Day 1 on the Milford Track
The Milford Track requires advanced reservations (NZ$105
per person). We applied in July of 2003 and the first open date was January
25, 2004. The New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) permits only
40 independent trekkers, or "free" hikers, per day during the summer period.
This is due to the high demand, limited hut space, and concern about preservation
of the pristine landscape.
There is also a parallel system of four huts for
guided treks only—with hot water, showers, cooks, and more. These also
have limits on the number of hikers who can chose to pay ten times or
more what we paid to have someone carry their gear, cook their food, stock
chilled wines, and provide information along the way.
In all, we were told that there would be no more than
93 people on a particular stretch between huts. However, we hardly saw anyone
else on the trail during our entire trek, probably no more than five at
any point.
We were to follow the valley of the Clinton River
for the next two days. With us for just a few minutes of picture taking
were Jennifer, Franklin, and Sterling from Australia. Franklin's parents
were not particularly fast hikers and we were soon well ahead of them. We
usually had the feeling that we were truly alone and on our own, until,
of course, we reached the hut each afternoon or evening which we shared
with 36 other folks from the US, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Australia,
Canada, Israel, and New Zealand.
