One of the Great Walks of New Zealand, and it was great indeed! I set off with four other backpackers that I met at different points along the West Coast. I was glad for the company because the track looked much harder than the Queen Charlotte. Higher mountains, colder temperatures, and most importantly no water taxis which meant that I had to carry all my supplies on my back. Food planning was a bit more complicated but I managed to keep weight to a minimum. The weather was more cooperative this time around. I got less wet, though the evenings were very cold -- no heaters during the low season!
Staying in huts instead of hostels was a great experience. I got to really "detach" myself from the "civilized" world. No electricity, no hot water, no heating, no running water (so no showers or flushing toilets) but lots of fun! Luckily one of my travel companions had a little camp stove so we kept warm by making lots of tea.
The views this time around were spectacular. The track went up to Harris Saddle. When in the saddle we were surrounded by all sides by the Southern Alps. Living in Vancouver I am no stranger to beautiful mountains, but still these were breath-taking! Part of the track led us into Fjordland, the home of the thousands of waterfalls that makes Milford Sound famous. The rain that fell on Day 2 was a blessing in disguise: we got wet, but the waterfalls were full and plentiful.
After the trek, we spent the night at Milford Sound. We awoke to a snowy day... I was so happy that I didn't have to finish the trek in the snow! This is a video I took on the bus on the way back to Queenstown.
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