flashback to the milford track

so i basically began my new zealand adventure by tramping on the milford track. it is one of new zealand's great walks and is considered one of the best walks in new zealand. now with a little time... time to reflect.

so you have to take a bus to a boat and then the boat takes you to the start of the track. beautiful scenery of tall snow capped mountains. i was prepped for the walk and had all my gear, and dry clothes, and raingear and everything i would need. i was forewarned that at some point i would have to walk through one to two meters of water - and probably more than once.

40 people are allowed on it every day and they walk the four day hike and you cannot stay and extra day you must move on so there is room for the next group. in the evening you stay in a 'hut.' a hut is really a simple bunk room or rooms with 4o bunk beds with foam mattresses. there are flush toilets but no showers - but every hut was near rivers to swim in if you wanted an icy dip. there was also a kitchen hut with sinks and gas burners, but you had to provide your own pots, pans, and food. there was water at eash hut - either rain water or from a nearby stream. so really not as rugged as i had imagined.

the beginning of the path was surprising bc it was wide and graveled and quite easy walking - and the first day was only 3 miles. the walk is through coastal rainforest so everything is brilliantly green and covered in moss. that afternoon, bc it was a short day, ranger ruth took us on a nature walk and taught us a little bit about the flora and fauna... and when she says bite the pepper plant, she doesnt mean chew it. and i spent some time sitting on the boardwalk killing snadflies and feeding them to the sundews in the bog. satisfaction! at night there is a ranger talk where you check in and they make sure everyone makes it. ranger ruth directed us to a place to see glow worms right near the hut. interesting... glow worms are green pinpricks.

day two was a lot of uphill and downhill, but generally uphill, and the path was a little more like a trail - but still not the rough path i was expecting. the path basically follows a river and is in the valley between towering mountains - most of them covered with a bit of snow. the day finished with me laying on a gravel bank (incidentally in goose poo though i tried to avoid it) and wathcing avalanches on high mountain peaks and taking a nap - only bc the bank was free of sandlfies. introduced species are even evident in the middle of nowhere. i found a deer antler - introduced for hunting and i saw three canada geese - introduced also for hunting (i might add that i HATE non-migratory canada geese with a passion).

day three was the most difficult up the hill to mountain to mckinnon pass and then down down down. along the way down, we stopped at the 5th tallest waterfall in the world and got a nice shower though we were 50 meters away. it was really hot on this day and i was happy to have gotten up early and be done hiking by 3pm. the keas were very active at the hut and attempted to steal some socks and my apples! a kea even watched me stuff my sleeping bag in the morning like it wanted to get it claws on it and tear it to shreds (i've heard stories). that evening ranger ross gave us a talk and told us all sorts of information. i was fascinated but i think others were a little bored. ranger ross is practically seven feet tall and skinnny and all legs. i had helped him earlier in the afternoon by watching him climb up the cliff via a rope and gangly legs and check the water supply. i held the radio for him so he didnt drop it.

day four was the most mileage of any of the days but it was all downhill. i get up early (read 630am) but people who were slow the first few days got up super early (530) to make sure they didnt miss the boat at the end... annoying bc i didnt want to get up early, however once you are up you might as well go. but since i know my walking pace and that the final destination was sandfly point, so i took my time and lots of breaks so not to be at sandfly point any longer than necessary. i saw some whios (fios) which are rare blue ducks with ducklings! ranger ross told me at the boat that they were the first blue ducks of the season.

the day finished with a boat cruise through milford sound to see more massive peaks, waterfalls, and snow capped mountains. and fiordland crested penguins and seals! and then onto a bus, back to a car, off to a holiday park room for a much needed shower.

here are the photos!