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Not the weather that we are shown in all the Milford Track brochures but a good deal better than the day before. A thick blanket of snow covered the mountains down as low as 500m but the rain was only light and intermittent with a forecast of improving.
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Walked down to the DOC Centre in the dry and caught our 9.45 bus out to Te Anau Downs with views across to the Murchison Mountains and Stuart Mountains, and then onto a boat for a cruise up Te Anau Lake to reach the start point of the walk. With sun shining through large patches of blue sky and the boat travelling at 26knots within an hour we were at glade wharf.
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Clinton River
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On a good gravel track we made our way through thick forest hung with mosses and ferns to cross the Clinton River (named after British statesman Henry Clinton) by a swing bridge. With the broad, fast flowing and pristine clean river to our right we gradually ascended. The scenery over the river was excellent with snow clad mountains as a backdrop, unfortunately behind them were white clouds making for a poor photograph. The sun occasionally pierced the high tree canopy which also dripped water droplets onto us. After an hour and just as it was starting to drizzle we reached the Clinton Hut and our first nights stop.
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In walking the Milford Track you have to stick to a time table, you have to stay at a particular hut each night and even though we had only walked a short way we could not continue on.
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We were just right for lunch which we were able to enjoy at a picnic table under a veranda, but the sand flies were quite a pest so we adjourned to the dinning hut where it was also warmer.
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With the rain appearing to be set in for the afternoon we settled ourselves down to pass the time away. However, it did dry up for a while and so we took a short walk to the swamp area to read about the plants that live there.
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With a forecast of rain later we got off to an early start at 7.30 continuing along a still good track through rain forest. Most of the views were hidden from us by the forest but we did get occasional glimpses of the Clinton River which alternated between fast flowing over cataracts and through narrow stream beds and more sedate over broad shallow sections. The mountain tops which would have added magnificence to the views were hidden in cloud.
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The tall forest canopy gradually lowered as we went up in altitude at times giving way to bush and meadow, sometimes with patches of sun.
From the 'Bus Stop' everything changed, the weather that had remained fine turned to drizzle with occasional light rain, and the path became steeper and rougher. Small patches of snow lay besides the path.
By lunch time we arrived at Mintaro Hut, and although the weather hadn't been to bad we were please to have arrived before it got worse.
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Kea
Clinton Hut
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The forecast had been for rain at first, clearing later and so we decided if we awoke and it was raining we would stay in bed and leave later in the day
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As it was the morning was fine and so after being entertained by the Keas we set off at 7.20. Followed the path until we crossed the Clinton River and started to climb a rough rocky path up the side of the valley, passing through bush and trees including fuchsia trees. There were more birds singing on this walk than we had heard before in New Zealand, they must have been feeding on all the sand flies. It was a pity we couldn't recognise the calls.
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Mountains
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Emerged from the tree line with the sun on our backs, before us was a large amphitheatre of mountains covered in snow. Very soon we were having to strip off our fleeces even though there were patches of snow beside the path. In the distance we heard the crack and rumble of a avalanche and looking up saw snow flowing down the mountainside like a waterfall.
Walking through slush we made our way to the top of the pass and the Memorial Shelter, with a toilet reckoned to have the best view in New Zealand. We were told that this had been the first day of the season with clear views. A walker from the previous day had gone to all the trouble to walk/ run back up to the pass to take a photo before returning to continue the normal walking routine.
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Dropped down the other side of the pass into the shadow of the mountain and onto a path with sections of hard compact snow. Alpine flowers were coming into bloom beside the path. Zig zagged down and then, because of avalanche danger, onto the steep rough emergency path rather than the main path which cut through avalanche areas.
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At the end of the emergency track we came upon a series of falls, to get down the side of them we descended through a series of board walks and steps which gave us good views of the falls. Continuing on a short way we reached a bridge and soon came to a hut where we were able to drop our packs before taking a side track up to Sutherland Falls, named after Donald Sutherland the explorer who opened up the Milford Track.
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The Sutherland Falls was well worth the effort of walking to it, at one time it was claimed to be the highest falls in the world, but it had been mis-measured. The roar of the falls was like a jet engine and the wind created by the falling water blew spray over a wide area. It is possible to get in behind the falls, and some people in our group did it, but it was at the cost of a soaking from the spray. Returned to the hut for lunch, picked up our packs and made our way down besides the Arthur River, the views back towards the Sutherland Falls were excellent.
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Sutherland Falls
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Soon we were approaching our hut, the final section was along a board walk supported off the side of a cliff above a swampy area and then we were at the Dumpling Hut for our final night on the track
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What a difference a bit of sun makes. The third section of the track is reckoned to be the best and we were fortunate to see it in good weather.
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Arthur River
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Before leaving for the final day of the trek we took a walk down to the Arthur River to see if we could see the rare blue ducks we were told had been spotted. but we were out of luck. At 7.20 we were off, the sun still hidden behind the high mountains but before long it was striking tops and after crossing a swing bridge whose waters was being patrolled by a large fish, we were on the sunny bank of the river. Continued on taking in more views, the Mackay Falls and Lake Ada where a light breeze was ruffling the surface. As we gently climbed besides the lake ,under a overhang of rocks, wet moss dripped its contents onto our head. Further down we took a side track to get a closer view of Lake Ada and in the shallow was a large eel nonchalantly swimming about. It took a long look at us through the surface of the water before slowly moving off.
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At a dry river bed we left the track and found ourselves a quite spot besides a river at which to sit to eat our lunch time snack and as we were well on time, to idle away a few minutes Soon we were on the final kilometre of the walk along a broad path and before we knew it at Sandfly Point.
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When the god Tu was hacking out Milford Sound / Piopiotahi he was visited by Papa-tua-nuku, the Earth Mother. She told him that the sides of the sound were so abrupt that there was no place for humans to land and asked him to make a landing place at the head of the sound. This Tu did and the flat area was called Te Wahi-o-Papatuanuku, the place of Papa-Tua-nuku.
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Eel
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After Papa-tua-nuku departed Tu was visited by Te Hine-nui-te-po, the Great Lady of Death who was related to Tu. She thought that the Sounds were so beautiful that humans would want to live there forever and so in order to remind people of their frailty and mortality she liberated a large number of sandflies, (namu). The place where she liberated the sandflies was called Te Namu-a-Te-Hine-te-po and this is known as Sandfly Point.
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At Sandfly Point two huts were provided for trampers to use while waiting for the boat, one for independent walkers, like ourselves and one for guided walkers. Our hut had benches around the outside and nothing else. The other hut had comfortable chairs and tables at which refreshments were served. But as they were paying NZ$1600 against our NZ$220, we shouldn't complain!
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The end of the track is across the Milford Sound from the road out and so to get there we had to first walk along a board walk to a small jetty, the quay near where the huts were was too shallow at low water, and onto a boat to take us across the Sound. With the sun shining brightly and the waters reasonably calm the journey was one of the most picturesque of the trip so far with towering mountains clothed with forests and rock bluffs and adorned with waterfalls.
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Lake Ada
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Milford Sound
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At Milford we were amazed at the number of tourists there must have been about, though we couldn't we most of them. In the bus park by the quay were 30 to 40 buses (but no where to buy refreshments).
Boarded our bus and headed out up the road and through a series of hairpins up to a granite wall through which was cut the Homer Tunnel. The road continued to climb through the 1.5km tunnel to emerge on the far side.
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At one time the road used to be closed in winter due to the dangers of avalanches but now with a better understanding of the mechanics of an avalanche the snow fields are constantly monitored and if any are in danger of slipping then the road is closed and the avalanche deliberately started with explosives. The resulting snow fall fills the road valley below and a pathway about 6m deep has to be cut through to reopen the road.
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In places the road is not wide enough for two buses to pass. Fortunately it was late in the afternoon and so most buses and cars were on their way out of Milford rather than in and so we only encountered one obstruction.
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The water of the numerous stream flowing down the hill sides were so clean that looking into their depths gave a translucent turquoise colour beloved of toothpaste adverts.
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After a while the mountains that had enclosed the road moved apart and we entered a wide flat valley and continued down to Lake Te Anau and then the town.
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