It was another start at the crack of sparrow-fart, with the generator kicking in and turning our lights on at 6ish. This was the last day of walking, which was a good thing as our joints & muscles were making it plain that they thought yesterday's walk was quite sufficient.

It was the usual routine of making sarnies and throwing other lunch snacks in our brown bags before breakfast. There was a feeling in the air that everyone was eager to finish today - an easier walk than yesterday (less incline/decline) but the longest at 13 miles.

It had rained in the evening. There was a mist hanging around this morning so we set off with gaiters and raincoats on. Group 24 luck continued however, with no rain to dampen our spirits. We walked with Rex & Emily (a lovely couple who live near Wellington) for the most part which made for good conversation to help distract us from the pain!

We walked past a magnificent waterfall near Bell Rock - hollowed out; where Stef & I stood inside and had a great photo taken of our legs! We also walked past a huge rock that had been blasted away to create the path. The original creators had carved their names in the rock from about 1890.

The mile before the lunch stop seemed to be the longest EVER. Mile 30 couldn't come soon enough. Cerys had a bit of a strop at the toilet stop slightly before the lunch site (beside another magnificent waterfall) - a tired and hungry Cerys is a formidable combination! The lunch stop was much needed though, not just to refuel but also to take the rucksacks off for a while.

Time was against us though as the guides had told us that we would need to leave the lunch spot by 1:30pm in order to make the 3pm boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound. There was also a 4pm boat but the lure of a glass of wine in a hot bath was a key motivational factor in getting the earlier boat!

The final 3 miles began slightly treacherously with lots of rocks to contend with (that were easily tripped over with such tired muscles), but the last mile was wider and flatter - the work of some convicts in the early 1920s - which made it easier to walk.

The last mile was pretty agonising though, and the sight of the shelter at Sandfly Point was really welcome when it finally came. Thankfully we only had about 20 minutes to wait (just enough time for a cup of tea) as the place definitely lived up to its name, and we had quite a few new bites by the time we got on the boat.

The ride back was beautiful, giving great views of the Sound, although we were sat right at the front, getting quite a bit of spray over us.

On arrival at Mitre Lodge, we were given our room key - thankfully on the ground floor so we didn't have to climb any stairs, and our prayers were answered with the sight of a bath! Stef filled it while Cerys went to the bar for a couple of glasses of wine, and the next half hour was filled with one of the most welcome baths ever. This was followed by a little doze for Cerys and a catch up with the other hikers in the bar for Stef, before the final dinner and presentation of certificates and final bits of admin, such as filling in comment forms and signing the group photos for the guides.

Despite the fact that there was no walking to do the next day, we still had an early start for a boat cruise around the fiord, with knocks on the door at 7:00, so we didn't stay up too late, despite the temptation of a log fire and a bar that promised to stay open as long as we wanted it to.