Day two of the Milford Track trek! I woke up at 7:00 AM when I
heard all the ruckus of everyone else getting ready to set out. I got dressed
and then washed up. Laurel and I took a photo together with our bags to make it
official that we’re Milford “trackers.” It was a little bit chilly but the sky
was bright blue. Even though I haven’t seen rain yet, you’d be hard-pressed to
walk Milford Track without any rain. Five minutes into the walk, I took my
jacket off and filled my water bottle from the Clinton River. Since I was on
Milford Track I took my sweet ass time. Milford Track has been around for more
than 100 years; even the Maoris walked it. Yesterday I said the landscape is
very similar to Yosemite National Park, but this is much more spectacular!
Waterfalls are all over and my eyes lit up brightly with each step. I love you
New Zealand! A couple from Israel were walking with me: a young man named Shai
and his girlfriend, Donna. As I was walking I ate chocolate as my energy food
and I couldn’t keep my camera off. A helicopter flew through the valley and
that showed the sheer size of this place. Unlike on the Inca Trail, there are
no locals selling snacks and soft drinks. At the halfway point I stopped at
Hidden Lake and relaxed for about 10 minutes.
Some of the trampers stopped for
lunch. As I continued on, I stopped to photograph MacKinnon Pass, which is the
highest point of Milford Track. The water in the rivers, lakes, and streams is
crystal clear and makes for great photos. Next I stopped at Prairie Lake to
photograph the pretty waterfall; at the same time taking a short video telling
Teressa that I love her. Walking slowly, I continued along the world’s greatest
track. The St. Quintin Falls are spectacular, so I got a photo of them too. The
hut was only 1 ½ hours away but I was in no hurry at all. Few people get to
ever walk Milford Track, so I was relishing the moment. At about 2:00, I made
it to Mintaro Hut. I couldn’t ask for a better setting; it was so amazing. I
immediately took my pack off and got something out for lunch. Earlier I was
snacking on muffin bars until I ran out. For lunch I made spaghetti bolonaise, but
I put a bit too much water in it. It was good either way. For the entire walk,
there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Heavy rain is forecasted for Sunday, which is
the last day, so I have to be ready. After resting for an hour I decided to go
up to MacKinnon Pass, since I never know if it isn’t going to be clear
tomorrow. I brought along a chocolate bar and my Lonely Planet book and began
walking. The kea hangs out near our hut, and there are signs to not leave our
boots and clothes out front. The first part of the walk is flat, but then it
got really rocky with many switchbacks. Strong tramping boots are a must in
sections like this. There are some sections that are rock fall zones, so there
are signs advising people not to stop in these areas. Pretty flowers are on
this trail, so I photographed some to send to Teressa. The walk up is quite
demanding and a good workout. This still wasn’t as bad as the Inca Trail. There
are a lot of rocks. For awhile I was having fun throwing rocks into the canyon
but I was told that I can kill someone doing that because of the switchbacks
(people could be walking). The young man who told me that said I was almost to
MacKinnon Pass. The landscape is spectacular with some snow still high on the
slopes. I walked up bravely and made it to the MacKinnon memorial at about
5:00. It was still another 10 minutes to the highest point. At 1154 metres it
is the highest point of Milford Track (that compares to 4200 metres for the
Inca Trail). It is so beautiful!!
Laurel was up there and beginning to head
back down. A couple from the U.K. near Bath took photos of me looking out into
Arthur Valley. Tomorrow it is a 900 metre descent, so my knees have to be
ready. There was no place to fill my water bottle and I needed something to
drink after sweating all day. As I made my descent I was talking with that
couple and sharing travel stories. We both agree that Queenstown is really
expensive. They went jet-boating and hang-gliding. This is also their second
time in New Zealand. At about 7:00, we were back at the hut and I was really
worn out. I lay there on the bed for about 10 minutes and then decided to go
prepare my dinner. I made sweet and sour lamb, but it wasn’t all that good;
probably because I used too much water. I don’t have a measuring cup so I have
to estimate the measurement. After dinner I made some orange Raro, which is
kind of like Kool-Aid. I asked a number of people if they were up for a game of
chess, but no one was interested. A couple from Italy had apple crumble for
dessert and I was a bit jealous. On the walk I brought along plenty of dinners
but not enough desserts, snacks, and breakfast foods. The sandflies at Mintaro
Hut aren’t as annoying as at the Clinton Hut but my legs, feet, and arms are
all bit up. The sandflies are probably worse on Stewart Island and I was
itching for awhile after returning from there. When I finish Milford Track, the
only thing that I won’t miss are the sandflies. I haven’t had a shower in four
days so I feel like crap. At 10:15 the lights went out, so I washed up and got
ready for bed. Tomorrow I have another long walk; today I walked for about 11
hours so I need a really good rest. I’ll see you soon!
