and Dusky Dolphins are sometimes found swimming in pods, the latter often performing leaps and flips. In early summer the fiord is also home to the rare Fiordland Crested Penguin, which come into the fiord to mate and raise their young.

On returning to the wharf, board your coach and climb your way out from Milford Sound and on to Queenstown via Te Anau (arriving at approx 4:15pm), completing your journey of the "finest walk in the world."

Milford has an average rainfall of 6200 mm - the highest recording site in New Zealand. Fiordland is a place of many high and large waterfalls, dense native forest and few inhabitants. It is a world heritage park.

this was our boat for the Milford Sound cruise

Stirling Falls (505 feet)

Stirling

Stirling

Mitre Peak - At 1692 meters it is one of the highest mountains in Fiordland, and resembles a bishop's mitre or headdress.

Bowen Falls

Mitre Peak Lodge

view from in front of lodge

airview of Milford Sound

I now say goodbye to beautiful Milford Sound, but I have many wonderful memories and a lot of pictures + a video to help me remember the sea kayak experience, the hike, & the cruise--I kept only memories & left only footprints.

It was awesome!

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