Come and join us on ‘The Finest Walk in the World’ – New Zealand’s most famous Great Walk, which every Kiwi dreams of doing one day.
The Milford Track is the heart of Fiordland National Park, a World Heritage Area, and also the wildest, wettest and most isolated part of New Zealand. Everything about this area is dramatic and awesome. It was fashioned by massive uplifts of rock 2 million years ago, and moulded by water in all its forms, ice, snow, rain, glaciers, waterfalls, rivers and lakes.
The scene is set once you land at Glade Wharf at the top of Lake Te Anau to begin the 4 day trip. The fast-flowing Clinton River drains a vast glacier-carved canyon. The primeval beech forest around Neale Burn Hut is interspersed with fields of summer grasses, and everywhere you look there are picture-perfect views of snowy mountain peaks. Following the river upstream to Mintaro Hut on Day 2, you are often compelled to stop and stare at the scenic wonderment all around.Day 3 begins with a climb up a well graded zigzag track to Mackinnon Pass (1,073 metres) and then there is an 8 km descent to Dumpling Hut. This is the most difficult section of the track. A side trip to Sutherland Falls, the fifth highest in the world, is a must. The final day is an 18 km journey down the Arthur Valley to Sandfly Point, from where you take the 20 minute boat crossing to Milford Sound township.
In the summer some 40 independent trampers set out each day, along with other trampers on the guided walk, and each group stays at different huts. Demand is always heavy so it is wise to secure a booking well in advance.
The Milford track is 54 kms long and can be physically challenging. Part of the experience is negotiating rough terrain, stream crossings, and sometimes high winds, but the rewards make it all worthwhile.
This world famous walk has a well-deserved reputation, and you will cherish the memory for a lifetime.
