08/11/2023 - 11/11/2023
The Milford Track is one of New Zealand’s Great walks, from start to finish (without side tracks) it is 53km long and is tramped over 4 days, staying in huts for 3 nights. It is one of those adventures that you have to plan well in advance as there is only spacing for 7,500 people for the season, which can book out within minutes of the bookings opening. The bookings opened at 9.30am on 20/04/2023 (NZ time), however with approximately 12,000 people trying to book the 7,500 spots the system crashed……after 2 hours and 45minutes of resetting, retrying, resetting, I finally got the three huts booked for early November. Once the huts were booked I had to book a boat transfer in to Glade wharf for the start of the tramp and also book a transfer boat at the end. As I didn’t have transport to Te Anau Downs or back from Milford Sound to Te Anau I also had to book a transfer bus for these as well.
Once booked it pays to check out the DOC “what to take” list on their site, keeping in mind that you can get 4 seasons in one day while tramping and it is rare that you will complete the tramp without at least one day of rain. I had one of those rare moments where the four days were without rain.
We stayed at Lakeview Holiday Park and as I had booked through Real NZ I was able to be picked up by bus at the Tracknet office (which is situated in the Lakeview grounds) and transported to Te Anau Downs.
Packed and ready to go…..food was Back Country for night and breakfast (which is light and easy) OSM bars and bites, Wheat Bix Bites, dried banana, cuppa soup, electrolyte sachets. In hind sight I should have packed more food as you burn a lot of calories. We were told to take extra food as you might have to stay an extra night…the rangers won’t let you go if the rivers are flooded. There are gas cookers at each hut and also dishwashing liquid/pot scrubs etc. The bunks are very good; however you need to take a sleeping bag. I took a set of clothes for the hut and one for tramping as well as warm jackets and raincoat/leggings.
Day 1 – Glade Wharf to Clinton Hut.
The morning of the tramp I got picked up at 9.30am and headed to Te Anau Downs where I transferred to a boat to head up Lake Te Anau to Glade Wharf. Apparently the boat used to do the Foveaux Straight crossing to Stewart Island, however during one crossing the waves were that severe that they blew out the front
window, sending the pilot flying back into the boat.
The boat was repaired; the hull strengthened and now spends its last days on Lake Te Anau. Part way up the lake the boat slows and pulls over to a small island where a cross stands tall.
The cross symbolizes the location where Quinton McKinnon’s wrecked boat was found…..Mckinnon’s body was never recovered.
Quinton McKinnon was commissioned to find a track from Te Anau to Milford Sound. After blazing a track in extreme weather conditions up the Clinton valley for over a month he came upon a track that Donald Sutherland had previously cut from Milford into Sutherland Falls. The track was opened up for tourists and McKinnon spent much of his time guiding tourists. The two combined tracks are now known as The Milford Track and is now a world famous walk.
We finally reached Glade Wharf and upon exiting the boat, all tramping boots and poles had to go through a bath to stop the spread of didymo.
The tramp to Clinton hut is only about an hour and a half walk through a beech forest and as there were only about 10 people (out of 40) on the early boat there wasn’t any rush to get there to secure a bunk.
A short time into the tramp I passed the first ultimate hikers lodge and crossed the Clinton River swing bridge. The track is flat and easy with enticing vistas through the beech trees to the emerald green water in the Clinton River……the silhouette of dark black logs lay scattered on the river bed. The sound of tui, kereru, and bell bird filled the air and the cheeky South Island robin and fantail (Pīwakawaka) followed my every move hoping to grab a tasty morsel that I might have stired up. From time to time a weka would dart across the track.
It wasn’t long before I reached Clinton hut, about 12.30; I dropped my pack on a bunk, went to the kitchen to register my name against the bunk number and checked out the rest of the facilities. The kitchen had gas stoves, sinks, dish washing equipment and many tables and chairs, there were communal flush toilets and hand basins, however don’t bother packing your shower cap as there aren't any showers….if you want to freshen up you need to brave the numbingly cold swimming hole a few minutes walk from the hut.
Others turned up as the afternoon passed and soon the 2 bunk rooms of 20 were full. We chatted and got to know each other….well we were going to be living together for the next 3 days. I was surprised at the diverse range of people; many had travelled a long way to be here. I sat playing cards with 2 from the Netherlands and 1 from Germany…later I meet others from Australia, Canada, England, Belgium, France, Japan and a handful from New Zealand…..most I would guess were in the early 20’s to early 30’s age group, a couple in their 50’s and me, the oldest; all seemingly fit, speaking of the tramps and adventures they had already completed.
Wekas reside at the hut and young fluffy chicks
follow their parents through the rushes mimicking their every move. After a safety and fauna and flora talk from ranger Andrew,
I whipped up some Back Country sweet and sour for tea, grabbed my camera and headed for the swimming hole (river) and the Clinton wetland board walk to capture some sunset shots. I stopped at the river first to capture the emerald green water contrasting with the white river bed before heading to the wetland.
As I was setting up at the wetland for a panorama, a pair of kākāriki (NZ native parrot) flew over; something I had never seen in the wild before and shortly after I heard the distinctive call of the kea as four flew over.
The clouds lit up with the setting sun and the mountain tops glowed….I lingered here listening to the dusk chorus until the sun set before wandering back to the hut. It was then that I realized I had missed a hut meeting. Many were already heading for bed at 9.30 so I decided to grab an early night as well after covering a total of 13km
Day 2 – Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut.
I woke at 5am with the light filtering through the skylight directly above my bunk whispering “get up, get up” so I decided to get under way. The bunk room was silent, so I quietly gathered my gear and headed for the kitchen where I could eagerly pack without concern of waking others.
As I had missed the hut meeting, I was unaware that the lights wouldn’t be on and the gas would be switched off….a quick follow of the gas lines found the shut off valve and the cookers burst into life. A quick breakfast and a check to ensure I hadn’t missed packing anything and I was on my way.
The first part of the track was much the same as the previous day, vibrant green moss lined each side of the track beckoning me “this way, follow me” as I wandered through bush with its array of colours…..all a shade of green though.
The alluring vistas of the emerald pools were again prevalent; however a quick dip in the chilly water would soon bring you back to your senses.
The occasional view revealed a river bed with bright orange stones that stood out in defiance of the shades of green palette that surrounded it. Every now and then there was an opening enabling a view up the valley; clouds hang low obscuring the tops of the mountains and leaving that little bit of mystery. The track crossed many small creeks with a variety of bridges as I slowly climbed my way up the valley, inching closer to Mackinnon Pass.
I passed another mile maker that were scattered; oddly enough at mile intervals along the track, letting you know just how much of the track you haven’t completed. Suddenly the forest opens up as the track weaves its way through stunted trees; the cloud had almost dissipated revealing the mountain tops.
Waterfalls cascade down the mountains, sometimes spurting quite a distance from the rock face; I enjoyed the unusual spell of fine weather we had and not being drenched as many have been, however I can only imagine the view of thunderous waterfalls in a heavy down pour or after several days of rain. I squated down to take an image and there’s that sound that no sane person wants to hear…..RRRRip, I’d torn the arse out of my pants….nek minute moons out. I passed Hirere Shelter, hidden back in the bush, one of the Ultimate Hikers shelters and shortly afterwards I saw the sign to Hidden Lakes,
I headed in, passing a mirror tarn with reflective views down the valley and carried on to hidden lake. A couple of trampers were already there, I sidled around them as I explained my earlier predicament and my moon pants. I decided to stop for a break, my shoulders sighed in relief as I lowered the 17kg pack to the ground. It had gotten warm so I stripped off my long sleeved thermal and tied it around my waist to cover my butt checks that were now quite a bit on show from further ripping, just in case I ran into other trampers that would now be catching me up due to all my photography stops.
In between food and drinks I set up for a panorama, a pair of Canadian geese glided in; oblivious to my presence…if only I had set up earlier it would have made a great image..
I was soon back on the track and soon back in the bush. My curiosity led me down several side tracks that I had discovered which took me to open views down the valley or to secluded river locations where lone branches hung low seemingly inviting me to stop for a conversation…...I was in my happy place!
I crossed a small bridge to a sign pointing to Prairie Lake, a small waterfall trickled down the cliff face and patterns in the rocks reflected in the lake. The track was still open for a while giving views to the V shaped glacier formed Clinton valley and its rugged sides before I head back into the bush again.
To the side of the track is Bus Stop Shelter, a very basic dirt floor shelter to get relief from the rain for a few minutes or during winter months; a place to wait while the rivers subsided during flooding. Just when I thought my legs had had enough, I emerged from the bush into the boulder field; there’s no real track, just makers that lead you up the
boulder field to a small bridge and then back into the bush and soon after I saw the sign for the Pompolona Lodge, another of the Ultimate Hikes Lodges. From then onwards I was in and out of the bush, the silence broken by the screech of kea or an avalanche every now and then as it rumbled down the mountain. I passed St Quinton Falls…I didn’t stop here, although the falls are 230m tall, they are quite some distance away.
The juxtaposition of bright orange bark stripped trees form a miss matched weaved arch over the track and delicate bright green moss and dark blue/green ferns line the track. The harsh light at this point made it difficult to capture the rugged beauty of this piece of track. Back out in the open briefly where waterfalls cascaded down the cliff faces before I headed back into the bush again; the ferns and moss still led me along the path, however this time delicate bright green moss covered the trees and hung hauntingly from the branches……any moment I expected goblins and fairies to pop out of this mystical forest and offer up a glass of bubbly frobscottle.
Half an hour further on a very welcome sign said “20 minutes to the new Mintaro Hut”.
I reached the hut at about 2.45pm, about 6 or 7 others were already there….they must have passed me on the track at some point. I dropped my pack on a bunk, registered my bed number in the kitchen and proceeded to check out the facilities. The hut was very new and set in a stunning location with views of the pass, the bunk rooms were split into 4 with 10 beds in each and each bunk room was aptly named after one of our native birds.
Some of the first ones there had already dropped their packs and headed up to the pass while it was clear to take in the vistas. My plan had been to head up and stay and catch the sunset, however the ranger informed us that if we headed up, we had to leave the pass by 5.00pm (sunset was at 8.45pm) to be back in time for the head count.
The light was still harsh so I opted to get up early and head up for a sunrise shoot; when I had researched prior to starting the track, the morning was forecast to be clear skies. My legs had been protesting over the last 6km or 7km, so they were in agreement with the decision. I headed down to the swimming hole with my “moon” pants, the bone chilling water worked its magic on my legs and with a quick dip under the water I felt slightly refreshed. The sun beamed through the trees and onto a log….this looked like the spot to sit and chill while warming up from the ice cold water. I grabbed a cup of soup and some snacks and sat on the deck taking in the views, I was mesmerized by Mount Balloon, the way it towered above the Mackinnon Pass like a sentry keeping guard. I starred up at the pass trying to visualize where the path might go…I’m pretty sure my legs said “you’re not taking us up there! The other trampers trickled in slowly; some dropped their packs and headed for the pass, while others were keen to head to the swimming hole, they looked disbelievingly when I stated that it was a heated pool.
We chatted and a few were keen to head up to the pass early with me….some spoke to the ranger who stated that it wouldn’t be worth it as the sun didn’t hit the tops until about 8am, so decided to sleep in. I was confused by his statement as I had researched prior to starting the tramp and everything seemed to line up….thoughts
ran through my head, had my research been wrong, had the ranger actually been up there at sunrise; I decided to stick with my originall plan. I whipped up some Back Country for tea before the hut talk….thought I’d better be at this one since I missed the first one.
After the hut talk the sun was starting to set, I had been diligently watching Mount Balloon for when the setting sun would hit it....and there it was, the last rays of the day were lighting up a strip across Mount Balloon; I grabbed my camera and clicked a couple of images before heading to bed. A hallway joined the 4 bunk rooms and outside each bunk room were hooks, so I readied my pack for the morning and hung all but my sleeping bag on the hooks so I could make a quiet escape in the early hours. Being one of the first ones to the hut I was able to choose a bunk next to the door. I set my alarm for 3.00am, hoping to be at the pass early enough to capture the pink hour, my legs were still tired from the 22.5km they had covered with a 17kg pack on and I was sceptical on how they would handle the pass.
Day 3 – Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut.
I woke and checked my phone, it was 2.59am; I hastily switched my alarm off so it wouldn’t wake the others, gathered up my sleeping bag and headed to the kitchen, collecting the rest of my gear on the way. On my way out to the toilets I looked up at the sky expecting to see stars; my heart sunk, there wasn’t a star to be seen. This could only mean one of 2 things, the forecast was wrong and the clouds had come in early, or the valley was full of fog; I didn’t even think to check the fog situation when doing my research. I was hoping for the latter and that it would lift at sunrise, which is often the case in mountainous regions. With the fog, there didn’t seem to be quite the rush any more, so I took my time having breakfast, did a few stretches and ensured I had all my belongings before heading off at 4.10am. My headlight pierced through the dark as I ascended the switchback, the first section was supposed to be the worst and although it was rugged it wasn’t as steep as I had expected. The call of kiwi and the occasional avalanche broke the silence as I navigated my way closer to the pass in the dark.
The day started to lighten as I reached the base of the fog, to my surprise my legs had recovered and all was copacetic; I decided to stop and capture some images before disappearing into the fog, the Mount Cook Buttercup was conspicious in the dim light; at this stage I had cleared the bush line so I assumed I wasn’t too far from the pass. After about 20 minutes capturing images,
I ventured into the fog, to my surprise, a moment later I had broken through the fog to stunning views of fog
filled valleys, mountain tops that were lit up with the first rays of the sun and the pass only minutes away.
My legs found new energy as I hurriedly made my way to the pass and the Mckinnon Pass Memorial with
thoughts of regret for stopping and missing a possible stunning pink hour, there wasn’t time for that though, I dropped my pack and captured image, after image, after image of fog filled valleys and golden mountains reflected in the innumerable mirror like tarns as the morning sun hit the peaks and slowly crept down the mountains with a golden glow.......there wasn't a
breath of wind. I could see down into the valley and when squinting, I could just make out the Quinton Lodge (another of the Ultimate Hikers Lodges) where I would be heading before heading up the left hand valley to Sutherland Falls and then back out and down the right hand valley followering the Arthur River to Sandfly Point. I could have stayed there all day soaking up the views and breathing in the mountain air; once again I was in my happy place.
Realization struck and I suddenly became aware of how much further I had to go, so after I’d captured everything I could think of from glowing peaks, to foggy valleys and flora, I headed for MacKinnon shelter,
to top up my water bottle and have a snack; but just one last photo looking across the tarns to Mount Balloon, that didn't look quite so formidable from this angle. Next to the shelter is the loo with a view…I stood beside it gazing down the Clinton Valley which had been carved out by glaciers. I had spent the
previous day and a half following the Clinton River up the valley from Glade Wharf……imagine the view if the door of the loo faced the Clinton Valley.
There were more mirror tarns by the shelter so the camera came out once more,
One last image looking back at MacKinnon Shelter before I started my decent to Quinton Lodge using the
emergency track due to avalanche risk;
an old wheelbarrow was on the side as you head down. Boulders and large steps make up the track which is lined with the white flowers and vibrant green leaves of the Mount Cook Buttercup……caution is required in this section, my walking poles
made it much easier. By the time I reached the first of the rapids I was back on the main track, from there to Quinton Lodge there were many waterfalls, cascading rapids and steps, however with the lack of water I only stopped at a few waterfalls to capture an image.
My legs were starting to feel the effects of the down
hill so I rested at the lodge and had a snack before heading off to Sutherland Falls. There isn’t much to stop for on the track, with the exception the first glimpse of the falls. The Falls themselves are quite impressive though, forming a 3 stage drop from 580m high, one of the highest waterfalls in New Zealand. Getting too close to the base of the falls ensures a blast from the mist as the water ricochets off the rock at the base.
The falls were named after Donald Sutherland, an early explorer. He and his wife ran an accommodation house in Milford Sound, in those days there were no roads, the only access to the
sounds was via boat, so Donald Sutherland decided to cut a track through to Te Anau, however he only got as far as Sutherland Falls. After a few photos, it was back on the track, picking up my pack which I had left at Quinton Lodge. The track from Quinton Lodge to Dumpling hut takes about ¾ of an hour, the track is slightly down hill and not really much to write about. I reached Dumpling hut about 2.45pm, my legs were definitely feeling the effects of all the down hill. Three days into the tramp and I haven’t mentioned shandflies….what shandflies, oh; you mean the ones that were bothering everyone else.
I had repellent with me but never used it, while others were continually spraying themselves head to toe with repellent and slapping themselves silly as they were still getting bitten. Dumpling Hut seemed to be the worst; you could see the swarms in the sunlight….no one dared to sit outside. I selected my bunk and noted the number in the register in the kitchen before I headed to the swimming hole, once again I seemed to be the only one that wasn’t being bothered by the sandflies. I had to cross a rapid to get to a still pool, the rocks were sharp and quite painful on my tender feet…..I should have kept my crocs on, others were also treading carefully. During tea, most that I talked to had tender legs after the down hill and everyone couldn’t wait to have a shower. The hut ranger walked in….a bit early for the hut talk I thought. Apparently though one of the trampers had became ill and he was just there to advise us to gather all our gear that was outside drying and then remain in the kitchen/dining room as there was a helicopter coming in to air lift the tramper out. The hut meeting was late by the time the helicopter had been and then we all carried our sorry legs off to bed at about 9.30. A total of 24km.
Day 4 – Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point
Once again I woke early (5.30am) grabbed some breakfast, packed my gear and was on my way. A few of the others were keen to head off as they wanted to catch the early boat to Milford. My bus from Milford to Te Anau was booked for 5pm, however I was keen to catch the early bus at 2.30pm if there was room on it.
The track out to Sandfly Point was slightly down hill; although I was now following the Arthur River it still had the same emerald green pools as the Clinton River.
I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was hoping to get some views through the trees with the morning light on the mountains. I was looking down negotiating my way through boulders in a dry river bed; I stopped and looked up, there was the view I was hoping to capture. Misty clouds suspended just below the peaks had a warm glow, the deeper glow of the mountains peered through the fragmented clouds.
I carried on, over the Arthur River suspension bridge and then over the McKay creek and onto McKay Falls. I had a few issues with my camera at this point so didn’t manage to get any decent images of the McKay Falls.
A sign beside a small opening says “Bell Rock”, I crawled inside and stood up. Bell Rock was once at the bottom
of a waterfall and over decades the constant pounding from the water hollowed out the rock. At a later date the rock flipped over and is now upside down….apparently the record number of people that have stood up inside the rock together is 22.
I crossed Poseidon Creek swing bridge and carried on to the rock cutting before I finally reached the Giant Gate Falls and shelter. I dropped my pack at the shelter; my water bottle was getting low so I filled it up from the river using the Grayl to filter it, grabbed a snack and shot a few images of the Gaint Gate Falls before
I carried on my way, with a short detour to Lake Ada. The last section of the track is wide and smooth; it was constructed by prison gangs and was planned to go right through to Sutherland Falls. A temporary prison was erected for the project; however after 3 years they had only completed 3km of the track and the project was abandoned. After three and a half days and covering a total of 81km I finally got a glimpse of Sandfly Shelter…..the adventure was completed! I heard the 1pm boat leaving as I arrived, the shelter was empty. Another boat arrived at 1.30pm, by then others had turned up and caught the boat to Milford with me, they were booked on the 2.30 bus.
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