Time to move on
again, this time to Te Anau, ready for the Milford Track Trek. We had
fabulous views over Lake Wakatipu as we headed south, with puffs of
cloud hanging on the upper slopes of the mountains across the water. At
the southern end of the lake we stopped at the former rail & ferry
terminal - busy in the days before there was any road along the lake
shore. Here a steam train, the Kingston Flyer, pulls tourists along the
first 16km towards Invercargill, and two of the group availed
themselves of this opportunity to escape the coach for 30 minutes!
After that we headed to Te Anau, located on the largest lake in South
Island, for lunch and our new hotel. In the afternoon we had the
(video) briefing about the trek and picked up rucsacs and macs for the
three days. 
The highlight of
the holiday: undertaking a 4-day hike in an area with an average annual
rainfall of 7 metres! This is a trek unlike any others, especially if
you do the 'guided' option, rather than walking it independently. The
guided option means that you stay in comfortable lodges, albeit in bunk
rooms, with all food provided, along with drying rooms, foot-care
sessions and nature information along the way. 
Day two started at the
relatively late hour of 6.45 when the generator came on - and the
daily pattern of getting up, making sandwiches, consuming porridge
followed by cooked breakfast, followed by departure between set times
began. Day two was fine, and day two was easy as well - very
little ascent as we walked up the Clinton Valley, hemmed in by high
rock walls. Tea and soup we provided at the lunch stop and we were
entertained by a patrolling Weka - a bird that looks like a cross
between a Kiwi and a chicken. Later on the walk a number of us swam in
Prairie Lake - a lake formed by the explosive effects of avalanches in
winter. The water was cold, but close to the rocks the surface water
was warmer, and almost bearable. There were numerous bird-calls, and
the inquisitive New Zealand Bush Robin and the Tom-tit made star
appearances on the path at times.
Day three, and
the forecast was not good. The rain held off as we continued up the
Clinton Valley and approached the zig-zags up to the Mackinnon Pass,
but began to fall gently as we climbed up through the forest and up to
the open upper slopes. From the top of the pass at over 1100m we should
have been able to see down both sides of the divide, and up to the
surrounding peaks and glaciers. Unfortunately the low cloud put paid to
that, although we had brief glimpses of the Nicholas Cirque we had
climbed beside, and down to our next lodge, Quinton House. The lack of
good views did mean that we paid more attention to the immediate
vicinity - the alpine flowers and the avalanche zones we had to cross..
Having reached Quinton
House in good time most of the group headed for the Sutherland Falls -
a 540m long ribbon of cascading water. Despite the low cloud we could
see the top of the falls, and then it was time to investigate the
bottom of the falls by walking over the slippery rocks behind the
falls. Er, it was wet, and despite not being near the main fall of
water the power of this peripheral spray was impressive. Just as well
each lodge had effective drying rooms!
Day Four started
with the rain dripping off the veranda roofs and water filling the
ditches beside the path. It didn't let up until the evening and we were
settled in the lounge of Mitre Peak Lodge and collecting our
certificates for successfully completing the 33.5 mile walk. Between
breakfast and supper most of the time was spend with hood (or
brolly in my case) up and head down and plodding down the remaining
200m descent over 13.5 miles to Sandfly Point. 
It was largely ferns all
the way - Prince of Wales ferns to start with, then a dash of hen and
chicken ferns, followed by tree ferns of every dimension . The rain
gave us one bonus - there were lots of waterfalls dribbling down the
valley sides. En route there was a brief break at the boat shed for hot
drinks, then a cool damp lunch at the shelter by Giant's Gate Falls.
Sandfly point was well named, but luckily we didn't spend long there,
but headed across to Milford Harbour by small boat. 
I would have
included a clear picture of this here, but my camera had misted up by
this time, so I include a steamed up photo instead!
Morning view from
Mitre Peak Lodge towards Milford Sound