So I had planned on leaving New Zealand in November after the world cup ended but then decided I would stay on until Jan. When I was looking at leaving I booked myself onto the Milford track, One of New Zealand's great walks (there are 9, it is in fact the most popular) it is a 4 day/3 night hike From Te Anau to Milford Sound through some spectacular Mountain scenery. When I decided to stay I tried to change my booking - but apparently they aren't lying when they say it is the most popular and there were no dates available until into Feb - so nothing for it really I had to have myself a little holiday!!

I flew from Auckland to Queenstown on Sunday 13th Nov. It was a Beautiful day, and I got to Queenstown mid-afternoon - enough time to grab a Furgburger for lunch and have a stroll around the lake! So for anyone who's been to Queenstown I'm sure you're acquainted with Furgburger - anyone who hasn't it is simply the best burger place in the world! It may sound like too much build up (and I myself was worried I'd be let down) but it's not!! It's awesome! The walk around the lake wasn't too shabby either! It was a beautiful day but the fantastic mountains (The Remarkables) which provide the backdrop still had some snow on them so it was very picturesque! I really had a very pleasant afternoon! My evening was spent chilling in the hostel apart from when I briefly popped out and got myself a furgburger for dinner - I know, fat b4$t4rd but it really is that good!

The following day was an early start for me, I had to get up and catch the bus to Te Anau, another lakeside town, again surrounded by fantastic scenery. Te Anau is a bit of a trekking mecca (or tramping as they like to call it in NZ), it is the starting point for 3 of the great walks. So I arrived, got myself settles, picked up my tickets for the Milford track and then decided I should warm up a bit by going for a short walk. Again the weather was glorious, so off I went around lake Te Anau to the start of the Keppler track. I found a nice little beach where I stopped and had lunch - unfortunately I had forgotten my bug spray and was swamped by little mosquito like things - the dreaded sandfly! Maori legend tells it that these were sent from hell by some evil witch or something to keep people on the move. And whether they came from hell I don't know (but I believe it) they certainly keep you on the move. So my chance to relax on an idyllic little lakeside beach was scuppered so I just headed back to the town to chill out before my adventure the next day. I did get to have a bbq in the evening which was pretty awesome - added to the whole holiday feel of my trip!

The next day was my dive trip! It was awesome! When I was looking at things to do around queenstown I happened upon asome info that it was possible to dive in Milford sound!! How amazing does that sound?! So I decided - it's out of my budget, it's going to be freezing but I'm gonna do that! What an awesome experience it was. We got picked up at very early o'clock in Te Anau (I didn't get a single lie in on my whole holiday - in fact most mornings I was up well before my normal get up time) and were taken to Milford sound. The journey there provided some pretty nice scenery. Unfortunately unlike the previous day the weather was not so awesome - it was pretty cold, just behind us when we were getting into the boat the mountains were covered in snow. All my previous diving experiences were in pretty tropical conditions - this was certainly a new experience! This weather did nothing to prevent the sandflies appearing, they really are annoying little buggars!

Anyway we headed out on the boat to our first dive site - penguin cove - unfortunately we didn't see any penguins but it was an awesome dive. Milford Sound provides a unique divine experience because the large volume of freshwater flowing from all the waterfalls lies on top of the salt water below! This dirty fresh water filters out light a lot more efficiently than normal saltwater causing marine life to grow at much much shallower depths than normal. One of the biggest draws is the black coral (which is in fact white) which normally grows at depths that a recreational diver will never reach! Between my 2 dives I also saw lots of cool anemone, star fish and so many cool lobsters, they were massive and there were so many of them - I counted 12 on 1 rock! The water was so so cold though, with surface temps around 6-8°C. The dives were also pretty short, because we had to ascend over 1000M on the journey back to Milford sound! But it really was a truly unique experience! It also included a trip out to the end of Milford sound as far as the sea! We also got to go ashore on a tiny island and stand under the waterfall which flows from mitre peak (the highest peak in Milford sound). I absolutely loved my dive trip in Milford Sound. I was dropped back to Te Anau Downs where the Milford track would be starting the following day and I spent the evening chilling and warming up!!

The following day I headed down to the pier at Te Anau downs to board the boat to Glade Wharf. It was a really nice trip up the lake. The scenery was stunning and I met some nice people who were also doing the walk so I wasn't going to be all alone for the trek! The first day of the walk is very short with only an hour or so to walk. The scenery was pretty nice and the weather was glorious so when we arrived at the huts (which are fantastic) I decided to go for a swim in the very cold glacial melt water - it was certainly refreshing! That afternoon we went on a nature walk with the hut Ranger Peter - or Pedro as he was affectionately known by the gang!! What a legend!

The next day was a bit of a longer hike and unfortunately the weather was not so much on our side! It rained a fair bit - but we were lucky enough, just as we were walking through a fantastic plain surrounded by stunning high glacier covered mountains with waterfalls flowing down the sides the day cleared up and the blue skies appeared offering us some pretty splendid views. We arrived at the hut in time to grab a decent bunk and a spot by the fire -and whiled away the afternoon playing cards with some of the people in the hut!

A little side note about avalanches - there is significant risk of avalanches in Milford Sound especially during the shoulder season - like say for example November! Fortunately the track was open and we didn't have to get a helicopter over any of it (that's probably more unfortunately than fortunately). There are however signs along the way telling you that you are entering an avalanche risk area and to keep moving, this usually occurs as you enter a wide open space surrounded by high, steep, snow covered mountains, usually with a few waterfalls thrown in for good measure. These signs are therefore synonymous with "Stop, get your camera, you'll want to take your time here to get some great pics". We did witness one small avalanche (just as we were debating getting closer to a waterfall for a pic) which is a reminder to keep moving when they tell you to!

The following day was the long day with about 700M ascent and 900M descent! It was also the day which provided the most stunning scenery. We hiked up to the highest point of the trek, Mackinnon pass . Along the way we were treated to stunning scenery made all the more stunning by the deep fresh snow which had been dropped the day before! It also made the hike even more interesting, providing an even greater sense of achievement when we reached the top. The views from atop the Mckinnon pass really were stunning!!

We then had to descend the mountain again, due to avalanche risk we were using the "emergency track" which basically means it's not so well maintained and not so easy - there are a lot of very big steps to take. We made it to the bottom where there is an optional side trip to Sutherland falls. The hut rangers had recommended we take the trip but I was completely overwhelmed by how awesome and under hyped the waterfall is! It's New Zealand's highest (apparently there is some debate over this) at 560M and it is truly awe inspiring to stand below looking up at the water falling over half a Km! This was certainly one of the highlights of the walk!!

We made it to the hut and I went for another swim in freezing cold waters (as close as I came to a shower in the 4 days). Again it was …….. refreshing! It was another relaxed evening in the hut! On the final day we had to be up and out early to get the 2pm ferry to meet the bus going back to Queenstown (but not too early as the boat departs from sandfly point - certainly a place you don't want to hang around too long). A little note about the sandflies - there are relentless, horrible little bitey creatures - but only when you're still - when you are on the move they do tend to leave you alone. The final day provided some more nice scenery, plenty of nice waterfalls and a few nice lakes. I made it to the end of the Milford Track in one piece and not too tired. It really was a stunning hike, a very enjoyable few days!!

An interesting note about the Milford Track - you might notice that the end point is measured in miles, as are all the distance markers along the trail; that is because the Milford track has been in operation as a tourist destination since the 1800s. I really liked that fact, sometimes we think that travel is a modern invention but it's not it is in fact, I guess part of human nature - the desire to explore, the appreciation of natural beauty.

We then crossed Milford sound in a boat where the trip ended and I boarded a bus back to Queenstown. Milford sound is very picturesque but unfortunately for me a bit of a disappointment! I visited Milford sound on my first trip to NZ and was a bit underwhelmed given how it had been described as the 8th wonder of the world (and it still hasn't made it into the new 7 wonders of the natural world - I don't even think it was in the running). Again on this trip I found myself a tad underwhelmed - I do think if I visited on a sunny calm day after there had been some very heavy rain (so there were lots of waterfalls) the combined effect would add to the fantastic scenery to perhaps produce the spectacular vista that it has the reputation of providing. Nonetheless it is very beautiful, the diving was very cool and left me feeling like I'd had a real unique experience and the Milford track is without doubt a fantastic hike.

I made back to Queenstown and headed back to Auckland (after a little issue with a lost wallet and being rescued by the fantastic Ciara who I'd met on the walk) after one final Furgburger of course. One would imagine that post-holiday blues might have set in - but there was no time as my time in NZ is coming to a close and I have a lot of things to fit in before I leave!!!