The Milford Track

The Milford Track

I think the first thing I did to prepare for my New Zealand trip was to book a spot on the famous Milford Track. It’s New Zealand’s most well-known hiking trail, and only a limited number of spots are available every year. I booked in August and the first available spot was January 29th. That exclusivity set some pretty high expectations in me, but the “finest walk in the world” lived up to them, it really did. Fiordland is a magical place. Hikers are advised to prepare for heavy rains, as the Fiordland area gets pounded year round, but miraculously, we had four straight days of sunshine. The 300+ photos I took don’t really do it justice.

One of countless river crossings throughout the track
Everywhere you go on the track there are sheer mountain walls on either side, streaked with waterfalls
Looking down the valley from Lake Mintaro. On the mountain face you can see dozens of tiny waterfalls coming off the snow field.
 
The mossy basin at the bottom of the 600-meter Sutherland falls. We all took turns climbing on the rocks behind the falls. The falling water creates a powerful wind — it’s hard to catch a breath in the thick spray. In the foreground is a Swedish hiker, making her way to the base.