Story and Photos by MaryAnn Gerst
At 72 years of age, I decided to do New Zealand’s world-renowned Milford Track with seven hiking friends, all from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Previously, I had walked Spain’s Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route and hiked the Tour de Mont Blanc (touching on Italy, France and Switzerland) with several of them. Importantly, I was comfortable that we had compatible hiking styles. Ranging in age from 55-68 years, five women and two men made up a delightful, fun group of people to travel with.
We arrived in the small South Island town of TeAnau after spending two nights in Queenstown to recuperate from our long journey across the Pacific. On February 6 in New Zealand’s late summer, we boarded a small boat at Lake TeAnau that took us to the trail head of the Milford Track. We had four days of backpacking ahead of us, stay-ing in 40-person huts along this 33.5 mile trek, generally rated as of medium difficulty. Our total ascent would be 3,500 feet, returning to sea level on the last day. Hopefully our training in New Mexico’s Sandia Mountains, hiking a couple of times each week, would pay off.
Day 1 -Clinton Hut
Dinner was freeze dried in a bag, not very appetizing, as we watched a small group making a gourmet meal in a large pot with fresh meat and vegetables! After putting our wet boots, socks and rain gear by the wood stove in the kitchen area, we crawled into our sleeping bags pondering what tomorrow would bring.
Day 2 – Mintaro Hut
I woke up to a person standing by my bunk asking in a loud voice, “Who was doing all the snoring?” I knew it was one of my hiking companions, but I played dumb!
The clear day allowed me to see the most stunning array of mountains covered in lush rain forest foliage, and crystal clear mountain streams with deep blue pools. I felt like a kid again crossing numerous suspension bridges that bordered thundering waterfalls. Now this is why I came here – paradise!
I can’t say dinner was better than before and the snore patrol person was still on the lookout – actually shaking the bunks of offenders during the night – but it felt good to curl up and sleep.
Twenty-eight liter backpack, a lightweight sleeping bag, and inflatable pillow.
Each hut supplies gas burners, but independent trekkers must bring their own lightweight food, a pot to boil water, cutlery and a bowl or plate.
Rain clothes, three pair of socks, hiking boots, silk underwear,a down coat, lightweight gloves.
Insect spray, sun screen, hat and sunglasses, and hiking poles.
Hut water is fine for drinking and filling water bottles before setting off each day. But I brought an optional water purifier for re-filling the bottle in streams along the route.
Day 3 – Dumpling Hut
This was my most taxing day as I climbed 2,000 feet over Mackinnon Pass. The trail was steep and rocky, hiking through steep-sided valleys created by repeated glacial action over the past two million years. Full sun made the vistas below spectacular! At the top of the pass, I was rewarded by a shelter serving hot chocolate, cookies and juice.
“WOW, this is really nice!” I exclaimed. But I was told “Sorry, you entered the guided tour section of the shelter. The independent hiker section is next door!” (See Follow Up Facts for guided tour option.)
After a brief calculation of what I had saved by choosing the “poor man’s” option (NZ$162), I ate my granola bar, drank fresh stream water and started the long descent to my third hut.
Day 4 – Sandfly Point
Once again, we were greeted with beautiful sunny weather. According to the locals, getting three straight days of sunshine is almost unheard of in one of the wettest spots on earth with 292 inches of rain per year!
The boat at Sandfly Point taxis hikers to Milford Sound.
The Milford Track is within Fiordland National Park on New Zealand’s South Island. Individual camping along the track is not permitted. The “Great Walk” season is late October to early May, but outside that season you may also tackle the Track when hut booking is not necessary.
Independent Tour: With only 40 bunks at each hut per night, make reservations a year in advance for one night in each of the three huts. Cost = NZ$162 per adult for all three nights; youth/children ages 5 to 17 are free. Pay separately for transportation to Te Anua and to the trail head (by boat). You may book huts and transport online. Once you finish the Track, I suggest staying at a hotel in Milford Sound, as well as booking a scenic Milford Sound Cruise before bussing back to Queenstown.
Guided Milford Track Tours are five days/four nights, www.ultimatehikes.co.nz, offered between November and April. Cost = NZ$2,080 to $3,215 per person depending on choice of accommodations (multi-share to single). It includes backpack, rain gear, meals, snacks, comfortable private lodging, guide and transportation to/from Queenstown.
Based in New Mexico,U.S.A, MaryAnn Gerst is a retired Public Relations professional after a 30-year career in the utility industry. MaryAnn is a member of the Albuquerque MeetUp Hiking Group and enjoys hiking several times each month with her hiking companions.
For her next challenge, she is looking at hiking Peru’s Machu Picchu.
Email: gerstmaryann@gmail.com
We recommend more of MaryAnn’s adventurous feature articles in our publication’s Travel Article Library: Colorado’s Pike’s Peak or Bust, A Trekking Tour of Europe’s Mont Blanc, and Trekking Africa’s Highest Peak Mt Kilimanjaro.