The Milford Track is an epic Fiordland adventure, considered by some to be the best Great Walk in New Zealand. But, is it?
Distance: 53.5km / 33.5 miles
Time taken: four days
Difficulty: moderate
Facilities: three Great Walk level DOC huts, with (in-season) flush toilets, mattresses, fireplaces and stoves (with gas). There are long-drop toilets roughly every 5km each day. Fancy guided walks are also an option, check them out here.
Why the Milford Track?
As she often does, my friend Grace roped me into a tramp. This time instead of Mueller Hut, it was the Milford Track with her and a lovely group of ladies. I’d walked the Milford Track with my family a decade earlier in 2011, but I was really excited to refresh my memories. I honestly couldn’t even remember some of the huts – my memory is part of why I write this blog!
I only had a few weeks’ notice; filling in a slot for someone who could no longer make it (so sorry Siobhan! But also thank you for your ticket and so glad you got a new job!). My husband Matt had just completed the hike a few weeks’ prior with his workmates, also on a last minute call-up! So I guess the moral of the story is: if you miss out on hut tickets initially – just make a lot of tramping friends and hope that someone pulls out.
Our day started in Te Anau by collecting our tickets for the huts and water transport from the DOC visitor centre in Te Anau. There was some mild confusion around name changes. (Hot tip: you can change people’s names on the DOC booking system ahead of time at no extra charge). But we were ready! Piled into our various vehicles and off to Te Anau Downs.
Despite the name, Te Anau Downs is still a 30-minute drive from Te Anau. It was here that we caught the ferry across Lake Te Anau to Glade Wharf. We had perfect weather and sat on the top of the boat, taking in the beautiful views.
Milford Track Day One: Glade Wharf to Clinton Hut
The Milford Track starts with a very easy first day of walking – only 5km up the Clinton River through forest on a flat, wide track. We arrived at the dock at Glade Wharf and washed our boots under the watchful eye of a DOC worker. This was to ensure we wouldn’t be spreading any nasties into the beautiful Clinton and Arthur Valleys.
Glade House
After taking a mandatory photo at the Milford Track sign and walking a few minutes, we reached Glade House. This is the fancy lodge that the guided walkers use. Happily for us, we started on a day that the guided walkers don’t operate (Tuesday & Wednesday in 2021). Which meant we had 50 less walkers on the track each day. Lucky us!
After Glade House, we crossed the Clinton River on a swing-bridge and continued the flat walk to Clinton Hut. We passed the turnoff to the wetlands side-trip just five – ten minutes or so before arriving at the hut. Grace, Lynn and I came back to this after the warden’s hut talk later that evening.
One of the most unique things about the Milford Track is that everyone has to go in the same direction, so you spend three nights with the same hut-mates. Which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on the hutmates! We ended up with a very odd man who cut his carrots by biting them into his pot, ran everywhere around the hut instead of walking, and argued with the hut wardens about how many people were in the hut each night after asking them whether he could climb Sutherland Falls (amongst his many other interesting qualities).
Most of the people had arrived at Clinton Hut by the time we got there. So we grabbed some beds and wrote our names down on the board outside the kitchen alongside the appropriate bunk number.
Clinton Hut
The lovely Andrea was our warden for Clinton Hut. She gave us an amazing one hour talk all about the surrounding area, wildlife and fauna & flora. She was such a fount of knowledge! We got to eat a few berries and leaves, and smell some leaves that should never be smelt (the tree is called “Stinkwood”, enough said). I probably only took in about 5% of what she said, but wow, so much knowledge! Definitely don’t miss the hut talk!
All the huts have toilets that are separate from the hut and require walking on gravel. The people who had sacrificed a little weight to carry hut shoes had a more comfortable time. Hut shoes ranged from the old faithful crocs, old gym shoes, Tevas, lightweight reef shoes, jandals, and even airline slippers. I’d highly recommend packing some form of hut shoes.
That evening once the sun had set and we had a warm dinner in our bellies, we made the short detour to see the local glow-worms that Andrea had directed us to. You walk out to the junction with the main track, turn left and walk down the short incline and then the glow-warms are on your left against the bank. If you walk over a small ditch in the track, you’ve gone too far.
Everyone started to head off to bed, but myself, Grace, and some of the others lay out on the helicopter pad. We shivered in the chill air despite our layers and watched for shooting stars. The sky was so clear! Absolutely memorising.
Milford Track Day Two: Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut
Grace and I started the second day of the Milford with gourmet porridge – topped with fresh snowberries foraged from near the hut thanks to Andrea’s talk. (I threw them on for the novelty but they were actually a delicious addition).
Day 2 starts with a gentle walk through the forest along the Clinton River. We had piwakawaka following us and robins peeking in from the sides of the track. Some trampers were lucky and saw multiple whio, and others saw kaka. We stopped at mile marker … I want to say 6, but maybe it was 5? (not long after the hut anyway). There, as Andrea had told us the night before, we turned back the way we’d come and spied the old remains of the telephone wiring up in a tree. The line used to run all the way from Glade House to Sandfly Point back in the day before radio.
Before long the track opened up so that we could see the valley properly. My group had beautiful weather for most of our trip (the opposite of my first time on the Milford Track). But Matt had walked in rain to Clinton Hut on his first day. However in Fiordland, the reward for rain is always lots of amazing waterfalls. The steep valley walls of the Clinton Valley (and the Arthur Valley) come alive in the rain. So don’t despair too much if your forecast isn’t for bluebird weather.
Hidden Lake & Prairie Lake
Once the valley opened up, we came across the detours to Hidden Lake and Prairie Lake – little lakes at the base of high waterfalls. Both were very much worth the small amount of time they add. Based on the state of the track, more people must take the detour than don’t.
Some of our group were brave enough to swim in both lakes! Grace and Wendy swam at Prairie Lake (warmer and with a muddy bottom). And they went in again at Hidden Lake (colder with rocky bottom). Charlotte and I joined them this time. Very chilly, but so refreshing, and worth it in lovely weather.
Bus Stop Shelter
After continuing our walk through the nice, flat Clinton Valley, and a quick pitstop at Prairie Shelter (& toilet), we came upon a very out-of-place “bus stop”. This was a small lean-to built for trampers to wait out floods before crossing the next section, which is a boulder field. There was no visible water for this section, but quickly rising floods can make it very dangerous.
Flooding makes the entire track dangerous during winter when the bridges are removed to prevent damage from avalanches and flooding. There have been fatalities in the past from people attempting to cross swollen rivers and streams. The Milford Track is only recommended for experienced trampers outside of the Great Walks season.
After waiting at the Bus Stop shelter for a few minutes and not being able to score a ride on any buses (oh the deception!), we set off again. Next was Pamplona Lodge – the Ultimate Hikes accomodation for the guided walkers. We snooped around a little, including reading their menu, which had our mouths watering (steak and creme brûlée, yes please!) before being chased out by the cleaners. Unfortunately creme brûlée wasn’t awaiting us and we still had an hour or so to go to Mintaro Hut.
From Pamplona Lodge the track became a lot rougher and more challenging than the first day (let’s face it – the track on Day 1 is practically a footpath). Our group split into several smaller groups as we all pushed ahead at our own pace to reach the hut. As we climbed up the last little rocky incline towards the hut, the sunlight reached that golden phase and sprinkled through the forest leaves – lighting the entire forest in beautiful golden light. It felt like we were entering an enchanted forest.
Mintaro Hut
But then we were at the hut! The turn-off for Mintaro Hut sneaks up on you (all three of the huts on the Milford Track are a bit sneaky). We quickly snagged some bunks, and before the light fully left the valley, we ran down to the helicopter pad by the river. There we (well, some of us) took a dip.
To say it was freezing would be an understatement. If I’m being honest, the only thing that lured me in were the bragging rights. And the fact I wanted to be less sweaty before I got into my sleeping bag for the night. Needless to say, I did not stay in long. But I was clean and I had many, many endorphins to keep me company while Grace, Charlotte, and Wendy continued to splash around like the crazy people they are.
We were warmly welcomed back at the hut by Murray the ranger and some of his home brew to congratulate us on surviving our dip in the river. He regaled us with tales from his time on the Milford Track, and details about the new Mintaro Hut that was under construction (and has since been opened)! Murray’s ranger talk was equally informative, but very different from Andrea’s. I really loved that each ranger had their own style and information each night.
If you didn’t have a good weather forecast for Day 3 and it was nice weather when you arrived at Mintaro Hut, then it would be worth heading up McKinnon Pass that evening (so long as you had enough daylight). That’s what I had to do the first time I hiked the Milford and I’ve heard many others doing it too. The views from McKinnon Pass are gorgeous and are definitely worth completing the Pass twice.
Milford Track Day Three: Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut over McKinnon Pass
I got up early on Day 3, excited for what I knew would be my favourite day of the trip. I was so excited that I was ready far before everyone else in our group, including the sun. Murray had mentioned the night before that there were some kiwi around the hut. So I decided to test my luck while I waited for the others.
And I should have bought a lotto ticket! Before I’d even stalked 20 metres down the track, I heard that unmistakable rustling in the trees that either heralded a loud human or a kiwi. I followed the noises down to the junction with the main track. There the kiwi popped out of the ferns, wandered down the track for a minute or so before disappearing off the other side. I tried getting a photo, but I’d stupidly turned on the night-time auto-setting which meant my camera took a long exposure. So all I got was a brown blur that could have been a kiwi running quickly. Or a pile of excrement on the track. Take your pick.
It was the second place I’d seen a kiwi in the wild. The first being Mason Bay on Stewart Island (if you’re interested in reading about kiwi spotting you should have a read of this blog post). The others almost didn’t believe me, thinking I’d just seen one of the many overly friendly weka – but this was definitely the long-nose of a kiwi. And they’re just so loud!
Once everyone else in the group was ready, we headed off (just late enough we didn’t need head torches). Our day started with Bouncy Bridge; a one-person bridge wedged between two trees. It can form a queue in the morning, with everyone setting off at a similar time. You definitely wouldn’t want to get stuck behind the Guided Walkers – so set off before they arrive at Mintaro Hut for morning tea.
The Climb
The track then started climbing up to McKinnon Pass with a series of switchbacks. The climb itself isn’t really too bad, though once you leave the tree cover the track does become more exposed (although as with any Great Walk track it’s nice and large). We climbed up in low fog and cloud. I thought we might have to wait at the top of the Pass for the cloud to burn off, but what actually happened was even better than that.
We had an inversion layer! Eventually we started to walk out of the cloud and looked down on it, lying in the valley like a fluffy white quilt.
I was soon lagging behind, taking so many shots. I just couldn’t take it all in. The rising sun was bathing the mountains in gorgeous highlights.
McKinnon Pass – one of the highlights of the Milford Track
Once we made it to the monument at the start of McKinnon Pass we could look down the other side into the Arthur Valley, which was sunny and free of cloud. The cliffs are extremely high and offer amazing views over the valley including Quintin Lodge (the guided walkers’ accomodation for the next night). And the towering peaks on either side of the pass really make you realise exactly how small and insignificant humans are in the grand scheme of things (even if our effects aren’t that small). McKinnon Pass is definitely one of the highlights of the Milford Track.
Even though we had gorgeous sunny weather with no clouds in the sky, it was still a little breezy at the top of the pass, and very chilly. In worse weather it would be horrendous (which I vaguely remember the first time I hiked the track). Make sure you keep warm clothes near the top of your pack, including gloves. That way you won’t have to resort to wearing socks on your hands like my husband when he couldn’t find his gloves!
McKinnon Pass Shelter
After a decent stop at the monument for food and photos, we started climbing again up to the top of McKinnon Pass and then down to the freezing shelter and toilet. It was here that my camera battery died (probably from all the photos). And I realised the battery was jammed in the camera so I couldn’t even replace it. So all the rest of the photos are from my phone (apologies!).
The McKinnon Pass shelter provides welcome relief from the elements and has a single gas stove, perfect for brewing a cuppa. On the wall there are several boards detailing the previous four huts that were blown down (testament to the beautiful weather of the pass). There’s also a long drop with an amazing view, as well as a window in the door to make sure you could make the most of the view (slightly disconcerting hoping no-one is going to come around the corner and look in!).
From the shelter on McKinnon Pass, there’s a long 1000m descent down into the Arthur Valley. The track is rough, with some big steps down and a few little stream crossings (well, they were little for us with no rain!). In poor conditions there is an alternative route that DOC sometimes recommends hikers use – much steeper but it doesn’t cross known avalanche paths.
Not long after the stairs, there’s another shelter that sneaks up on you; Andersons Cascade Shelter. This shelter is notorious for being full of sandflies, but all we had was a very inquisitive weka. I was very happy to rest my feet, which were starting to ache from the long hours walking on hard, rough ground.
Sutherland Falls – the other highlight of the Milford Track
From the shelter you might think you’re close, but there’s another series of switchbacks before you reach the river flats. Turning left at the fork takes you to the Quinton Shelter beside Quinton Lodge (guided walkers accomodation). From Quinton Shelter, you can decide if you want to make the detour to Sutherland Falls or head straight on to Dumpling Hut.
Most of our group decided the detour was going to be worth it, after being sufficiently tortured by sandflies at Quintin Shelter. The walk takes about 40 minutes each way and it features stairs, some steep. There’s an amazing view of the falls from a bridge about halfway into the detour, which is a good consolation prize if your legs won’t make the full trip (although you’re so close, just keep going!).
Sutherland Falls are 580 m tall and well worth the detour in my opinion. They’re (almost) the tallest falls in New Zealand (some nearby, more inaccessible waterfalls are higher). Standing at the base of them and looking up, you can really feel the power and force of the water smashing in to the pool. Even standing far away, we were blasted with wind and water.
Dumpling Hut
We returned to Quinton Shelter, and started off to Dumpling Hut. My feet were absolutely screaming at me at this point, and I don’t remember much of the hour’s walk. It was a relief to finally see Dumpling Hut come into view. We snagged some beds, and then quickly headed off to the river for a swim before the sun set. Once again, it was very cold but I enjoyed having a rinse (including my hair) and it definitely helped my muscles.
I also very much enjoyed that Grace didn’t tell me about the eels next to me until later the next day.
I absolutely hate eels.
Milford Track Day Four: Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point
Day Four of the Milford Track is long (18 km) and mostly flat – but that doesn’t mean it’s boring. There are plenty of waterfalls and interesting little spots to keep you entertained. And the distance gets eaten up a lot more quickly than Day 3 over McKinnon Pass.
We left early again to make sure we’d be in time to catch our water taxi, with head torches for the first part of the track. Soon the track was meandering through golden-list forest, with small streams cutting across the track. Once again the size of these streams after four straight days of no rain was deceptive. The day before we started the track these tiny streams were almost impassable. Water levels can rise extremely quickly in Fiordland!
The Fiordland floods at the start of 2020 were devastating for the region. But they were particularly devastating for the Milford Track and the Arthur Valley. Even one year on, there were still so many signs of flood and slip damage. The below photo was taken further along the track in an area where DOC had to blast their way through the damage to reestablish the track since they couldn’t move it with machines.
Boatshed
The first spot of interest was the historic Boatshed Hut – the spot where boats used to ferry trampers over the Arthur River. There’s now a swing bridge, built in 1969. We had near-perfect reflections crossing over the river, but that didn’t stop me from seeing all the eels in the river. So many. So big. Shudder.
McKay Falls & Bell Rock
McKay Falls and Bell Rock were the next point of interest. The story goes that in 1880 Donald Sutherland and John McKay were exploring up the Arthur Valley from Milford Sound. They came across these falls first and McKay got the naming rights (I imagine via a very competitive game of rock, paper scissors). Needless to say he named them after himself.
But the joke was on him because a few days later they came across a much more impressive sight – the highest waterfall in New Zealand known to Europeans at the time. And this time it was Sutherland who got to name what would later become one of the highlights of the Milford Track.
Bell Rock sits right next to the stairs leading up to McKay Falls. It’s a massive boulder which was hollowed out by the powerful waterfall, and then capsized upside-down like a bell. And I can confirm it can fit at least eight adults inside. I can’t imagine what it would have looked like for the couple climbing up the stairs as we were all leaving the boulder. Like a natural version of Mary Poppin’s bag with giggling ladies continuously crawling out from under a rock.
We continued following the Arthur River and managed to see a rare whio surfing the rapids! It’s estimated there are only 3,000 of these beautiful birds left in New Zealand / the world, so it was a privilege to be able to see one enjoying its natural habitat. We later met a ranger resetting the traps that follow the Milford Track, part of a programme set up in 2000 to protect this special taonga.
The Cutting
When the Arthur River flows into Lake Ada, it marks the next interesting part of the Milford Track known as the “Cutting”. This part of the track is literally cut into the steep bluffs around the edge of Lake Ada. The track was cut by prison gangs in the late 19th century. When you reach the top of the rock cutting you can still see the dates that were chiselled into the rock – 1898.
Giant Gate Falls
Our next stop was Giant Gate Falls Shelter, where once again we were joined by an overly friendly weka for lunch. These are beautiful falls (I’m not sure why McKay didn’t want to pop his name on these instead!), but they’re also an example of the power of rain in Fiordland. All of the exposed rock on either side of the falls used to be covered in moss before the massive flooding at the start of 2020. What a great year 2020 was.
The old bridge was swept away in the floods, so you get treated to a brand new swing bridge slightly further away from the falls. You can still see a lot of the flood damage including tree trunks strewn about the area (or at least you could in 2021).
From Giant Gate Falls the track slowly widens and gets more worked. There is a tiny little meadow next to Lake Ada with a view point. I remember stopping here on my first time through the Milford Track and almost being driven insane by black clouds of sandflies. But the upshot of not doing the track in the middle of summer is less sandflies.
Eventually the track widens into a road (which was created by the prison gangs in the 1890s). This heralds your arrival at the end of the Milford Track. It’s apparently only 800m of road but it sure feels like more when you’re walking it.
Sandfly Point
Once you hit Sandfly Point it’s just a matter of waiting for your boat. If you time it just right the boat will be waiting for you, which is perfect for avoiding the sandflies. We arrived with just a few minutes to spare. Matt’s captain claimed her record time was 7:40 minutes, and she was working to beat it every trip. Regardless, it’s a very quick trip over to Milford Sound.
So, is the Milford Track the best Great Walk in New Zealand?
It’s a big question! Often when people are considering the Milford Track they’ll be tossing up between several Fiordland Great Walks; the Kepler, Routeburn or Milford. How to choose?
I’ll be honest – each of these Great Walks are amazing in their own right. They all have amazing views, nice huts, cool wildlife, beautiful forests and rivers. Realistically, your own experience will boil down to three things (which are mostly outside your control): 1. What track has tickets available at the time of booking, 2. What weather you have for your trip, and 3. Who your hut-mates are.
For many people the Milford Track is a bucket-list hike and has been described as the “finest walk in the world” since way back in 1908. But in my opinion, it’s an amazing adventure, but no the Milford Track isn’t the best Great Walk in New Zealand. If I had a gun to my head and had to decide, I would say the Routeburn Track is my personal favourite of the five I’ve completed. And on top of that there are also many awesome trips that aren’t Great Walks, but which rank equally highly in my opinion. But they’re all so good, it really just boils down to personal preference.
I believe too many people hike the Milford Track thinking it’ll be the best hike they’ll ever go on. And for some it will be! But for many, it will be another amazing trip nestled amongst many other amazing trips. That might not be a popular opinion, but it’s mine. So adjust your expectations, cross your fingers for good weather, and book your tickets!
Safety
As always, please stay safe when you’re out exploring. Follow the Outdoor Safety Code:
- Choose the right trip for you (read my article, talk to DOC, look at Topomaps, read other blogs!)
- Understand the weather (this would be an extremely dangerous hike in adverse conditions)
- Pack warm clothes and extra food (you check out my post on what to taking tramping here)
- Share your plans and take ways to get help (have an emergency beacon on your person)
- Take care of yourself and each other
If you’re not feeling super confident then you can always get in touch with me here on the blog or on my Instagram. Or take a look at my Tramping 101 series which includes this post about how to stay safe in the outdoors.
Stay safe and get outside!
Where to next?
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I love hearing from readers and helping them plan their own adventures!
Thanks for you article. I have very limited time in New Zealand and was looking to do one amazing hike somewhere… unfortunately the Milford one was completely booked out for the whole time so I’m looking at doing something else. What other hike would you recommend that one doesn’t have to book a year in advance? I’ve cycled the Old ghost Road and that was just incredible. I’m looking at doing something between 2 -5 nights
Kia ora Miroda! Thanks for messaging. You might find this blog post helpful: https://aliceadventuring.com/new-zealands-great-walks-alternatives/ There are a lot of other alternatives that don’t book out so quickly (or at all), and I’m happy to chat more over messenger, I’ll reply to your message 🙂