Milford Track - Day 4

After three days on the track, we were ready to complete the journey and find ourselves a shower and real food. While there were plenty of beautiful spots on the way, we were focused on making it to the end at Sandfly Point to catch our 2 pm boat back to civilization. We counted down the remaining kilometres and our legs and backs were relieved when we finished the 14 km for day 4. We made it in plenty of time and congratulated all of the new friends we made on the trail. There was a heart-warming finish for the two oldest hikers in our group. One gentleman was 70 and the other in his late 60’s, both visiting New Zealand from Wales. Flashing big smiles and optimism, these guys were checking the Milford Track off their bucket list. The 70 year old had recently been skydiving with his daughter! They lugged huge packs along the trail just as all the younger hikers had and were clearly struggling with the distance on the last day. Though they left the last hut much earlier, we passed them half way through the day. It seemed uncertain whether they would be able to get to the boat in time. Just before launch, they emerged from the wilderness exhausted but with huge smiles. The group on the boat erupted in applause for them... a fitting end!                                           

The boat dropped us off at the Milford Sound, and we took a cruise. It felt fantastic to take the packs off, grab a drink, sit down and enjoy the scenery. After a two hour bus ride back to Te Anau, we took showers and devoured hamburgers at a wild west themed restaurant (that played country music and had nascar on TV for a little American nostalgia). “The Finest Walk in the World” – Compete. Just challenging enough, perfect weather, unbelievable sights, and new friends. Couldn’t ask for much more.