Now feeling worn out and nursing battered feet from Abel Tasman, we were looking forward to some time in the Northeast wine region, Marlborough. Whilst there we would take the opporutnity to do some wine tasting, after which we would then head south fully recovered to take on The Milford Track! There was one slight flaw in our plan however...We had forgotten there were only 28 days in February; the Milford hike was due to start on the 4th (it was already the 1st), and it was over 500 miles away...Both having the sudden realisation that we had no time left whatsoever, we discarded all our plans and started the mammoth journey south to make it in time for the trek, this time heading dowm the east coast instead of the bleak west. The drive took us 16 or so hours split over two days, passing through many locations we would be hoping to spend more time at on our way back north. The only stops we made were for a $5 pizza for dinner and then at a race course ground which let campers park up cheaply for the night near Dunedin.

We arrived in Te Anau the following morning of the 3rd and spent most of the day shopping around for supplies in the supermarket. These consisted mainly of noodles, tuna, chocolate and crisps. We also hired some equipment; a 'billy' which is a kind of cooking pot, some cutlery and plates, plus a proper waterproof jacket for Trevor as the Milford track is renowned for getting heavy rainfall. In the evening we packed our bags and attempted to make corned beef fritters for dinner which went slightly wrong, resulting in us both eating a rather runny mess (though Trevor seemed to enjoy them)!

Up fairly early the next morning we slung all our packs into Barry and headed for the Te Anau Downs, where we were picking up the ferry across the Sound. This would then take us onto the start of the track. We left Barry in a small parking area just away from the dock and hoped he would still be there when we got back. The ferry arrived at about 10:30am to pick everyone up, and the trip across the Sound was nothing short of spectacular. We sailed out of the bay and were surrounded by large fjords that were still partly covered by a thin band of mist, reflected in the clear blue waters around us. The first days' walk was only about 1 and a half hours to 'Clinton' hut where we would spend our first night. This journey took us along winding moss covered forests meandering alongside the Clinton River and then through wetlands and bog before we reached the hut. Unlike the Abel Tasman trek, no camping is allowed along the route meaning all trekkers have to stay in pre-designated huts each night. This was in fact a treat for us as we had become used to sleeping in the back of Barry or in tents. Each hut had dorm style rooms, gas hob fitted kitchens and toilets, so we were quite content with the facilities. For the next hour or so we were the only people at the hut apart from a very rude and odd fellow from the Czech Republic. We played cards outside for a while until the Sandflies drove us indoors, just as about 25 people turned up who were members of a rotary group.

That evening we 'enjoyed' a meal of noodles while the rotary club feasted on fresh salad, ham and rice. Luckily for us they seemed like a good bunch and even offered us some of their leftovers,which neither of us turned down! We also got chatting to a couple of the group over dinner; Russel from Rotorua and a lady called Bess who was a dairy farmer near Christchurch. After a brief visit from the local ranger on the conditions for the next days' trek and some information about the local wildlife we got ourselves ready for bed. Before hitting the sack we walked to a nearby rock face, home to quite a large number of glow worms; the first time either of us had seem them. They are actually more like a maggot than a worm and use their bioluminescence to attract insects to a small fishing line like web they hang from their nest. Once entangled they the reel them up and feast on their catch. Pretty nasty for such a pretty looking thing! Our first night in the dorms did not provide us with the sleep we were hoping it would. There were at least 3 heavy snorers in the group, taking turns throughout the night to keep most people awake. Sometimes they even seemed to combine together to create some grand orchestral like symphony, much to our despair!

The next morning we awoke to witness the almost army like organisation of the rotary club, who were all up early for the first days proper hike. By this time we had realised that we could both set quite a fast pace on hikes, so let them head off about half an hour before us. This meant we had a little longer to sleep in and then an empty kitchen for breakfast. The first day of real hiking took us around 5 hours, following the Clinton River and ascending several hundred metres. We exited the densely covered woodland of the lower slopes, which then opened up into prairie grasslands, surrounded by steep mountain slopes. We had lunch on a side track by a small lake that had formed near the base of a waterfall, before continuing and catching up with the first of the rotary club members at at rocky river passing. The crossing over large rocky boulders caused by a landslide took about 30 minutes, with some sections designated 'no stopping areas' due to the risk of falling rocks. The last part of the trek slowly climbed into a valley, revealing our first view of the MacKinnon pass looming overhead. We arrived shortly after at 'Mintaro' hut which would be our lodging for the night and had a brief break as our hiking for the day wasn't quite over...

On the advice of the hut ranger from the previous night, as the weather was clear we decided we would take the rare opportunity to hike the 800m or so up to the Mackinnon Pass to get a clear view as chances are it would be raining the next day. The hike took us just over an hour along a path which seemed to zigzag forever, but the views at the top were pretty spectacular. A 360 degree panoramic included views down into the forest covered valley below, ice fields covering a jagged mountain peak and numerous waterfalls cascading down off hill and mountain sides. After about 20 minutes on the pass we took a lightning quick hike back down to the hut,following Paul a superfit member of the rotary group.

Finally we kicked our boots off for the day 30 minutes later, glad we had hiked up the to the pass, but but not looking forward to doing it again in the morning with a full pack! Sweaty and dirty from the day of hiking and minus showers in the hut we decided to give the glacial river a try... We have gotten used to washing in lakes and rivers since our travels began, but in this instance we lasted all but 10 seconds in the bitterly cold freezing water! We came out feeling very refreshed if not actually that clean! That evening we once again feasted on our very meagre noodle rations, while the rotary club enjoyed no less than 3 separate carbs on their plates. The hut was also visited by a Kea, which is a very destructive and inquisitive parrot like bird that lives in the mountains. They have absolutely no fear of humans and have a habit of destroying hiking boots and any personal effects left outside. So that evening we all brought any personal effects inside the hut, leaving the Kea with only the hut itself to vandalise with its large beak. After playing cards with an Aussie couple we headed to our bunks. Everyone had to be up early tomorrow and the brief from the ranger (called Trevor) forecast bad weather. Therefore we decided it would be safer to all hike the pass together in the morning. We did get a better sleep the 2nd night, though more from tiredness than the lack of snoring, and the introduction of earplugs was also a great help!

The next morning we were awake by 6:30am to the sound of thunder and rain, ate a quick breakfast of fruit bread and donned our waterproofs. We left at 8am, by this time around just over half the rotary club had left, a spritely 84 year old lady named Rita being the first to leave in the morning with her son in tow to support her (yes 84 that's no mistake)! Hiking the same route to the pass but with fully loaded backpacks in the rain meant that at least it didn't feel we were repeating the same walk as we had the previous and more sunny evening! Also due to the heavy rainfall, torrents of water were coming off the mountains, forming huge waterfalls 100's of metres high. The view or lack of from the top of the pass couldn't have provided a greater contrast from the previous evening. We walked for another 30 minutes or so across the windswept and cloud covered pass, actually feeling a chill for the first time, even with all our layers and waterproofs on. Reaching the pass hut we huddled for warmth with the rotary group enjoying some snacks and tea, the steam visibility evaporating off us all. A small group of us were discussing the weather conditions and what the safely record for the trek must be like. Not more than 5 minutes later we would all get some news that would change everything and effect the morale of the group for the remainder of the trek...

As we were thinking about heading out to continue, a panicked hiker entered the hut passing on sketchy details about a member of the rotary group who had slipped and fallen down a bank while approaching the summit of the pass. Immediately the two team leaders in the hut started to ask the panicked lady questions and began to unpack first aid provisions. From what we could ascertain, a 69 year old named Clyde had suddenly and without warning lost his balance on the route up to the pass, slipping down beyond view. His wife who was in front simply noticed he had vanished and raised the alarm. Two young men who were on the track and Paul, the superfit member of the group, were on the scene either with him or trying to locate him. All the facts were hazy so no-one really knew what the current situation was. Both of the trek leaders headed back to help leaving everyone else with no option but to continue down the other side of the pass.

For the next hour or so we descended 600m into a valley with the weather slowly clearing. We reached an impressive forest which grew along the large turbulent 'Arthur' River, still swollen from the mornings' rain. Eventually reaching the 'Quinton' public shelter we enjoyed a meal of cold baked beans and sliced pepperoni rolls (tasted better at the time than it sounds now )...Leaving our bags there we took a short side trip to see the 'Sutherland Falls', the tallest waterfall in New Zealand, with a huge wall of crashing water plummeting over 530m to a lake below. Its power was so immense that it took real effort to get close to the foot of the falls due to the wind and spray that it created!

We finished our last hour of hiking along the Arthur River before reaching 'Dumpling' hut. It was nestled amongst the bush about 50m back from the river, where we would stay for our final night on the trek. Upon entering the bunk room we were told some awful news by an Australian couple who were part of the rotary group. The fall Clyde had suffered had been much worse than originally reported; after sliding down the bank, he had then fallen some 100m or more into a ravine. Sadly even though some of the group had reached and tried to assist him, he died on his way to the hospital after being airlifted by the emergency services. That evening after the initial shock the mood at camp was quite subdued; we spent part of it chatting to Bess and had another ice cold river bath. For dinner we ate more noodles, and mulled around for a while but everyone hit the sack fairly early. The days hiking was supposed to be the highlight of the whole trek but had turned into a tragedy. We all felt terrible about what had happened and felt especially bad for Clyde's wife.

The next morning we left the huts by about 8am, an hour after the rotary group. As it was raining again we donned our waterproofs and headed out. Our final day of hiking would take about 5 hours, starting along the river bank. We spent a couple of hours traversing flooded pathways, at one point having to climb along tree branches to get across waist deep water. We crossed several suspension bridges and then passed the impressive 'Mackay' waterfall and 'Bell' Rock; essentially a large hollow bell shaped rock which you can climb inside. Before stopping for lunch we caught up with Rita and her son Paul along a very thin ledge running parallel to the river and then the rest of the group at a small shelter where we stopped for lunch. There we rested and chatted to Bess again who kindly offered us a place to stay when we were to head back up north.

After lunch we carried on through the forest hugging close to the river. We reached the end of the trek, aptly named 'Sandfly Point' at about 1:30pm. Maori believe this to be where the first sandflies originated. Whether the case or not, the swarms were so bad most of the party retreated into the nearby hut for respite. There we chatted again to Russell who also kindly offered us a place to stay when we reached the north island and volcanic city of Rotorua. We caught the ferry back to the port at 2pm, where the 20 minute trip through the Sound blew us away. We were treated to panoramics of glacial mountains and fjords, deep blue waters, lush forests, topped off by a huge waterfall, its waters crashing right off of the mountainside and into the Sound. It seemed almost impossible that all this could be viewable on a short 20 minute boat journey, and it kept us very busy taking photos! The bus drive back to the car park along the mountain roads was just as amazing.

Once we reached Barry we headed back to town for a long awaited warm shower and then treated ourselves to a pub meal. After all the noodles we had eaten we felt we deserved something more appetising! The topic over dinner was mainly about the events that had taken place over the last several days and what our next destination would be. Summing up the Milford Track, we can easily say it was one of the best hikes we'd been on. Sadly the experience was tinged with sadness at the tragedy that had unfolded on the pass, but we enjoyed the experience of staying in the huts, met some great people and hiked through some stunning landscape.

As you can imagine we slept very well that night; it was definitely nice to be back in our own bed, even if that was in the back of a van, and we looked forward to the drive back north along the east coast.