Day 1: 19 November 2017 from Glade Wharf via Te Anou Down to Clinton Hut
We had a relaxing morning at our accommodation as our first day in Milford Track would be easy and short.
Distance 5 kilometres, time 1 or 1 and half hours.
We went to Doc( Department of Conservation) to catch our bus to Te Anou Down at 12:15pm.
Our accommodation to Doc was end to end in town coincidentally.
We walked along Te Anou Lake enjoying the view.
I bought a short sleeved tee shirt for myself and two pairs of wool socks for me and Suze at town.
To our sheer luck the weather was very good and a lot warmer during our stay in NZ.
For long sun shiny warm afternoons through Routeburn Track I needed a short sleeved shirt.
People even from DOC admitted us it's weirdly warm and fine when they made a refund for our pre-paid heli ride
for Routeburn Track.
After congratulating our lucks for weather.
We had bought a pack of card to spend a couple of hours between dinner and bed time at camp initially
and then we realized no one really studied how to play card games at first night in Routeburn Track.
We tried to remember anything and ended up improvising some but it seemed not right.
So we gave this assignment to Suze to learn how to play some of games for us, at least a few, for Milford Track
when we could have an access to internet in Te Anou.
So during our hike in Milford we successfully played card games whenever we felt like it.
Te Anou was a small but spaciously sprawled tourist town facing huge Te Anou lake on the threshold to Milford
Sound from Queenstown attracting all sorts of tourists from all over the world.
Among all busy tourists I happened to glimpse 2 young girls from the bus ride
to Routeburn Track once again while we were searching a good place for lunch.
We travelled on a ferry to our start of walk for around 1 hour and 15 minutes.
The ferry boat was absolutely packed with self guided walkers like us and people with guides
as it proved the fame compared to Routeburn.
As the ferry glided on the Sound we were excited about the upcoming hike.
Everybody was taking turns to take photos to capture "Milford Track" signage with them before starting.
One family comprised two young guys and their old parents asked Eddie to take their photos.
They wanted to make the ferry floating on the river as a background which seemed even a better idea.
It printed a big letter as Milford Track on the body of it.
In 20 minutes huge numbers of people disappeared into private huts and we could enjoy relatively
quiet walk once again to my huge relief.
I noticed the private huts and our humble huts were 1 hour's difference all the way till end so
there was not really a chance of the track overcrowded next 4 days.
It was a well maintained beautiful easy track along the banks of Clinton River on your right hand side.
It was sweltering hot already when we started walking.
Around 4 pm we arrived at Clinton Hut.
We were fairly early and bunks were almost empty as usual.
We went out to find a suitable spot for a swim after we deposited our packs in our bunks.
River water was freezing cold and currents rapid where we dipped in.
We soon realized hundreds of thousands of sand flies were waiting to swat us.
Later we found once we were bitten or to be exact once they touched their breaths on our skins
that's it...it came back as deadly itchiness, skins swollen to big red spots, and even unbearable soreness.
Luckily I prepared an ointment which gave a remarkable soothing effect but it was not enough.
I still remember nights when I scratched my arms or foot which I couldn't stop and one stage I was overwhelmed
with the pain...
If only we prepared ourselves more cautiously we could have saved our agonies we thought.
But again it was two sides of the same coin meaning we had to pay for the warm weather.
I have noticed others didn't care much about these.
They didn't seem troubled too much...at least less than us.
Alas!
After those tormenting 3 or 4 days we all managed to forget about that predicament to my amazement.
Around 8 pm we had a ranger meeting before bed.
I remember he was an old man who looked in his seventies and very tall.
I didn't find him as boring as the one on the first night from Routeburn.
He talked about usual general information and NZ birds etc.
Soon after almost everyone was ready to sleep for the next day including us.
Except 4 people who were very animatedly talking in front of our bunks house.
I thought they would stop soon but unfortunately their talks continued on about more than an hour.
I looked around to see anyone was feeling the same way as me.
But in fact no one was as affected as me.
If not they were at least very good at not showing their annoyance.
On top of that Suze was even scolding me for my impatience to show irritation not so discreet way.
I realized the window was open so I closed the window very loudly to let them know they were
very noisy or rude.
It didn't work.
They kept on talking about everything with high toned strange language I never understood.
And then finally they decided to sleep and came inside the house, turned on their torches
with sudden bright lights moving everywhere around the room and rustling rummaging to find
their toothbrushes inside their packs or prepare their beds by putting out their sleeping bags etc
At final last came the total quietness with the total darkness outside.
NZ late sunset was one of the factors people didn't go to bed early I mused.
It looked like I was the only one who was dramatic and fretting about small things.
It's not that I was wrong.
But still I thought later I should have been less sensitive about things and stuff.
It was one of the moments I came to think to loosen myself up and chill-relax(chilex)
from noise, bugs, being dirty etc....
Day 2: 20 November 2017 from Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut
As usual we started our walk fairly early.
First we walked through easy flat ways between lush trees along the Clinton River,
and soon passed forks where we headed westerly way of the river.
We tried to observe birds and wild ducks, geese etc. remembering the talks we had
with the ranger the night before.
Beautiful scenery such as waterfalls, a dead lake due to landslide occurred in 1982 and then an open grass area
came and went.
Now I tried to recall all the detailed sequences of the course of walk but I felt it all gone like a blur with the essential
gists of images and emotions left mingled together.
Despite it was such a memorable hike and I was completely immersed in it then.
Soon we arrived at the most impressive site of the day, Pompolona ice field.
I remember I tried to grasp the grandeur of the scene passing there.
This day the track was gradually ascending and we were going to stay at the base of Mackinnon Pass.
We walked 16.5 km for about 6 hours.
It was another hot afternoon when we arrived at the hut.
Unlike other huts so far it was one building in which a kitchen and dinning area with two small bunks rooms
back of it downstairs and big sleeping quarters upstairs.
We settled at a small bunks room just behind the kitchen area with 8 bunks in it.
From our small bunks room windows we could look up closely at steep mountain formation and
vegetation.
We hurried to bathe in the nearby river where no one else except several wild ducks were swimming.
It was serene and peaceful in there.
I loved being there with wild animals and plants under the primitive harshly strong sun rays.
In the afternoon Suze was reading a book we bought at Te Anou in the kitchen and I was doing nothing enjoying
sunshine sitting next to her after that cool swim.
People tried to air their smelly hiking boots after a day's walk by putting them outside the hut.
But Ranger warned us that the birds Kia had scary power of ripping boots off.
It actually happened to a very unlucky person out of our previous group.
Upon hearing this everybody was busy bringing their boots inside.
I put some small rocks on top of a few washed clothes hanging on the rails of the fence
in front of the hut and Eddie told me he saw Kias threw the rocks away.
Clever and naughty birds!!!!
Some ambitious hikers went climbing to Mackinon Pass because afternoon was bright and long.
The young ranger recommended it because it would be foggy in passing MacKinnon Pass next morning
so it was more likely we would miss magnificent views.
But it was roughly 2 hrs or so to the top of Mackinnon Pass then it would sum up at least 3 to 4 hours in return.
Meanwhile I saw the old man from NZ family prepare Naan with a flour, water and oil.
They even carried a heavy ancient looking pan for that.
He kindly explained me how to prepare and make it.
I had a chance to taste it later which was quite yummy.
Never did I thought of making Naan at camp most of all so it was quite a fresh idea for me.
The room we chose was very cosy and I found this night quite comfortable.
Day 3: 21 November 2017 From Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut
The third day definitely was everybody's highlight of the total course of hike.
We climbed up to Mackinnon Pass(1154m) and clambered down to almost zero metre this day.
As predicted as soon as we reached at the foot of Mackinnon Pass the whole world
was filled with thick fogs.
Even though we missed million dollars worth of view I really enjoyed this part of hike.
These days I find it much easier at uphills than at downhills due to my weakening knees
and thanks to my training at the gym.
It was nice and steep zigzag inclines enjoying cool fresh morning air and hundreds of thousands of Mountain Daisies there.
It wouldn't take more than 1 hours and half for us to reach the Mackinnon Pass Shelter after extreme gusty and misty Mackinnon Memorial.
All the way till end even shelters were divided for guided walkers and independent hikers.
Inside the shelter for independent hikers we made hot coffee using a gas burner there and enjoyed our early morning tea looking out super strong winds blowing away thick clouds and fogs gradually.
It was like an amusing tug and pull race between them.
We wore good quality hard shells which protected us from being cold and wet properly.
With experiences accumulated we became more seasoned with situations.
One female solo hiker was shivering with her unsuitable jacket and asked me whether she had to wear
thermals under it and I said it would be ok once we climbed down from the pass.
I was right.
For a short time when the clouds cleared to reveal mountain views people including us inside wowed, it was like a magic.
Or like Eddie said it felt more mysterious when we were outside curtains of clouds and fogs craving for better views.
Later in mid morning when it was completely cleared and there they were with usual blue sky and ever strong sun rays
, OK I mean they were magnificent views for sure but we missed suspense and magical feelings.
I read due to extremely strong winds there through years they had to rebuild shelters several times.
We stayed in the shelter about an hour and found outside was completely free from fogs and clouds.
Eddie wanted to go back to have anther look at views from top part of the mountain.
Me and Suze were not that enthusiastic about views.
I felt I enjoyed more mystic environments there and walks in it.
Eddie didn't come back until most of independent walkers arrived at the shelter and even guided walkers
started appearing.
Finally by the time more than two hours of our stay there he came back we rushed back to the track.
He was thrilled that he had a chance to overlook once in a life time views.
So was I for him.
From there on it was on going relentless down climbing.
We passed numerous water falls with crystal clear affluent water and lush deep forest as it got warmer and warmer.
Soon after midday Suze started complaining about being hungry typically.
After 1pm we arrived at a shelter on the way to Sutherland Falls.
It was boiling hot and we were sweating but we cooked our dehydrated food inside the shelter.
We couldn't afford to be bitten by sand flies outside.
It was 'Spaghetti Bolognese' and very yum.
We didn't go to see Sutherland Falls.
Straight went to the Hut.
Suze joined us to swim after we deposited our packs at our bunks.
The river was a few minutes from the hut and the currents not so rapid.
Amazingly it was not freezing cold for the first time.
It was just perfect and the best ever spot for swim so far.
Even though we were once again exposed to be bitten by nasty flies.
We had one of the best after-hike moments there at the river and at the hut.
Day 4: 22 November 2017 From Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point
Our ticket for a ferry at Sandfly Point was at 2pm which was the first one.
But the ranger said there were some changes and the first ferry would be at 1pm.
We decided to catch this 1pm ferry and grab some food for lunch at Milford Sound
instead of cooking hot meal fighting with sand flies.
The ranger said the name 'sandfly point' was suitable for the place which made us even
shudder and feel even more scared for these nasty insects.
The NZ family was one of the late group of people who had arrived at the huts last three days.
But I heard people were saying they left the hut fairly early at 6am while we were having breakfast.
Probably to catch the 1pm- ferry I guessed.
We walked 18km of flat lush forest tracks with numerous waterfalls non stop as usual.
I saw them sitting on the rocks enjoying their chilling time when I walked passing over one of swing bridges
one stage.
I had noticed it showed more human touches as the track neared to the end.
As if walking on well maintained garden paths at some stages....
We arrived at Sandfly Point around midday.
There were other fast people there too.
We found the 1pm boat was a very small one instead of the big ferry we took on the way here.
We heard only 10 people could get on the board and this NZ family was not included even though
they tried very hard to reach there earlier.
Suze felt extremely sorry for them and even regretted we didn't give them our spots.
There were reasons and excuses too.
We were 3 and they were 4 people.
Not enough spots for them even though we tried to give them our spots.
Eddie told me he didn't want to make other hikers feel awkward so kept silent.
Also their bus time after the boat was one hour later than us.
etc...
Anyway they will be a constant subject of our talks when it comes to Milford Track I am quite sure of it.
At Sandfly Point I imagined an army of sand-flies were assembled swarming in order to attack us
but very strangely it was not that bad.
I was almost disappointed about that when I was mentally prepared.
At the end of our grandeur hike an American guy forced Eddie with us in front of the track ending sign
and he took a very memorable photo of our family there.
This photo amazingly came out great to our joy!
Me and Suze appreciated him for that and disapproved Eddie's attitude.
Suze enjoyed the short boat ride to Milford Sound too much even though she was wet with the driver's
wild turn which reminded me of our wet boat riding at Overland Track at the end of our hike.
She even mentioned this wet crazy boat riding was the highlight of the hike...haha
