The Majestic Milford Track
- Natty Knees
- May 4, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: May 14, 2025
The iconic Milford Track is the first Great Walk and multiday hike the crew completes. We learn a lot on this hike, including some valuable lessons on what to take and what not take. We learn lessons on packing light (champagne bottles are apparently heavy even when empty), having the right gear (it snows in February), and an extra pair of laces really does come in handy. Read on to hear about our learning experience on our first Great Walk and the pact that we make.
Track: Milford Track
Time of year: February 2016
Day 1 - Queenstown to Clinton Hut
We begin the re-pack of our backpacks, throwing out anything we don’t need, decanting the wine, and getting rid of as much food packaging as possible. We lift each other’s packs to see if we have over packed. We certainly have but will realize this much later as we navigate the 15 switchbacks and climb1000m to Mackinnon's Pass. Over time we come to learn that we will pack and re-pack our backpacks a lot and that our current strategy of shoving everything inside a cheap $10 holla Mountain safety pack liner is laborious. Essentially it is just a very big heavy duty plastic bag, which is really noisy. But apparently it rains 200 days per year in Fiordland so it is likely we will encounter rain and have been warned to ensconce everything in a waterproof bag (or else).
We pick up the rental car and have chosen the cheapest sedan we could find to fit us and our gear, a Nissan Sunny. We are leaving the car at Glade Wharf while we hike so opted for a car you wouldn’t want to steal or bother breaking into. The Nissan Sunny fits the brief, a little too well, and sunny is not how we feel when we drive it. We arrive at Glade Wharf 2hrs 30mins later and there is plenty of parking in the dirt car park. We throw any extra gear in the boot, so the car looks like more of a disappointment to would-be thieves. The ferry ride is seriously beautiful and takes about an hour as we chug across the lake, excited for our first multiday hiking trip. Once we disembark, we start walking along relatively flat ground through native forest.
I hear a stumble and thud behind me and spin around to find Pablo face down on the ground. Luckily his face had broken his fall as he decided not to use his arms in any way. Jesus mate, are you alright? What the hell happened? As he gets up, he looks down at his boot. He had tripped on his lace, and it had snapped off. Earlier in the morning we pondered why on earth we needed an extra shoelace noted in the gear check list. We start laughing, who would've thought.
After about 30mins we arrive at Clinton Hut and claim our bunks by putting our sleeping bag on the beds. The huts are pretty basic with dark rooms, a mattress on each bunk, and a common room with a kitchen. It's not exactly The Clinton Hilton but will do the trick for tonight.
First day done. This hiking bizzo is easy peasy. Since it is 5 o'clock somewhere we pour a wine, hang out on the heli-pad to check out the views, and re-lace Pablo's boot.
Day 2 - Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut
The second day we head off through the Clinton Valley with the sun in the sky and monstrous rock cliffs dwarfing us on either side.
The water in the Clinton River is an amazing green and we are tempted to take a swim, but the sky is starting to darken so we press on.
Soon enough we are donning rain gear as the rain starts to cut through the clouds. We picked up some cheap rain pants at The Warehouse for $10 and whilst they do the trick and stop us getting wet on the outside, we start to sweat on the inside or what is more politely known as ‘body rain’. The landscape around us transforms into a moody scene with waterfalls pouring from literally every mountain range and it’s captivating. You start to feel so small against this magnificent backdrop and find yourself so lucky to be witnessing it.
We start the incline to Mintaro Hut and Queen Bee is finding her pack uncomfortable. It is not a hiking pack but rather a travel pack she borrowed, and it is heavy and not made to be carried for hours on her back. She asks some passing hikers how far to the hut and they smile and chirp ‘not long another 15mins’. Queen Bee drops her pack and sits disillusioned as she was hoping the answer was 5 seconds. But alas, we are not quite to the finish of the 17.5km day. We convince her that she is unlikely to be helicoptered out unless she has broken something other than her spirit. Pablo picks her up, dusts her off, and 15mins later we arrive at Mintaro Hut.
We claim our top bunk beds, change into swimming gear, and head to the river. The temperature of the water is glacial and my heart stops as I throw myself in, gasp, and promptly scramble out. Julz witnesses this and does not think my approach was a good one. She decides to awkwardly baptise herself and heaves herself into the river backwards. Each to their own I suppose. But we learn later that approach will not be repeated as she took half the riverbed out on her bikini bottoms.
The DOC rangers give talks each night around 7pm and the weather forecast is for snow at the top of Mackinnon pass tomorrow, probably poor visibility with temps dropping overnight. The night is very cold, and our summer sleeping bags do not cut it. I put all my base layers, jumpers, extra socks and a beanie on in an attempt to get to sleep. The bunk rooms are noisy with many snorers rumbling the bunk rooms throughout the night. Ear plugs would be useful about now....if we had them.
Day 3 Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut
We re-pack our bags again and head off for the climb to Mackinnon pass. The ranger advised we have 15 switchbacks to complete before we get to the top which is at 1154 meters.
At this point I should tell you that a couple of months ago I thought it would be a good idea to propose to the Julz at Sutherland Falls. Everyone one except her was aware of the upcoming surprise engagement and most of us are also carrying a heavy bottle of champagne in their packs. As we ascend, Queen Bee suggests I propose now so we can drink the champagne and lighten these awfully heavy packs. Tempting.
The climb is a gut buster and I’m jealous of the guided walkers that are climbing without a pack, who are overtaking us. At each corner of the switchbacks as we inch higher Studacris counts them out. Each time he counts a switchback I'm absolutely certain we have completed more but don't have the lung capacity to query these anomalies. We are relieved to finally reach the top of Mackinnon Pass, but unfortunately for us the low clouds that bought snow have obscured the incredible views.
Oh well, we take some pics of us in the clouds and head to the shelter. We longingly look through the window of the guided walker shelter where a fire is blazing inside and an amazing lunch banquet is spread out. We spark up the Jet Boil and make some hot soup, but it’s chilly, so Studacris recommends we get the hell out of dodge and head down to a warmer altitude.
So begins 3hrs of descent to Sutherland Falls and our knees start to whine on the way down, begging for some flat ground. We navigate through beautiful country, lots of cascading waterfalls to skip through, and plenty of stairs.
We sneakily transfer the Champagne to Studacris and Pablo who push on ahead so they can find a cold body of water near the falls, to chill the bottles ready for the engagement surprise. 2mins from the falls I’m getting tired, and Julie reminds me to eat, so I throw back my emergency snickers bar for this energy emergency. It’s something that we learn over the next few hikes is to keep snacking as you burn more energy than you think when walking. When we arrive at the turn off to the falls, we realize Pablo missed the turn off and has plodded on ahead.
We very willingly drop our packs at Quentin Shelter and head off to Sutherland Falls unencumbered. As we near the falls we thought we could hear a low flying airplane. As we come over the hill the sound is not an airplane but clearly liters of water cascading down the mountain and hitting the pool at the bottom. The falls are powerful and as the water hits the ground it catapults outwards drenching anyone in close range. Not the romantic waterfall setting I expected and as I was to find out later, Sutherland Falls is the highest waterfall in NZ.
The crew disappear out of sight waiting for the proposal but if I pull the ring out the spray is likely to send it sideways. While I deliberate Julz sees a rock under the waterfall and decides to have a ‘come to Jesus’ moment, hops up with arms out wide, and proceeds
to get soaking wet as the water crashes down.
I decide that perhaps now is not the best time for ‘the question’ and eventually we all head back. I send everyone on ahead until it is just us strolling back alone. I stop and fumble through the proposal and with a snotty nose and sopping wet hug she says yes. Thank God! The rest of the walk would’ve been awkward if the answer was No. As we arrive back at the shelter our friends await with Champagne in hiking cups to celebrate. The ranger from Mintaro Hut pops up out of nowhere and gives us some Ginger Crunch, a present from the guided walkers who had heard rumours about a proposal at the falls. An hour later we arrive at Dumpling Hut to a sheepish Pablo who had the remaining Champagne chilled and ready, once we assured him the answer was a 'Yes'.
Day 3 - Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point
We head off for the longest day on the track which is 18km and the ranger has indicated the last day is one of the most beautiful and predominantly flat, she wasn’t wrong. Everyone loved the last day with the landscape changing often.
We walked through forests, under rock faces, and crossed bridges that followed the Arthur River.
Eventually we came to Mackay Falls which looked like it came straight out of a fairy tale book. We took lots of photos and stopped for a bit to soak it all in. The rest of the walk took us around Lake Ada and we were grateful that it was not much further.
We all limped into Sandfly point with all of our old sporting injuries making themselves known. We all felt a sense of accomplishment but disappointment as the walk was coming to an end. Waiting for the short ferry ride to take us to Milford Sound, we made a pact to complete all the Great Walks. One a year. As there were 9 Great Walks, we figured it would take 9 years to complete. Of course, at the time we didn’t count on our mate Covid or 2 more walks being added.
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