Milford Track
Encyclopedia
The Milford Track is a widely known tramping (hiking)
route in New Zealand
– located amidst mountains and temperate rain forest in Fiordland National Park
in the southwest of the South Island
.
The track is commonly known as "The Finest Walk in the World", a phrase often attributed to New Zealand poet Blanche Baughan. The article which was eventually published by the London Spectator in England, was originally titled A Notable Walk but was changed by an editor to The Finest Walk in the World and the tag line stuck.
Donald Sutherland and John Mackay were the first European explorers to see what are now known as Mackay Falls and Sutherland Falls
, in 1880.
Quintin McKinnon
was the trekker and entrepreneur that first widely disseminated information about the Milford Track to the general public. He began by guiding tours himself and expanded with a marketing campaign from there. Many parts of the Milford Track are named for Mackinnon, including Mackinnon Pass, the tallest point of the Track. According to the official New Zealand Department of Conservation literature, Mackinnon also impressed with his "ability at cooking pompolonas, a type of scone from which one of the guided trip huts takes its name."
With Milford Sound never really having an industrial or agricultural future, most visitors and investors from early on decided that tourism was to be the main draw to the sound, and the Milford Track was established to a large degree to provide a tourism function for guided treks.
The track was very famous with women from early on. Some parties consisted of three-quarters females even in the first half of the 20th century.
For a great length of its history, only commercial companies had the right to be on the track. Only later did the 'Freedom Walker' movement, led by New Zealand's alpine and walking clubs, force a compromise which allowed individual, non-guided tours on the strictly "rationed" route. Today, the quota system allows approximately half the "capacity" of the track to be used by guided tours while the other half is undertaken by people walking on their own or in informal groups. Both groups use separate systems of huts.
Due to its popularity and the limited facilities available for overnighting (camping is not permitted), the track therefore remains heavily regulated.
The track spans a distance of 53.5 km starting at the head of Lake Te Anau
and finishing at Milford Sound
at Sandfly Point. It traverses rainforests, wetlands, and an alpine pass.
As a popular route, it is well maintained by the Department of Conservation
and is one of the nine Great Walks
.
The Lake Te Anau end of the track can be reached either by a ferry, or by climbing over Dore Pass from the Milford Sound road
.
Sandfly Point can only be reached by the sea, either sea kayaking or the regular ferry which runs for trampers during the peak season.
Due to the one-way ticket system and limited hut capacities, trampers need to keep moving even during bad weather. During periods of especially heavy flooding, the DOC regularly calls in helicopters which fly trampers over flooded sections of the track at no further charge.
. The huts for independent walkers have basic facilities, which include bunk areas, restrooms, and cooking facilities; walkers have to carry their own equipment and food.
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
route in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
– located amidst mountains and temperate rain forest in Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park occupies the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 14 national parks in New Zealand, with an area of 12,500 km², and a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...
in the southwest of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
.
The track is commonly known as "The Finest Walk in the World", a phrase often attributed to New Zealand poet Blanche Baughan. The article which was eventually published by the London Spectator in England, was originally titled A Notable Walk but was changed by an editor to The Finest Walk in the World and the tag line stuck.
History
The native Māori people used the Milford Track for gathering and transporting valuable greenstone. There are many Māori legends about the track and the native species found in it.Donald Sutherland and John Mackay were the first European explorers to see what are now known as Mackay Falls and Sutherland Falls
Sutherland Falls
Sutherland Falls is a waterfall near Milford Sound in New Zealand's South Island. At 580 metres the falls were long believed to be the tallest waterfall in New Zealand...
, in 1880.
Quintin McKinnon
Quintin McKinnon
Quintin McPherson McKinnon, was a New Zealand explorer and tour guide.McKinnon was born in Argyllshire, Scotland and emigrated to New Zealand sometime in the 1870s. In 1879 he married Barbara Sinclair in Dunedin. They had two sons Quintin Gillies McKinnon and Robert Daniel McKinnon...
was the trekker and entrepreneur that first widely disseminated information about the Milford Track to the general public. He began by guiding tours himself and expanded with a marketing campaign from there. Many parts of the Milford Track are named for Mackinnon, including Mackinnon Pass, the tallest point of the Track. According to the official New Zealand Department of Conservation literature, Mackinnon also impressed with his "ability at cooking pompolonas, a type of scone from which one of the guided trip huts takes its name."
With Milford Sound never really having an industrial or agricultural future, most visitors and investors from early on decided that tourism was to be the main draw to the sound, and the Milford Track was established to a large degree to provide a tourism function for guided treks.
The track was very famous with women from early on. Some parties consisted of three-quarters females even in the first half of the 20th century.
For a great length of its history, only commercial companies had the right to be on the track. Only later did the 'Freedom Walker' movement, led by New Zealand's alpine and walking clubs, force a compromise which allowed individual, non-guided tours on the strictly "rationed" route. Today, the quota system allows approximately half the "capacity" of the track to be used by guided tours while the other half is undertaken by people walking on their own or in informal groups. Both groups use separate systems of huts.
Due to its popularity and the limited facilities available for overnighting (camping is not permitted), the track therefore remains heavily regulated.
Route description
Lake Te Anau
Lake Te Anau is in the southwestern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. Its name was originally Te Ana-au, Maori for 'The cave of swirling water'. The lake covers an area of 344 km², making it the second-largest lake by surface area in New Zealand and the largest in the South Island...
and finishing at Milford Sound
Milford Sound
Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...
at Sandfly Point. It traverses rainforests, wetlands, and an alpine pass.
As a popular route, it is well maintained by the Department of Conservation
New Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...
and is one of the nine Great Walks
New Zealand Great Walks
The New Zealand Great Walks are a set of popular tramping tracks. They are New Zealand's premier tracks, through areas of some of the best scenery in the country...
.
The Lake Te Anau end of the track can be reached either by a ferry, or by climbing over Dore Pass from the Milford Sound road
New Zealand State Highway 94
State Highway 94 is a New Zealand State Highway connecting the large Southland town of Gore with one of New Zealand's most popular destinations Milford Sound. It also passes the significant townships of Lumsden and Te Anau as well going through the Homer Tunnel...
.
Sandfly Point can only be reached by the sea, either sea kayaking or the regular ferry which runs for trampers during the peak season.
Summer peak season
During the summer peak season of late October to late April, access to the trail is highly regulated. Walkers must complete the track in four days, travelling only in the northward direction. Camping is prohibited on the trail. Walkers can tramp the track independently, or as part of a more expensive guided walk with a guide company. A maximum of 90 walkers can start the trail per day (40 Independent, and 50 Guided). Usually these 90 places are booked out for many months in advance, despite the high cost of the guided walks.Due to the one-way ticket system and limited hut capacities, trampers need to keep moving even during bad weather. During periods of especially heavy flooding, the DOC regularly calls in helicopters which fly trampers over flooded sections of the track at no further charge.
Independent tramping
If hiking independently, each night must be spent in a hut owned and maintained by the Department of ConservationNew Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...
. The huts for independent walkers have basic facilities, which include bunk areas, restrooms, and cooking facilities; walkers have to carry their own equipment and food.
Guided tramp
On a guided walk, walkers stay in lodges owned and operated by Ultimate Hikes. These lodges have facilities such as hot showers, catered meals, beds, lounge areas, electric lights, and drying rooms. Guided trampers need only carry clothing, toiletries, their sheets, and lunch while on the trail. Guides walk with trampers, providing as little or as much assistance as required.Off Season
During the off season from May to mid-October, the track is essentially unregulated, and can be tramped in either direction, over any number of days. It is however much more difficult and dangerous tramping in this season, as facilities at huts are removed, some bridges are removed to prevent damage, and numerous avalanche paths cross the track.Huts
| Name | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| DOC New Zealand Department of Conservation The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage... Huts |
||
| Clinton Hut | Night 1, shortly before Clinton Forks, after the marsh boardwalk | 44°54′18.2265"S 167°54′06.6271"E |
| Mintaro Hut | Night 2, Situated just before the start of the climb up to Mackinnon Pass | 44°48′37.6068"S 167°46′34.8433"E |
| Dumpling Hut | Night 3, A few kilometers after Quintin Lodge | 44°46′07.1815"S 167°45′56.3539"E |
| Private Lodges (for guided walkers) | ||
| Glade House | Night 1, just 1.2 km from track start. | 44°55′19.0207"S 167°55′44.5579"E |
| Pompolona Lodge | Night 2, In a forested part of the Clinton Canyon, just after Bus Stop Shelter. | 44°50′16.0077"S 167°47′33.0951"E |
| Quintin Lodge | Night 3, At the turnoff to Sutherland Falls, on the Roaring Burn. | 44°47′28.1969"S 167°45′17.6311"E |
| Day Use Shelters | ||
| Hirere Shelter | Just after Clinton Forks | 44°52′12.4809"S 167°50′32.1287"E |
| Bus Stop Shelter | Just before Pompolona Lodge | 44°50′25.73"S 167°48′16.08"E |
| Pass Hut | Located on the summit of Mackinnon Pass | 44°48′11.5774"S 167°46′33.55260"E |
| Boatshed Hut | Just before Mackay Falls | 44°44′20.3285"S 167°48′11.1794"E |
Sights
| Name | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Mackinnon Pass Mackinnon Pass Mackinnon Pass is the highest point on the Milford Track between Lake Te Anau and the Arthur Valley in Fiordland National Park, which is in the Southland Region of New Zealand.... |
A spectacular main-divide pass surrounded by glacier encrusted mountains | 44°48′4.7954"S 167°45′58.5687"E |
| Sutherland Falls Sutherland Falls Sutherland Falls is a waterfall near Milford Sound in New Zealand's South Island. At 580 metres the falls were long believed to be the tallest waterfall in New Zealand... |
Tallest waterfall in NZ at 580 m, continuously fed by Quill Lake | 44°48′.8028"S 167°43′48.7668"E |
| Nicholas Cirque | Ring of glacial mountains at the head of the valley that is followed when heading northbound to the Mackinnon Pass | 44°48′S 167°45′E |
| Mackay Falls & Bell Rock | Bell Rock was hollowed out by Mackay Falls and then turned upside down. It is possible to stand in the hollowed out part, which is over 4 m high inside | 44°43′52.2879"S 167°47′25.4022"E |
| Giant Gate Falls | Last major waterfall on the Milford Track heading northbound | 44°42′13.9603"S 167°51′09.4569"E |
| Lake Ada | A lake created by a landslide cross the Roaring Burn river | 44°42′30.6758"S 167°51′27.5585"E |
| Milford Sound Milford Sound Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site... |
World famous for its spectacular sheer cliffs lining the mirror-like fjord | 44°36′55.1187"S 167°51′43.8424"E |
| Lake Te Anau Lake Te Anau Lake Te Anau is in the southwestern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. Its name was originally Te Ana-au, Maori for 'The cave of swirling water'. The lake covers an area of 344 km², making it the second-largest lake by surface area in New Zealand and the largest in the South Island... |
Created by glacial action, the lake is the second largest body of fresh water in New Zealand and is surrounded by mountains including the Kepler and Murchison Mountains which rise 1,400 m above the surface of the lake. | 44°56′24.2160"S 167°54′43.7652"E |