Milford Track-severe weather for Freedom Walkers

  Christchurch, New Zealand
Tuesday, March 4, 2008

  Wednesday 27 February   Pukerau (near Gore) - Te Anau
   Early start to keep profile down in town, although we seem to be perfectly legal. DP starts looking for the address of our next Internet contact, which we think is about 15 kms away.  Notice the town we are in is the one in question, and the road we started on was the right road, and the wool and dag buyer on the corner was the right one. Decide to head on out and just arrive at 9.30 am to say hello on our way through. Find the mailbox and number as advised, drive up the long drive, and into the gravelled yard. The garage is empty, and the house looks empty, but we turn around and stop, to at least knock on the door. Notice there is a man sitting at the window, so get out to meet him. It is obvious that he isn't the internetter, but invites us in for a yarn and a cup of coffee. The house is a pleasant, low level cottage, with good views all around over the hills.
   He is from a farming family, a long term resident, and seems to be content with his lot as a farmer, accepting the vagaries of weather, the financial imperatives of modern farming, and incursions of dairy farming into sheep country as a part of life. He basically runs the property, with 4000 sheep, himself, is reluctant to put himself in a position where he has to hire workers. The sheep are for wool and meat, and in the right season he can get away for short periods.
   He has travelled, particularly in the USA, has a big, articulated trailer in the yard, but doesn't get to use it much.
   We push on to Gore, look up and down the main street, which shows a lot of civic pride, with old buildings preserved, flower baskets on the awning posts, signs of vitality. Buy pies and a sausage roll, plus a chemical tropic fruit drink for a healthy breakfast, and head for Te Anau through farming country, with higher mountains hiding below low cloud.
   Get to Te Anau about lunch time, check out the two motor camps, choose Great Lakes, not on the lake, but handy to town, then down to the DOC (Department of Conservation) Office to make sure they have our booking (which was made in October 2007) for the Milford track walk. Can't pick up our tickets till tomorrow, in case there is a weather problem, but are able to book our transport. Unfortunately, all that is left is the early departure at both ends, so we have to get up early on the Friday to get the 9.45am bus, and have to do the last 18 km of the walk before 2 pm.  The transport bill for two comes to $298, made up of 9.45am Bus to Te Anau Downs, 10.30am boat to Glade Wharf, 2pm Boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound, and 2.30pm bus from Milford Sound to Te Anau.  Glad we are taking the low-cost Freedom-Walker option. With transport, hut costs (NZ$240 for two for the three nights) and equipment hire ($111 for two), plus food, we've spent about NZ$370 each, versus about NZ$1750 each for a guided walk.  They however get five nights accommodation, hot showers, drying rooms, cooked meals, and don't have the added weight of food, sleeping bags etc.
   The weather report is not good (in fact it's for a "severe weather warning") with heavy rain on the way, hopefully tomorrow, but clearing for most of our walk. Not great, but not unexpected. DP does a big wash, gets most of it dry in the sun and low humidity.
   Walk the town looking for suitable rain gear and pack food. At Outside Sport, get a supply of freeze-dried evening meals plus freeze-dried muesli and yoghurt - interesting...
   Their clothing is either too expensive, or suspect in terms of being rainproof, yet breathable, so decide to go with DP's new coat, plus hire of coat for MP, overpants for both. Get a list of hire prices, but will probably get ours from the recommended Bev' Place tomorrow.
   Swap our parking bay for one in the shade, veg for the afternoon, have drink with our next door neighbours from Georges Hall. He is a valuer, she a Noni B manager, only have 2 weeks holiday.
    DP to internet, MP to ride shotgun on the various electronic devices charging in the camp kitchen, do diary, and read his monster James Michener book. DP goes to get a late Chinese takeaway, very 1960's, but plenty of it, diary and homework till late. It is a fairly cold night, so crack out one of the warm sleeping bags. Some rain during the night. Midnight itches seem to be more-or-less under control. At the DOC they were selling an electronic de-itcher, but we couldn't produce a sample itch to test-drive it, which is something of a record.
      Thursday 28 February  Te Anau
   First stop is Bev's Place, where we are fitted up for packs, a large coat for MP, a hat, overpants for both, plus a Square Meal muesli bar pack, and some itch control ointment. $111 plus an unlimited visa deposit adds to our budget walk costs. The gear is not new, but the brands are good. The real meaning of breathability is very moot. Are told that Goretex cannot handle washing, which they need to do after each hire, so clothes are not Goretex, Each pack has a monster, thick plastic liner bag. Are told to put stuff inside in additional plastic bags. Hopefully, with a pack cover, and poncho over the lot, should be able to handle the weather.
    Check out the weather at DOC, but too early for tomorrow's forecast.  Pick up our transport and hut tickets, drive around the lake to kill some time and get photos, but it isn't all that photogenic. Back at DOC, find the bad weather will arrive later than originally forecast, and be worse - 150 to 200 mm of rain on Friday, clearing Saturday and Sunday, and rain up to 25 mm per hour. This will be coming in from the north, so, hopefully the worst of it will be coming in on the Milford side on Friday, and we only have 11/2 hours walk to the first hut.
   Go to the Super Saver Supermarket for the balance of our food, taking emergencies into account, heavy on munchies, plus muesli and powdered milk, so we won't starve.
   Spend the afternoon setting up our gear, sorting it into logical group and double bagging it in kitchen tidy bags before fitting it into the big yellow liner bags. Our pack covers, which have seen almost no action overseas, fit pretty well. MP is starting off with a fair bit of weight, but we will reassign loads if it is too much.
   Spend rest of afternoon on a long lunch, battery charging, internet and diary. Quite heavy rain during the night, and not a lot of sleep. Awake from 4am.
Friday 29th February Te Anau - Clinton Hut (Milford Track)
             Up about 6am while still dark, in the rain. Do final pack of gear in the car, in the rain, which is not easy, as it is always a bit of a squash in the car with our bedding, bags, food etc, and we can't isolate the gear to go from our everyday gear. Made worse by the fact that it is raining. Finally fit everything in, and down to DOC to drop Dianne and packs, and Murray back to camping area to park van (they're minding it for three days, for $5 per day). Surrender keys and walks 1km in light rain back to D.O.C. office. Reasonably pleased with hired gear until he takes off top to find it has leaked around the hood, and pretty wet under it. Bugger! Only about a dozen people on the bus to Te Anau Downs in mid to heavy rain. Straight out of bus and onto catamaran,

01. View from boat as we set out

probably houses 100 people, new and quite flash. Get seats in front of cabin, but spend most of the trip on open aft deck which is reasonably dry. Leave a big wake at approx 20 knots. Photos down lake, and of mountains and islands as they loom out of the mist. What we can see through the rain and mist looks spectacular, densely vegetated steep mountains, big spreading trees.

02. View from boat improves for a while

Straight off the boat

03. We leave boat to start the walk

and into the walk in medium to heavy rain.

04. Official start of Milford Track

  About 1km in we pass Glade House, the first night stop for the Guided Walkers. Manage to keep out of deep water, but both soaked by the time we walk the 5 kms to Clinton Hut.
 On the way pass through beech forest, and see waterfalls, dense vegetation, and trees festooned in epiphytes. Take a side trip to a wetland, with interesting multi-coloured lichens,

05. Multi-coloured lichens

good open views of the valley.  The river beside the track is running pretty full.
When we get to Clinton Hut,

08. Clinton Hut 7.30pm- rain stops for while

07. Mosses near Clinton Hut

06. Waterfall behind Clinton Hut

the early arrivals have the fire going. We have no trouble getting a 2-bunk stack in one of the 20-bed dorms, which is not as bad as it sounds, as there are a number of partitions in the room. 
The kitchen/common room has a common deck with the two bunkrooms, but no covered walkways, plus the loos are 50 metres away down steps and along a gravel path, which means we have to keep raincoats available just to get across to the kitchen, or toilet, and for excursions to bed after the kitchen solar lights go off at 10pm. These are the only lights -there are none in the bedrooms.
 Spread our gear far and wide, hanging up our wet stuff in different places, as most of the good hooks and pegs are taken.  As the night progresses, move most of our stuff in to hanging racks over the fire. Nearly everyone is eating a Backcountry dehydrated meal, which only need a cup of water to be added to the packet, and left to stand for 10 minutes. Lots of checking out what everyone has - we have sweet and sour lamb for the first night, roast lamb dinner for the second and honey soy chicken for the third night. One "gourmet cook" advises they are better if left to rehydrate for more than 10 minutes, then cooked longer on the stove.  He also adds extra peas and corn, and mashed potatoes as well.  Overall the meals are surprisingly good for about NZ$11 for a small double serving.  Fill up after on muesli.
Dianne and Sandra, a German girl travelling with her brother, make a major assault on a 500-piece jigsaw, with at least 29 pieces missing, and the picture fading, and coming off lots of other pieces, just to make it harder.

09. Novel use for unused jigsaw pieces

Murray reads "Caribbean" by James Michener, a late addition to the packs, which must weigh at least half a kilo! Other amused themselves by playing some weird new variations on old card games, and completely new card and board games.
Quite a few Australians, and Americans, Kiwis, Israelis, Indians via Kenya, England and Canada, Germans, Belgians, Scottish, Canadian and South African. 
 Too warm in the thick sleeping bags at first, but OK as the night progresses.  Late night loo visits made interesting by the continuous rain.  Snoring not too bad.  Have a surprising good night's sleep, probably helped by the fact we were awake from about 4am this morning
Saturday 1st March Clinton Hut-Mintaro Hut
             Advised not to get out of bed too early as the river is up, and the track cut in a few places.

11. Don't leave the hut!

10. Clinton Hut waterfall at 8am

Ranger will call a meeting at 8am.  Meanwhile a "do not leave hut" sign was posted on the kitchen door. Re-sort our gear, giving more  weight to Murray as Dianne's back is suspect.  Breakfast on muesli, as we have a lot, and it is heavy. Also get into the scroggin, for same reason. At 8am, advised to wait till 9am, and 9am advised to wait till 10am, when we're all finally given permission to set off, in the rain. Find out later that the guided walkers who spent their first night at Glade House had to turn back this morning before reaching our hut, as the water (where we walked yesterday) was now at chest height.  They had to wait about 4 hours for a helicopter to arrive and ferry them over the flooded section.
             When we set off it was raining quite heavily, and we were told we would have to wade about the 7-mile mark. The river is raging, and have lots of good photo opportunities,

12. Water level in river is high, and fast moving

13. Another view of river

but the camera gets pretty wet, and some of the shots will be fuzzy.  Gutters along the track are running full with clear water, and side streams are bubbling as they drop in.  The track is good gravel, wide enough for two people.  Unfortunately the middle of the path has the deepest water, so have to walk on the edges, and sometimes on the moss and plants.  Excellent greenery all the way along - ferns, moss, maiden hair, Spanish moss in the trees. Get glimpses of the top of the mountains, see dozens of waterfalls,

14. Waterfalls everywhere!

15. More watefalls

and photograph a fair few. We are walking on our own, and are a bit stunned by the depth of the first water crossing.

16. This is the path!

The main river has risen over its banks, and flooded the path with mid-thigh deep water.  Fortunately the water was clear,  and could see the path and deep water to either side.  The water temperature was bitter, but not much hope of staying dry, so waded in, keeping the packs and camera high.

17. We get a little wet!

The second crossing was bum-deep, a bit of a worry, but  everyone else must have crossed it, as they hadn't returned, so we waded in.  After about seven such crossings, we stopped counting.

18....and even wetter!

One of the later ones was in a backwater of the main river, with a strong upstream current. Arrive one of the last at the Hirere Falls shelter shed.  Told that there is more to come, so don't bother to change into dry socks. Everything we have on is soaking, including our shoes and socks, but we had enough layers on to be warm while we were walking, but we quickly got cold when we stopped, so pushed on, although we had been looking forward to a rest.

19....and see more waterfalls

20. 2.45pm -still waterfalls everywhere

              Miss Hidden Lake because it is a side trip, and no distance is given. The main track is the one less travelled, and very soggy. Track crosses a couple of large streams at 10-mile mark, where we were expecting more wading, but the water has gone down during the day. Track re-enters bush and begins a rocky climb along valley wall to Bus Stop shelter, where we again meet a couple our age who are also taking it slowly.  Once again only have a short stop as it is cold, and pretty muddy, and toilet is a long way away. Several strong side streams here, the first without a bridge. Climb to the hut starts here - fairly rough rock steps on a lot of it. By this stage we're really tired, and we slowed down to short bursts with rests between, and very glad to eventually find the hut, at 500 metres altitude, and 16.5kms of walking, just after 4pm.

21. We make it to Mintaro Hut - 4.15pm

Most of the good bunks and drying pegs are gone again, but find a 2-stack bunk upstairs.  Into sleeping bags to warm up, then Dianne cooks Back Country Roast lamb dinner, which is pretty good. Hard to find enough dry, warm clothing. Murray reduced to wearing his spare thermals plus his nightie!
             About 7pm, about three hours after the last stragglers arrived, the Indian couple arrived, just as we were thinking of sending out a search party.  This was her first pack walk, and she was finding it pretty tough going.
Just on sunset it stopped raining for a while, the cloud lifted from a lot of the mountains, and we could see the mountains surrounding us, including where we going the next day.

23. Mintaro Hut views when rain stops-8.15pm

24. More Mintaro Hut views - 8.15pm

Was very reminiscent of the cirques in Reunion.
The hut warden gave a short talk, telling us the weather report for tomorrow is not too good, with more rain predicted.  She also told us that 194 mm of rain had fallen at the hut from 8am Friday to 8am Saturday (today), and another 60mm from 8am this morning till 6pm!

22. 194mms rain in 24 hours!

No wonder we're feeling wet! Later find that Dumpling Hut had even more yesterday - 225 mm.  They even had to helicopter their Freedom Walkers over the flooded track this morning!
The hut warden is very sparing with the coal for the fire, with the result that no-ones clothes dry during the night.
After dinner Dianne was too tired to do anything but lie in bed, keeping warm, and letting her aching back, feet etc recover.
Have another good night's sleep.
Sunday 2 March Mintaro Hut - Dumpling Hut
   Another start in the dark, as once again no lights in the bedrooms.

25. Murray in dorm bagging our gear

Have breakfast, and leave it till the last moment to get into our walking gear as it is all wet. Have trouble finding the gear, but get into wet thermals pants, wet trouser tops and overpants, wet thermal top, plus ringing wet waterproof coat for MP, wet trousers and overpants, thermal top, waterproof jacket, and poncho for DP. Both our boots and socks are so wet they can be squeezed out.
   Got away about 9.30, initial cold and wet feeling wore off fairly quickly, as we were straight into climbing. Crossed a substantial stream running down the end of the cirque, probably the top of the Clinton River , then up the north side of the gorge, starting out as a steep gravel path, with boulders to make reasonable-sized steps. Getting good views of the South wall and the end of the cirque through trees festooned with Spanish moss and epiphytes.

26. View on climb to MacKinnon Pass

27. View on climb to MacKinnon Pass

28. View on climb to MacKinnon Pass

As we zig zag higher along a dozen switchbacks, encounter guided tour walkers, and have quite a social morning. A united nation of walkers, all get along pretty well.

29. Can see how far we've climbed

   The east end of the zig zags takes us right under a towering peak, where there are "no stopping" signs, as it is a danger area for rock falls. The west end switchbacks give views up to the end of the valley, where there are scree slopes and permanent snow patches.
   Above the tree line, the path follows natural crevices in the rock, and there are bare patches of sloping rock above and below.

30. At the top of the pass

The wind is picking up, and we are exposed to it, and a lot colder. The cold doesn't encourage rest stops, so we arrive at the memorial cairn, that honours the discovery of the pass by Quintin Mackinnon and Ernest Mitchell in 1888, quicker than we expected, with only a small hump beyond the apparent crest.

33. MacKinnon Memorial & "12 second" drop

   It is blowing strongly, but the light rain we have encountered on the way up has eased. We hide behind  the MacKinnon Monument to get into our warmer gear, including hat and gloves, and still find it pretty chilly, particularly taking photos.
   The Mackinnon Pass is mainly free of cloud, and get photos of both sides, including down into the Milford side, where we can see Quintin Hut, the guided tour flash accommodation, with airport, but can't see all the way to Milford.

31. Can now see where we have to go down to

The track passes several tarns,

32. Tarn at top of MacKinnon Pass

then ascends to the highest point of the walk at 1154 metres (the only way DOWN from the saddle would be the sheer cliff of the "12 second drop"). When we look back, the area around the memorial is once again covered in cloud, so we were lucky that it momentarily lifted.

34. Cloud soon comes back in

 The 489 metre ascent was a lot easier than we were expecting, mainly because it was done while we were fresh, unlike the climb yesterday.
             We now have a 969 metre descent, over 8kms!
   The shelter hut on the top is divided into two sections, one for Freedom Walkers, one for guided. DP has a look in the guided, just to see what they get that we don't (more benches and cupboards, and don't have to make your own coffee) - she gets a cool reception. The three Israelis are doing some serious cooking in our shelter. We decide to push on, as we aren't getting warmer, and have rested.
             The track continues under the Jervious Glacier to the Moraine Creek Bridge. Gets a bit warmer as we get below the skyline, but it is still bitter, and the path is pretty scary, with occasional wind gusts and a big drop off the side.

35. Heading down from MacKinnon Pass

36. Scenery on way down from MacKinnon Pass

   Steady downhill under a massive peak, not as many, or as big, waterfalls. At the Moraine Creek bridge at the top of Roaring Burn, we're exposed to the wind, nearly get blown off. Path down follows a rocky slope until we get into dense low scrub, which gives a break from the wind, and allows MP to take off the gloves so the camera is easier to use.
   Can see a massive waterfall on the west side of the valley, a fair way down. Has to be Sutherland Falls, take a photo, don't have to do the 1/2 hour side trip to see them. Path descends through thick scrub along Roaring Burn

37. Roaring Burn with great waterfalls

38. Roaring Burn with great waterfalls

39. Roaring Burn with more great waterfalls

and its numerous waterfalls, sometimes with steps made with wooden stringers and handrails, pressed steel treads, pretty hard on the knees, but relatively safe.

41. The impressive steps on Roaring Burn

Roaring Burn becomes a very beautiful series of cascades, and waterfalls,

40. Roaring Burn with even more great waterfalls

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with crystal clear water, and strongly grained rocks. The trees become bigger and more heavily encrusted with growths as we get deeper into the valley,

43. Moss grows well around here

and Roaring Burn joins the stream on the valley floor to become a sizeable river, full of rapids.
   The path crosses a large suspension bridge, then continues as a reasonably even sloping path, sometimes zig-zagged, all the way to the Quintin hut complex for the guided tours. Here we share a common hut which has an electric urn and the makings for tea and coffee. Very civilised! We meet our hut ranger, tell him about the Indian couple who might be very slow, and he tells us that you can get a good look at Sutherland Falls from further down the main track.

44. Sutherland Falls

   This proves true a couple of kms further on, where the river has slowed and widened. Get some good photos, and carry on, feeling tired, but still in pretty good shape when we get to the huts. Today was supposed to be the hardest day, but we found it easier than yesterday, partly because the uphill walk was in the morning when we were fresh, rather than the end of the day when we were buggered.
   The group of huts are on a gentle hillside, two bunkrooms on a single deck, with the loo close to the side, and the kitchen 20 metres up the hill. Manage to get a bunk stack in the middle of a row of 3 on either side of the room, and figure we are in good shape. Take care to keep our gear together, hanging it under cover outside the bunkroom.
   MP's thermals are just about dry, so spends the evening in thermals, dry socks and sandals, with a shirt, rather than a nightie over the top to eliminate builder's cleavage.
             We tell the warden to keep an eye out for the Indian couple, and some search procedures are put in place, but they finally turn up, quite happy, about 8pm, just before dark.
  Tonight the gourmet camp cooks are still doing their thing, we settle for freeze dried Honey Soy Chicken. Talk to the Sydney group and the two Belgian girls. One is an Engineer, gives some useful insights into Belgian energy policy, and the conflict between the Franks, who speak Dutch, and the walloons, who speak French. The governing process is just about strangled by provincial elections and pressure groups.
    Weather report for tomorrow is fine weather, our first on the walk. The night looks like being fine too,

45. Our first blue sky - 8.30pm at Dumpling Hut

which is good in one way, but we have no white noise from the rain or waterfalls to deaden the snoring sounds. DP doesn't get to sleep at all, MP does, but is woken by a world champ choking and wheezing snorer. Eventually at about 1am, after 3 hours, it gets too much, and MP and the girl in the next bunk identify the culprit with torches, then MP gets out of bed and grabs him by the foot, suggesting he tries on his side. Either thought MP said OUTside, or has been through this before, because he jumps out of bed, grabs his mattress and disappears out into the cold. Much better without him, but other minor snorers still keep MP awake for a while. Later talk to our roommate from the previous night, and confirm it was the same person who kept him awake the first night.  He also eventually used his torch on him.
Monday 3rd March Dumpling Hut-Sandfly Point- Te Anau
   Out of bed at the crack of dawn for an early start, as we have to walk 18 kms before the 2pm ferry, as unfortunately, the 3.15pm one was fully booked. Dress and pack, without the usual double bagging, as it has been forecast as fine, and looks good. MP puts the waterproof gear in the pack, and walks in thermals and shorts. DP keeps overpants on all day. Not a lot of light for photos at 7.20am when we set out, but gets better.

46. 7.45am - Not a lot of light for photos

All over the South Island, but particularly in the South, there is extreme daylight saving, because there is only one time zone in the whole country.  Mornings are usually dark and overcast, looking like rain, but around 11am it quite often turns into a glorious day (and sometimes it doesn't!).  The evenings stay light and sunny till quite late.
Excellent views of the early sun on the high peaks, and valley walls gradually getting more vegetated as we descend.

47. 8.10am - The sky is blue!

48. Good views of the mountains

   DP had copied down a schedule of distances, times and landmarks provided by the ranger, and we used these to keep up our schedule, not wanting to miss the boat and bus. We were able to keep the walking times pretty well, enabling us to take short rests at the landmarks.

49. Lake (with reflections) near Boatshed shelter

   After crossing a large suspension bridge to the west side, MP hung around taking photos, while DP got well ahead. The track here took an unexpected direction back the way we came, and up a side valley, so MP wasn't sure he hadn't missed a turn. Hurried to catch up, wondering if he was going the wrong way. Bit of a worry, with our tight schedule, but eventually comes on a mile post, then catches DP at the swing bridge over MacKay creek,

50. River near MacKay Falls

51. MacKay Falls

just below MacKay Falls, and Bell Rock. The falls were powerful and impressive, with timber platforms provided for access. Got out the torch and crawled under Bell Rock, an upturned pot-holed rock, with room for a score of people. An hour further on the track crosses two suspension bridges at Poseidon Creek, near the 28-mile marker.
   The river widens out below here to form Lake Ada,

52. Lake Ada

53. Lake Ada surrounded by mountains

with impressive mountains all around. On the west side, the cliffs fall all the way to the water, and there is a stiff climb up a ledge cut into the rock in the 1800's. The track continues at high level along Lake Ada,

54. Views of more mountains

then we drop into dense foliage, losing sight of the lake. We were counting the mileposts carefully, but seemed to be falling behind time here, but arrived early at the lunch stop spot of Giant Gate Falls, near the 30-mile marker. The Giant Gate falls,

55. Giant Gate Falls

 from the swing bridge below them were the most spectacular of the trip, possibly because of the large volume, sudden appearance out of a slot in the rock, and proximity.
We have been passed by a few of our group by now, but there is a big group here as the various schedules come together. DP takes off her boots here to give her feet a break,

56. We deserve a break!

but after lunch, finds them so painful on her ankle that she does the last 3 miles in sandals, over generally good track, with some notable rough patches.
   Just after the lunch stop there is a holdup on the track. A walker in front of us is standing still, looking at something. Turns out to be a chook-sized weka, trying to sun itself on the track,

57. Weka sunbaking

which is one of the few non-shaded areas. Moves off the track for him, then reluctantly lets us pass. Not at all afraid, just a bit annoyed at the interruption to his sunbath.
    The river gets prettier the closer to the end we get.

59. The river is attractive near the end of track

Get our photo taken at a classic photo-op spot, take a photo of the 33 mile post

58. The 33 mile (53.1 km) peg

beside the luxuriously wide and smooth track, surprised we didn't get to the end until 33.5 miles.

60. This really IS the end!

   We were expecting to have to kill time in a hell-hole called Sandfly Point waiting for the boat, but it was a lovely place, with breathtaking views of Milford Sound, made even better by the glorious sunshine.

61. View from Sandfly Point

  It was just a shame that we'd had to hurry so much to make the early boat, rather than enjoy the scenery.
 The boat was already there with the skipper taking names and tickets. While MP went back for photos, DP relaxed on the pier, with a lot of other walkers, filling in a questionnaire and taking it easy. MP surprised to find DP not on the boat, DP surprised to find the boat almost leaving without her, and a lot of other walkers.  We were lazing on the wrong pier!

62. Such a shame we're all on the wrong wharf!

The last 200 metres to the boat as rough as any of the track. Get places on the foredeck for the short trip to the port, take heaps of photos,

63. Leaving Sandfly Point

65. Fantastic scenery of Milford Sound

66. Fantastic scenery of Milford Sound

67. Mitre Peak

68. Milford Sound and wharf

69. Milford Sound and wharf

especially of the spectacular Bowen Falls right near the port of Milford Sound.

64. Bowen Falls, near Milford Sound

    Pretty well straight off the boat and onto the bus. MP has a loo stop in the most luxurious loo he has seen in 4 months, let alone 4 days. DP unable to recognise the fishing port she remembers, all very modern and slick. Big tourist handling operation.
The bus climbs through dense forest, over a substantial river, and up above the tree line, with bare rock walls towering above. Not a lot of views back to the fiord, but good views of towering crags and deep gorges - quite spectacular scenery.

70. Scenery from bus leaving Milford Sound

71. Scenery from bus leaving Milford Sound

The road winds up to the head of the valley, a genuine cirque, almost a bowl, before entering the Homer Tunnel. Our departure must have been timed to get the green light, as proceed uphill at a fair slope in the barely lit tunnel, one lane, with narrow gutters each side, wide enough for a game bike rider or pedestrian.
   On the far side, the road runs downhill through a similar valley, but not as bare, and with snow above, and side valleys. Stop to pick up a couple of Japanese on the road at the end of a valley. Not a lot of spare seats. Stop again at the start of the Routeburn Track, where there is a visitor centre and a large car park.
   Good forest and valley scenery all the way back to Te Anau, see quite a few excellent camping spots beside rivers and in the wood, but still not sure if we will  come back in the car and have a better look. A perfect morning on Milford Sound is hard to top. The weather remains fine all the way. Drop off people at Te Anau Downs, and the drivers from the Australian group a bit further on at a motel. Looks like we will have to go all the way to the DOC office, and MP walk back to get the car, until DP works out the bus driver can drop MP without having to sort luggage, and she will carry on in the bus with both packs.
   MP drives back to get DP at the DOC, where one of our bags almost went back on the bus, and another which was supposed to go to Queenstown was left behind.  Serious showering and washing, then DP to supermarket and internet, while MP returns the gear to Bev's. Bev's offsider is not concerned by the leakage of MP's jacket, maintains "in that sort of rain, any jacket will leak". MP didn't have the energy to ask why DP's didn't leak as much, copped it sweet, but not impressed by the attitude.
   Have a steak dinner with trimmings, cooked at the camp, then early to bed, back in our JUCY van.
             Now that we're back, and survived the rain, realise that it was a great experience to see the Milford Track in the rain, with great waterfalls everywhere. Even a day later, while it was still raining, but not as heavily, they weren't as spectacular.