Hiking The Milford Track, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
We flew from Gold Coast to Queenstown at the End of March 2018. After a few days in Queenstown, we caught the Tracknet bus to Te Anau before boarding the Real Journies boat to cross Lake Te Anau for the start of the Milford Track.
Four fantastic days of hiking took us through glacier carved valleys, along the Clinton and Arthur river torrents and many waterfalls in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park to the finish at Sandfly Point. From here a 5 minute small boat transfer takes you to Milford Sound.
The highlight of the hike would have to be the crossing of Mackinnon Pass on day 3. This alpine pass was named after explorer and Milford Track pioneer, Quinton Mackinnon who tragically drowned in Lake Te Anau in 1892 on while returning from the his track. We passed a memorial to him on Lake Te Anau and also on Mackinnon Pass. The last day of the hike takes you past a number of famous waterfalls including McKay Falls and Giants Gate Falls.
On track in Te Anau!
Based in the heart of the South Island’s Great Walks territory, Tracknet helps tourists reach some of the more remote – and some of the most stunning – areas of the country. Its FUSO Rosa plays an important role in that.
The Milford Track
January 2018: 4 days, 3 nights, and countless epic views! An overview of our summer time hike! *please note this info can be different for winter time treks
We chose the unguided tour option as opposed to the guided tour. In a broad over view, the guided tour is one night longer (it includes a stay in the Milford Sound once the track is finished), meals are included and not necessary to pack, hot showers and more private rooms are available, and the price tag is significantly higher...Thus we chose to go unguided; less expensive, you carry in all of your food, you don't get showers, and more of our style of backpacking.
Transportation: For transportation to the track, we stayed in Te Anau the prior night, hopped on the pre-booked shuttle in the morning and took the pre-booked ferry ride to the trail head. To get back to Te Anau, we pre-booked a bus from the Milford Sound back to our hostel. Tracknet was the best option for us when we were choosing transportation back.
Weather: We got extremely lucky and had no rain while on the track. Technically there was a slight drizzle for approximately 15 minutes when we exited the ferry boat and began walking but that's all. We were told this is unusual and that typically there will be at least some rain during the span of the hike. The temperatures weren't too extreme in the day or night although highs were probably around 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit in the sun and cool enough for a light jacket after dark.
Facilities: The huts along the way were accommodating and not overly crowded but bunks are chosen upon your arrival to the hut in the evening and cannot be reserved ahead of time. Flush toilets and toilet paper are at every hut as well as kitchens with running water, gas stoves, tables, bunk rooms, and there is also a ranger who can answer questions you may have, give track information, and be available for emergency situations.
Things not included at the unguided huts: cooking utensils, food, sleeping linen, and showers.
Some items I suggest will be beneficial to take with you (other than the obvious such as clothing, food, and a sleeping bag): Sunscreen is highly recommended, a battery pack for charging your electronics, body wipes if you'd like to freshen up, insect repellent to help keep the sandflies away (but it's seemingly impossible to completely repel them), and maybe a deck of cards to play with your fellow hikers in the evenings.
Terrain: This trail has a variety of terrain including flat ground, elevation gain, elevation descent, rocky sections, foot bridges, uncovered trail, and tree covered trail. If rain is involved, there is likelihood of slippery sections and potential for water to stream down the actual trail itself.