The Milford Track is a 4 day, 3 night hike- walking about 6 hours each day, and staying in huts (cabins) each night. It's one of NZ's 9 official "Great Walks".
There's thousands of hikes/tramps of all levels of difficulty throughout the country, but the government chose nine "great" walks to represent a 3-4 day hike that best represents the region in which they are found. Because they are heavily promoted by NZ tourism, they are all more popular than regular hikes around the country, and the Milford is the most popular of them all.
The Milford Track has a lot of history behind it, it was cut in the late 1800's to be a route to Milford Sound, since before the Homer Tunnel was finished in the 1960's, there were no roads to the sound.
Someone once dubbed it "the greatest walk in the world" in an article, and so over the years the tourist demand has evolved it into the most popular and strictly regulated great walk.
Every day during the open season, 40 independant and 40 guided walkers are allowed to start the track, and it's likely fully booked for every day of the open season- we had to book 6 months in advance.
Now, I have heard a lot of complaints from some writers that the track is overrated and takes too much planning and expense, as there are alternative great walks in the same region that arent as strictly regulated.
I'll admit, It is a lot of planning, you need a ferry to reach the start of the track, and a ferry at the end to take you to shore, then a bus back to your car- and it is expensive.
Plus, planning six months ahead means the weather is totally up to chance.
However, all that said, having made the effort to get there, it is totally worth it and one of the highlights of our trip, if not the best scenery we've seen in New Zealand.
Starting out on the emerald-clear Clinton river, the track follows through 2 u-shaped, steep-walled glacial valleys with waterfalls streaming down in every direction, over the steep 1154 meter Mackinnon pass, passes NZ's highest waterfall, and ends at Milford Sound. Some unbelievable views, and the scale of the place is huge, plus this entire area is unaccessable from Milford road, and there's plentiful wildlife.
Our weather for the trip could not have been better, it only rained once on our second day during morning when we were passing through beech forest. When we came out into the open valley, it cleared up- yet the rain had turned on the waterfalls, 90% of which dry up without rain.
The rest of the trip was mostly clear, so views were not affected by clouds. It would be dissapointing to come all this way and have those mountain-top views obscured by clouds.
Sutherland falls is impressive to see, at 580 meters it's NZ's highest, and I believe is in the world's top 15 highest.
We had such a nice sunny day on the 3rd day that a quick dip in the waterfall pool was an option- a fall that big creates enough spray that I was soaked just setting foot in the pool.
At the end of the track we were exhausted, since we're not used to carrying big hiking packs with 4 days food in them.
We got some good camera shots, but unfortunately pictures just can't capture the scale of the place when standing in those valleys, or on Mackinnon pass- everyone will just have to do this walk for themselves!
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