2026 Winter Milford

Our 2026 May Winter “Epic” tramp was the Milford Track! And what a trip it was … absolutely clear blue skies for the whole tramp, freezing Fiordland valleys, views as far as the eye could see and the most amazing people to tramp with.

We stayed at the John McGlashion College Te Anau Downs Campus (Te Kūwaha Mātauraka) in the Kakapo Lodge. Such a great place to stage ourselves before an early start the next morning. Everyone descended at the lodge after dinner in Te Anau (highly rate the burgers from the Te Anau Dairy and one does not need chips to go with one!)

We split everyone into 2 groups … one departing the wharf nearby at Te Anau downs at 7.15am and the second at 9.15am. We utilised the amazing folk from TrackNet for our winter epic trip. The early pre-dawn morning was crisp and starry as the first crew got going.

Second trip departed at 9.15am so we were all on the track by 10.20am … and the track from the Glade Wharf through to the sun past Glade House was still absolutely freezing at 10.30am. The valley never really warmed up much as we tracked up the valley.

The back of our team arrived at the Clinton Hut for a quick morning tea stop around 11.30am before moving on. 18 people were fairly well spread up the valley in various paces and various groups.

The sun shone through at times up the valley and the views were stunning.

The valley from Glade Wharf to our first night at the new Mintaro Hut was 22.5km (7.5 hours posted time). Some did it in 5 and some in 10+ hours because of photo stops and a late start.

The hut was pumping on Monday night with around 28 people in the 40 bunk brand new 5 year old hut (and it’s meant to be the less busy off-peak winter season).

A rest day in Mintaro Hut and a slow start to the morning with many choosing to sleep in.

A lovely group (which is called either a circus or a conspiracy) of Kea’s sqawked their ways into our hearts. The lovely hut warden, Jan, was happy to give us updates and good yarn. Everyone else that was not part of our group moved on at various points in the morning. Tim shared a devotion from The Gospel Coalition about gray areas of sin (see link here) which generated some good discussion.

Most people then spread out for a walk (either to the top of Mackinnon Pass, down to “lake” Mintaro and the old hut site. Some slept, some read books and others just hung out. The first of the school group coming through from Clinton arrived at around 12pm.

That night the hut was up to 36 people overnight.

A early start for many as we headed up and over the Mackinnon Pass. It was a steady climb with increasing views as the low valley cloud cleared. The wind over the pass was not howling but not a wind to hang around in being “alpine level cold”. The shelter was a good spot to take a break.

Stunning views as we headed down the valley to the Arthur Valley. Views across to Sutherland Falls were had and incredible sights of the various chasms as we came down from the pass.

Nearly everyone stopped at Quinten Lodge to drop packs and head up to the Sutherland Falls which were breaktaking and illuminated in the sun shining down the valley. Gerald especially was impressed and it was humourous watching him rub in just how good the falls were to those that had choosen not to go and look at them.

DoC with an unfortunate lack of communication between the staff on the tracks decided to polyurethane the floors of the Dumpling Hut and dining rooms just before 36 people arrived from Mintaro. This meant that some of us needed to sleep on the floor in the dining room and probably had the best sleep of anyone until the earlier starters woke them up the next morning.

A very early start from some the next morning to get to the boat by 2.30pm at the latest was made. Everyone else rocked out onto the track between complete darkness and first light at 8am.

The valley down the Arthur is long and quite boring in places … but with a few occasional cool places like Bells Rock and Mackay Falls breaking the monotony of the track.

It was also very cold without the sun shining on the track at all the whole way down the valley.