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Backpacker Magazine – March 2009

Hiking New Zealand's Milford Track

Marvel at Middle Earth on this 33-mile, four-day Milford Track.

by: Kelly Bastone

Arthur River and Lake Brown on a descent called
Arthur River and Lake Brown on a descent called "Gentle Annie" (David Wall)

The Perfect Circle: Hiking the Annapurna Circuit | Chile's Torres del Paine Circuit | Corsica's GR 20 | Peru's Inca Trail to Machu Picchu | Italy's Alta Via 1 | New Zealand's Milford Track | England's Pennine Way | Tanzania's Mt. Kilimanjaro | Everest Base Camp, Tibet | Tour du Mont Blanc

Classic cred  New Zealand's landmass totals just 103,733 square miles–the same size as Colorado–but the island nation boasts more swoon-worthy "tramps" per square mile than anywhere else in the world. And the 33-mile, four-day Milford Track outranks them all. From Glade House on the northern tip of Lake Te Anau, the route crosses the trout-choked Clinton River, meanders through beech groves (Fangorn Forest in The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and vast grassy meadows and around tumbling waterfalls before climbing to 3,520-foot MacKinnon Pass, the track's highpoint. From here, you'll descend through rainforest where, at night, glowworms illuminate the undersides of thousands of ferns. At trip's end, spill into Milford Sound, where cone-shaped mountains pop 5,000 feet above shimmering waters.

Beta  Milford attracts more than 14,000 hikers per year and is therefore strictly regulated. Independent hikers lodge at huts with communal bunks and propane cookstoves, and adhere to an ironclad itinerary–no lingering, skipping huts, or tent camping. From October through April, permits are required (bookings for 2010 start on July 1), but you can have it mostly to yourself in September. Just come prepared for deep snow.

Local's tip  Time your arrival at Sandfly Point (the terminus) wisely. Too early, and you'll endure the maddening swarms of sandflies that give this spot its name. Too late, and you'll miss the 3:15 ferry. Lingering inside treeline is your best bet. Get ferry tickets (NZ$29) at the Department of Conservation office in Te Anau before your hike.

Plan It  Curl up with Jim DuFresne's Tramping in New Zealand (Lonely Planet, $22) for inspiration and mile-by-mile descriptions. Reserve permits at doc.govt.nz (NZ$135).

Cost  DIY: $ // Guided: $$$


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READERS COMMENTS

Plan at least a month for hiking if you ever make it to New Zealand. Yes, the Milford is an incredible trek, but it is not the best in New Zealand. There are many great Treks as well as lesser know gems. You could spend a life time hiking there, with every turn being another incredible view. Simply amazing place. Well worth it what ever the airline expense is to get there.
Posted: May 14, 2009 Roger

....but can't afford the heavy expense of the flight to New Zealand from Canada.

Air NZ and Qantus have real good cheap deals for coach flight. $800 return to the states just get the hook up flight from Canada to either LA or NY.

Posted: Apr 24, 2009 Valnor

My Dad did this trip when he was 18 as a navvy on the Milford road in 1930. He absolutely loved it.
Posted: Apr 06, 2009 Honora

To Bad we can't win trips like they give out gear.(Backpacker Magazine)
I've been dreaming of hiking this trail for years.
but can't afford the heavy expense of the flight to New Zealand from Canada.

One of my all time dreams is to hike the Milford Track.

One day.


Posted: Mar 26, 2009 Robert Buchan

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