Fiordland National Park
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Milford Track Fiordland National Park |
DAY 4 - March 25, 2017
Today, when I emerge from the bathroom stall, the sweet
young thing brushing her teeth turns, smiles, and says,
"Good morning!" Well, good or not, I must don my
still-wet long-sleeved shirt and still-damp
socks, which actually is not that great a drawback; for my
shirt invariably is wet all day long anyway.
Sunrise at Dumpling Hut
For the final lap of this tramp we get to play a game of
"Beat the Clock". It's about a 6-hour walk to the end of
the track, where boats and buses will be waiting. The sooner
we arrive, the sooner we can get back to town and onto the computer.
It still is dark on the valley floor
Finally, some light helps me out
Mackay Falls
We're not sure what that is
Lake Ada
Dave and I have been marching along ahead of schedule, so there is plenty of time to find a decent viewpoint and stop for a snack.
One of many unfriendly sections of trail
Looking back
At the next swinging bridge there is a big traffic jam, because several hikers want to have their photographs taken while standing over the middle of the river.
The limit is supposed to be 5 hikers on this span
Giants Gate Falls
Now we see why. That's the waterfall on the cover of the DOC brochure for the Milford Track.
The view downstream isn't bad, either
Trail maintenance is taken quite seriously here
Nearly an hour ahead of schedule, Dave and I arrive at trail's end, just as the
one-o'clock boat arrives. Perhaps we can exit even sooner than expected.
The boat is a welcome sight, because it means that we can stop walking now
Bob MacArthur's repair of Dave's pack has held up perfectly well
Unfortunately, a group of a dozen guided walkers shows up at this time, and they get first dibs at the available boat space; so we must wait about forty minutes for the next loop.
Here it comes again
A happy and satisfied group
It is but a 15-minute ride to Milford Sound Village
Kayakers on Milford Sound
End of the Milford Track experience
The route — south to north ⇔
§: Well, the Milford Track lived up to expectations. In particular,
the combination of Hidden Lake, Prairie Lake, Moraine Creek, Sutherland Falls, and
Mackinnon Pass was awe-inspiring. Dave and I were most fortunate to
have had the good weather to enjoy it.
Overall:
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Solitude |  |
