Milford Track

The Milford was called the finest walk in the world in a London newspaper in 1908 and the phrase has never been shaken off. It runs fifty-three kilometres from the head of Lake Te Anau up the Clinton Valley, over Mackinnon Pass at 1,154 metres, then down the Arthur Valley past Sutherland Falls - at 580 metres one of the tallest in the country - to Sandfly Point on Milford Sound. Its structure is unlike any other Great Walk: one direction only, four days exactly, fixed huts each night, boat transfers at both ends, and a strict booking system where the entire season sells out within minutes of opening. You cannot walk it faster, slower or the other way. It is also one of the wettest inhabited places on earth - the Clinton and Arthur valleys receive several metres of rain a year, and when it rains the valley walls run with hundreds of temporary waterfalls, which regulars say is the better version.

What's there

• Mackinnon Pass - 1,154 metres, the crossing between valleys.
• Sutherland Falls - 580 metres, on a side track from the third hut.
• The waterfall walls - hundreds of temporary falls when it rains.
• The fixed structure - one direction, four days, boats at both ends.

When to go

Late October to April only. Bookings for the whole season open on one day and sell out in minutes - this needs planning months ahead.

Good to know

You cannot walk it independently outside the season without serious alpine experience. Bookings are the hard part, not the walking. It rains most days and gear must handle it. Sandflies at both ends are severe.

Nearby

Te Anau is the base; Milford Sound is at the finish.