About

• Features

  The Milford Track, a 53.5km trail connecting Lake Te Anau and Milford Sound, is a great way to enjoy the pristine nature of New Zealand's South Island. With over 200 days of rainfall throughout the year and plentiful water features, visitors can view numerous waterfalls and lakes along the way, including New Zealand's largest, Sutherland Falls. During the peak summer season, individual visitors are required to spend overnight in a nature conservancy hut.

• History

  The Milford Track has its roots in the roads used by the indigenous Maori people to collect and transport precious greenstone. Greenstone is a type of jade, which the Maori used as weapons and adornments. The trail was “pioneered” by settlers in 1888. Adventurer Quintin McKinnon cut a route from Lake Te Anau to Milford Sound. The highest points on the route, such as McKinnon Pass and Quintin Falls, are named after him.

• Nature

  The Milford Track offers spectacular scenery of pristine forests, lakes, and expansive valleys. The rain that falls there for an estimated 200 days a year is what has created all of this majestic scenery. With 7,000 to 8,000mm of precipitation annually, Milford Sound, when it rains, sees thousands of cascades--short-lived waterfalls that flow down the rocky surfaces. The excessive rainfall often loosens the soil on the cliffs and causes landslides. Sometimes they fall in a series of collapses from the top.

• The Milford Track is one of New Zealand’s most famous hiking routes. With its spectacular mountain scenery and complex fjord topography, it has attracted outdoor enthusiasts from around the world for over 150 years. The trail is surrounded by the mountains and temperate rainforest of Fiordland National Park in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. The route starts at the northern end of Lake Te Anau and follows a 53.5km route to Milford Sound. On a clear day, the scenery is picture-postcard breath taking. However, some say that the Milford Track’s greatest appeal is revealed on rainy days. For some, the true thrill of the trail lies in the countless waterfalls that suddenly appear and cascade down the slopes of the mountains. However, access is strictly regulated during the high season and must be tramped through in four days, even in inclement weather. The itinerary goes as follows: take a boat ride from Te Anau Downs on the first day to the start of the trail. After an hour’s walk on a well-maintained trail, over a number of suspension bridges, you will arrive at Clinton Hut. The second day is a 16.5km road trip that passes by Hirere Falls and leads to Mintaro Hut with the highest point, McKinnon Pass (elevation: 1,154 meters) and the Pompolona Ice Field. On the third day, the zigzagging road continues all the way up to the monument to Quint McKinnon, who cut the Milford Track. At the top of the climb is McKinnon Pass. If you take a moment to catch your breath and look around, you are rewarded with a spectacular view. Looking back, you see the Clinton Valley, and to the north, the Arthur Valley. Further back in the mountain range is Milford Sound. Descending the pass is a boardwalk, and located on a side road at the end of the boardwalk is Sutherland Falls, the largest waterfall in New Zealand. The three-tiered waterfall, with a drop of 580 meters, cascades vertically from the outlet of the glacier-fed Lake Quill. On the fourth and final day, you will have the opportunity to enjoy numerous beautiful waterfalls and suspension bridges. Enjoy MacKay Falls, Lake Ada, and Giant Gate Falls, the last waterfall on the route. About an hour and a half after the falls, you will reach Sandfly Point, the end of the track. Peak summer season is from late October to late April. It is a one-way trip northward, and only a maximum of 40 people per day are allowed on the trail, which is often booked months in advance. In contrast, the off-season, from May to mid-October, is free to travel, but the huts and bridges are taken down. Please check the local website for the latest information.