I walked New Zealand’s most famous trail – this is what it was like

The Milford Track is considered “the best walk in the world”. It passes through lush valleys and peaks in an alpine area known as Mackinnon Pass in Fiordland National Park in Southland, New Zealand. I had the pleasure of walking the Milford Track last week. Hiking this trail was a dream come true for a decade. It was also a great way to jumpstart my hiking season.

While there are multi-day self-guided options available through the Department of Conservation website (walkers sleep in DOC cabins), I chose to walk with a private guiding company.Ultimate hikes—Who provided direction, food, shelter and 47 hiking companions from around the world! The guided tour is the best way to experience this trail and I loved every minute of it. It also seemed like the safest option as I had never been to New Zealand and was traveling alone with no cell phone or satellite access.

Blog 1 of 2 – “Walking” and walkers

Don’t be fooled by the phrase “great ride.” This hike is a true hike through flat and rocky terrain. While Ultimate hikes does a great job of evenly dividing the hike into 3 main days, hikers absolutely must train. If a walker is an avid hiker who incorporates elevation gains with some frequency, it won’t be a problem; You may feel that this is a “moderate increase.” For non-hikers, the hike can be very difficult. I recommend training with a combination of walking, stair master exercises, and walking long (5+ miles) distances to prepare.

Day 1 – Arrive at the trailhead

Hiking distance/elevation gain: 1 mile / minimum

This day was essentially day zero. The group met in Queenstown and then traveled to Glade House Hut on a two-hour bus ride, one-hour boat ride and a 1-mile walk. The 1 mile hike was a flat gravel trail covered by tree canopies. The trail was very reminiscent of hikes in the Pacific Northwest; Ferns line the forest floor and moss hangs from the tree branches. Upon arriving at Glade House, I was shown to my room. I opted to have a shared room and bathroom, which worked well.

Ferry to trailhead

Approaching Glade House (Cabin 1 of 3)

That night, I drank a glass of Chardonnay outside and journaled. This moment was my introduction to sandflies, insects that behave like mosquitoes but will leave you alone if you move. The indigenous people of New Zealand, known as Maori, have a legend about sandflies that explains that the gods released sandflies into Fiordland so that people would keep moving and not try to colonize this sacred land. While I didn’t find the sand flies as bad as I expected, I still went to the cabin for shelter.

Day 2 – Construction of sections of the trail

Hiking distance/elevation gain: 12.03 miles/904 feet

This is the day when the real trek begins. The brochure says 10 miles. I clocked 12. The extra mileage was probably due to optional side quests, including a swampy boardwalk, watching Hidden Lake, and swimming in Prairie Lake. The trail was mostly flat with gravel and covered by tree canopies, which kept the hike cool. We stayed at Pompolona Hut that night. Most walkers had no problems this day.

Walk through the swamp

Group Swim at Prairie Lake

Views from the trail (Mackinnon Pass, the next day’s destination, is the flat mountain in the distance; center left)

Pompolona Cabin (Cabin 2 of 3)

During the walk, I saw South Island robins and trout. I fended off some hikers’ backpacks from the mischievous Weka, a flightless bird famous for stealing items from hikers. I also saw some New Zealand fantails and was worried at first. He had misunderstood that seeing this bird was an omen of death; Fortunately for me, the Maori believe that the bird is only an omen of death if it enters your house.

A “cheeky” weka, prowling around in search of treasure

At the lunch stop, I was introduced to Milo, a hot chocolate drink that contains more malt and is less sweet than American hot chocolate. It became a staple along the way. One of the biggest controversies along the way was how much Milo powder was enough to produce a perfect cup. My conclusion: half Milo and half water (or milk when available) was the most common preference.

Chocolatey, malty goodness

Meeting other hikers was my favorite part of the day. (See the «Walkers» section below for more information.)

Day 3 – Mackinnon Pass + (optional) Sutherland Falls

Hiking distance/elevation gain: 14.69 miles / 3,200 feet

The day of the alpine chair; my favorite! This day was a real mountain hike. The trail was steep, involved many curves, and required walking along a path made up of large rocks. More info: d89LjskS. If you’ve ever climbed one of the easiest 14,000-foot mountains in Colorado, this day is it. However, unlike the Colorado 14ers, Ultimate hikes I had a guide waiting for us with hot tea and Milo!

Up to Mackinnon Pass we go!

The view from Mackinnon Pass was incredible. Being able to see from where we had walked, far into the valley, gave us a real sense of achievement. Other items to see at the summit included: a monument to Quintin Mackinnon, a Scottish explorer who worked to find a tourist route through Milford Sound; the 1,154 meter sign, marking the highest point of Mackinnon Pass; and alpine lakes that mirrored mountain peaks.

Celebrating at the highest point of Mackinnon Pass

Friends walking enjoying the view.

Summit photo

Coming down from the hill, the trail is rocky and steep. The path that descends from the hill is longer than the ascent. I’d hate to do it in the rain, but walkers do it most days of the season. The fauna takes on a more tropical appearance as we descend, due to the heavy and frequent rains. Infrastructure, such as stairs and railings, appear as you approach Quintin Lodge.

the descent

the descent

Mushrooms and hanging moss, growing on a tree branch

I opted to add the hike to Sutherland Falls before calling it a day. Sutherland Falls is the highest permanent waterfall in New Zealand. Daily walk stats include this side quest.

Sutherland Falls

Day 4: a long but relatively flat hike

Hiking distance/elevation gain: 13.53 miles / 560 feet

While the trail is relatively flat, it is the day with the longest mileage, and my sore feet really felt between 11 and 13.5 miles! The lead guide and some walkers saw a wild kiwi! Unfortunately I missed it! I was lucky enough to see a pair of blue ducks, which are endangered in New Zealand. Day 4 was the only day it rained, but the precipitation really caused waterfalls to flow from the mountainsides. Everywhere I looked, waterfalls were falling from the mountains into the river.

The rains give life to impressive waterfalls

After officially finishing the Milford Track, the only appropriate thing to do was take a photo at Sandfly Point. We then took a small boat back to Miter Peak Lodge, situated on Milford Sound.

The end point of the Milford Track: Sandfly Point (and there were definitely sand flies)

Boat ride to Miter Peak Lodge (Cabin 3 of 3)

Day 5 – Milford Sound Reward

Walking Distance/Elevation Gain: 0 / 0

This is a true zero day. The group took a boat cruise around Milford Sound before hopping on the bus back to Queenstown.

A moody Milford Sound

Milford Sound from the boat

Leaving the United States is always eye-opening. Traveling allows me to talk to people from all over the world; This was just the first time I was “stuck” in the wild with strangers for 4 days and 3 nights, with no cell service or WIFI.

The variety of walkers was immense and included:

• A group of 70-year-old South Koreans who had been friends for 40 years.
• A woman with a neurodegenerative disease.
• An American woman who had recently lost her husband and found information about the Milford Track among his things.
• A handful of Australians (some retired, some still working) on ​​a 1-6 week holiday.
• A group of Australian women celebrating their friends’ pregnancy with a Milford Track “baby moon”.
• Three retired couples from the United States.
• An elderly father and his 3 children; The hike was dad’s idea.
• A young couple from the UK on a 6 week adventure in New Zealand.
• Several solo female hikers (including me!).
• Four guides: two kiwis; one born in Japan and turned into a Kiwi; and a dual New Zealand and US citizen; These people were fit and amazing!

One of the Australians was stunned when I confirmed a rumor he had heard: many Americans only get 2 or 3 weeks of vacation a year. I was surprised by the physical agility of the walkers between 60 and 70 years old. I learned a little about which K-pop groups are popular in South Korea. I also got a great list of beautiful walks to do around the world, recommended by other walkers.

We walk together during the day. We had breakfast, lunch and dinner together. We share stories and bottles of wine. I wish I had taken more photos with everyone, but it was great to exchange contact information with many walkers on the last day!

Summit selfie with Gim and Young from South Korea (my first friends on the hike!)

Young and I pose under the root system of a fallen tree

Blog 2 of 2 will review the guided tour services and the equipment I brought on the hike.

Thanks for reading,
Britt