Missed out on a Milford Track booking? Just don’t have the time to fit in the full four days? Well now you don’t have to! Let Fiordland Outdoors Co take you on a day walk on the greatest walk in the world – the Milford Track.
– I have completed the Milford Track twice in its entirety, and was hosted by Fiordland Outdoors Co for this particular day trip. All opinions are my own, honest thoughts. –
The Milford Track is considered by many to be one of the greatest walks in the world. It crosses deep into one of the most pristine parts of New Zealand; the wilds of Fiordland National Park. However hut tickets for the four-day trip sell out within minutes of bookings opening, and, when you include the mandatory water transport to and from the track, it is New Zealand’s most expensive Great Walk. If the Milford Track is currently out of your reach, Fiordland Outdoors Co offer you the chance to take in a small portion of the track, for an equally small portion of $$ and time. Check it out below.
Quick stats
Location: the water taxi leaves from Deepwater Basin in Milford Sound. It takes you to Sandfly Point to start your day walk on the Milford Track. Fiordland Outdoors Co also offer transport options from Te Anau and Queenstown.
Time: departures are normally from around 9.30am from the boat ramp in Deepwater Basin and pick-ups from 1.30pm, but timing can be flexible.
Hike: you’ll have between 3-5 hours on the Milford Track depending on other bookings, plenty of time to soak in the sights and serenity! Giants Gate Falls is 10km return from Sandfly Point and takes 3-4 hours return walking.
Price: $50 per adult and $25 per child
Availability: October – May, book here
Accomodation: the only accommodation in Milford Sound is the luxurious Milford Sound Lodge – check out my review here. Otherwise you can camp at one of the DOC campsites along the Milford Road, or stay in Te Anau.
Milford Track day walk
The morning of our Milford Track adventure, Matt and I woke up in Milford Sound to a beautiful day – what a privilege! We ate a leisurely breakfast, before walking down to Deepwater Basin to catch our water taxi with Fiordland Outdoors Co. Deepwater Basin Road has free parking on the left-hand side if you’re arriving via car, otherwise it’s only a few minutes walk from either Milford Sound Lodge or the foreshore. The boat ramp is then a 500m walk down the road, surrounded by kayaks.
We met our lovely skipper for the day – Mark, the owner of Fiordland Outdoors Co. He gave us the usual safety spiel, before telling us a little about the company’s history and pointing out spots of interest. The trip across the fiord and up the Arthur River is very brief – less than ten minutes.
Sandfly Point
It felt very odd arriving at Sandfly Point – the end of the 53.5km Milford Track – freshly showered, with non-tender feet and just a small day-pack with all our essentials. Only a few months earlier, I’d arrived a sweaty, sore mess with a heavy multi-day pack.
Matt and I waved goodbye to Mark, who’d return for us later in the day. We were officially alone on the greatest walk in the world.
The Milford Track is only walked in one direction, so we had the entire track to ourselves for the first few hours. It was pure bliss (if you ignored the sandflies). Birdsong filling our ears, sunlight filtering through the lush green ferns and warming our skin, and that beautiful feeling of stretching your legs in nature.
Normally on this day of the Milford, you’re racing to meet the water taxi and get back out to civilisation. It felt lovely to just wander without time pressure, and fully take in the lush rainforest. I noticed the remains of old telephone poles on the trees lining the track away from Sandfly Point – a detail I’d missed on my two previous trips, rushing to the boat.
Giant Gate Falls
We took our time, stopping often for photos. But after only 1.5 hours we arrived at Giant Gate Falls and met the first few trampers walking the entire track. I hung around by the waterfall, taking photos and just generally enjoying myself, while Matt ran further up the track (for his Kepler Challenge training). I think he really worried the trampers on their walk out. They’d turn the corner to see this person running at them.
We had lunch at the falls, before turning around and walking back to the water taxi waiting for us at Sandfly Point, joining many of the weary trampers on their last day of the famed Milford Track. We had the rest of the afternoon to explore Milford Sound, one of my favourite parts of New Zealand.
Why choose a day walk on the Milford Track?
Matt and I absolutely loved the chance to walk a small portion of the Milford Track together (having both completed it at separate times earlier in the year). So why choose a day walk on the Milford Track instead of the entire Great Walk?
- No time pressure
- Solitude – have the track to yourself!
- Lighter day pack
- Fresh legs
- Less time commitment (half day instead for four full day – finish with a cruise on the fiord in the afternoon!)
- Flat walking without too much elevation gain (a better option if you’re not as fit)
- Suitable for young children
- Less expensive
- Support a local family business – Mark and his family have lived in Te Anau for 20 years
Want to book? Head over to Fiordland Outdoors Co and check out availability.
If you want more information on the Milford Track, check out these blog posts:
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