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South Island: The Milford
Track
NB catalogue only here
3121
Glade House, the first
night’s lodging on the Milford Track guided walk.
3126
The morning sunshine
made the clear waters of the Clinton River
sparkle.
3128
A hot drink and a rest
in the sun. Guided walkers take it easy at the Hirere Falls
lunch shelter.
3135
Mount Balloon
looks down upon Mackinnon Pass.
3137
The memorial cairn
built to honor Quintin Mackinnon, the explorer who
discovered the pass in 1888.
3138
View from one of the
swing bridges looking back toward the Boatshed, where we had
stopped mid-morning for a breather on the last walking
day.
3140
The waters of Mackay
Creek cascading through the forest on the last of the
walking days.
3141
Spray fills the air as
we stop at the lookout below Mackay Falls.
3142
Lake Ada
and the distant Baron Peaks
(twin peaks top right) viewed from Telegraph Point.
3147
Water tumbling over
Giant’s Gate Falls,
where our guide Angela explained that sometimes there’s so
much spray one can’t even take out the camera.
3151
Here we go! Boarding
the Fiordland Express for the trip across Lake Te
Anau to the starting point for the Milford Track
walk.
3152
Looking across the bow
of the boat to the wilderness, through which winds the
Milford Track.
3153
On a small island in
Lake Te Anau stands a cross and memorial to Quintin
Mackinnon, who drowned in 1892, four years after discovering
the pass that opened up the Milford Track.
3155
View by the
water’s edge on the short section of the Milford Track walk to Glade
House.
3157
An Easter orchid
growing on the side of a tree is one of the highlights of
the nature walk with our guide Hisa.
3158
All in a row, the
boots that would take us 58km (36 miles) through the World
Heritage listed south-west wilderness.
3161
The writer emerges
from the forest into a clearing by the side of the Clinton River,
where the water sparkles in the morning sunshine.
3162
The New Zealand bush
robin is a friendly bird that will come right up to your
boot to see if you’ve kicked up anything for lunch.
3163
A side-track led to
the independent walkers’ Clinton Hut so we took the
opportunity to check that out.
3166
On the Prairie near
the 10 mile marker post we saw something that reminded us
that it wasn’t easy –a worn-out old boot that simply didn’t
make the distance.
3167
It was time to rescue
our friend’s walking stick from the inquisitive and
sometimes mischievous kea, New Zealand’s native
parrot.
3168
Where all the world
seemed green. Lake
Mintaro was a
short detour from the main track before we began the ascent
of Mackinnon Pass.
3169
“Is that really Lake Mintaro?”
Jeff asked, looking down in disbelief that we could have
made it to this elevation already.
3172
Mountain view near the
top of the climb up
Mackinnon
Pass.
3173
Alpine vegetation by
the side of the path as we approach the top of Mackinnon Pass.
3174
Almost there. The last
zig zag before reaching the top of Mackinnon Pass.
3175
Alpine vegetation by
the side of the path as we approach the top of Mackinnon Pass.
3176
The mountains of the
South West Wilderness. A view from Mackinnon Pass.
3177
Quite a crowd. The
Milford Track walkers take a breather and admire the views,
at the top of Mackinnon Pass. Mount Balloon
towers above us, top right.
3181
The inscription on the
memorial cairn, built to honor Quintin Mackinnon, the
explorer who discovered the pass in 1888.
3182
And then there were
none. Looking back at the now deserted area of Mackinnon Pass
with Lake Ella
and the memorial cairn.
3183
And then there were
none. Looking back at the now deserted area of Mackinnon Pass
with Lake Ella
and the memorial cairn on the right, and the almost obscured
Elizabeth Glacier top left.
3185
The view back along
the Clinton Valley
toward Pompolona Lodge. It was hard to believe we had hiked
all that way during the morning.
3186
Yours truly, the
somewhat weary travel writer, outside Pass Hut with our
red-jacketed guides Angela and Hisa.
3187
One highlight at Pass
Hut was the outside toilet – a room with a view down into
the Clinton Valley.
An appropriate place for reflection, having come all that
way!
3188
Not too hard at first,
as the trail zig-zagged down the mountainside into Roaring
Burn. Note the marker post which can be critically important
in poor weather.
3189
The Anderson Cascades,
a feature of the scenic part of the walk through Roaring
Burn.
3193
The sounds of gurgling
streams one moment and water churning the next. Lindsay Falls
is another of the picturesque spots on the forest walk
through Roaring Burn.
3194
Boardwalks in some
places made the descent easier as we hiked through Roaring
Burn toward the Arthur River.
3196
Sutherland Falls,
thundering 580m (1904 feet) from the cliff-top onto the
rocks below.
3197
The base of Sutherland
Falls, where the water crashes onto the rocks with a
deafening roar.
3198
Sutherland Falls,
thundering 580m (1904 feet) from the cliff-top onto the
rocks below.
3199
The piano at Quintin
Lodge was brought from Sandfly Point long ago by a team of
men pushing it along rails.
3200
The more distant view
of Sutherland Falls from the main track next morning gave a
better idea of their height. Dropping 580m (1904 feet), it
is the world’s fifth highest waterfall.
3201
The last day’s walking
was the longest section at 21km (13 miles) but thankfully
the going was mostly flat.
3202
The travel writer
walking the mostly flat section through the forest before we
reached the Boatshed.
3203
A view along the
Arthur River
from around the 32½ mile mark.
3205
Jeff stops for a photo
at the 33 mile marker post, the last of the whole
numbers.
3208
There’s even a bright
touristy sign at the 33½ mile (54km) end point where
photographs are obligatory even if you (or in this case the
humble travel writer) look downright worn out.
3210
The brooding
silhouette of Mitre
Peak stands sentinel over the wilderness.
3211
There was no walking
on the last day of our guided adventure. It was all aboard
for the cruise on Milford Sound.
3212
The boat gives
travelers a close-up look at
Stirling Falls,
where a torrent tumbles over the cliff edge and down into
Milford Sound.
3213
The boat gives
travelers a close-up look at
Stirling Falls,
where a torrent tumbles over the cliff edge and down into
Milford Sound.
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