New Zealanders call long hiking trails "tracks",
and short hikes "walks". The 33.2 mile long Milford Track is considered
one of the top hiking tracks in the world. One day you're hiking
in a tropical rain forest surrounded by 500+ foot draping waterfalls,
and the next you're hiking up over a 3000 foot high alpine pass,
all with the added comfort of a warm shelter and dry bed each
night. You can hike the track on you own, self guided, or you
can opt for their catered guiding service. Instead of preparing
your own freeze dried food and Gatorade mix, the catered lodges
offer steak dinners and Cabernet Sauvignon. Not that we wouldn't
enjoy that respite of course, but my wife and I wanted to go at
our own pace, controlling our own destiny, making our own adventure,
so we chose the self-guided trek.
The Track is available to hikers during their
summer season from late October to late April. The Department
of Conservation that regulates the Milford Track, informed us
that many New Zealanders take their holidays in January, so we
did our tramping late in December to capitalize on the good weather,
before it got too busy. Their limited permit access keeps the
number of hikers on the trail to a minimum, providing a more intimate
experience. A self-guided hike on the Milford Track including
lodging is $105nz per person, for 4 days and 3 nights, with no
meals. You must also purchase a $37nz ferry ticket to drop you
off and pick you up at each end of the track. The catered lodges
have higher rates, and are usually located within a mile of the
self-guided ones. It was kind of like flying coach vs. first class,
where they keep you separated, so you donŐt drool too much over
the other patrons food and wine.
The only way to access the Milford Track is by boat.
There are two scheduled ferries at different times for the trip
out and back. Each ferry holds about 50-60 passengers, has an
upper and lower deck, and an enclosed cabin where refreshments
are served. You should reserve tickets for the ferry prior to
starting your trip. We opted for the earlier one on both trips.
Before you can board the ferry, you have to get yourself from
the terminus of the Milford Track, Te Anau, to the ferry pick-up
at Te Anau Downs by car or bus. For ease and convenience, we took
the 30 minute bus ride to meet the ferry at the head of Lake Te
Anau.
Te Anau is a small sleepy town, where you will find
plenty of lodging options, a few restaurants, and a grocery store
for supplies. Understanding it's the jumping-off point for one
of the premier hikes in the world, we figured the local grocery
store would be stocked with hiking foods like trail mix, energy
bars, and freeze dried foods. We were wrong. We went shopping
at the local supermarket, and found a very small selection of
tasteless freeze dried meals, and very little hiking food otherwise.
As we wandered the isles, we realized that we should have stocked
up in Queenstown, where there are dozens of shops that cater to
hiking, offering a multitude of choices in freeze dried foods,
cookstoves, fuel, and outdoor gear. The lack of trail food at
the supermarket was really surprising, considering most of the
people shopping that afternoon were hikers too. Fortunately, my
wife Tracy and I are both seasoned hikers, so we were able to
quickly assemble a shopping cart full of light weight, nutritional
and tasty food.
The Milford Track averages over 23 feet, yes FEET...
not inches, of rain per year and has been known to receive 20
inches in 24 hours, so it is highly recommended you have a pack
cover and store all your gear in a large waterproof bag inside
your pack.
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