Milford Sound and Kepler Track Day Walk

We’re in hiking country now! Expect lots of photos of mountains, lakes and waterfalls. 

So I start on a bit of a rant I’m afraid. Milford Sound. I don’t get the hype. It’s New Zealand’s most popular tourist attraction which involves getting a 6 hour bus one way from Queenstown all the way to the edge of the South Island to take a cruise and see some waterfalls. Don’t get me wrong, the scenery was very beautiful, but a 12 hour round trip to see some waterfalls, it’s a very excessive journey when New Zealand has so much more to offer. 

Lots of people have opinions about this, and it kind of depends how you journeyed to Milford Sound and what kind of cruise you take. The girl in my dorm hit the nail on the head I think. She described at as the best New Zealand has to offer for people that don’t or can’t take hikes. 

Anyway, here’s some pictures of some waterfalls. 

Fortunately I didn’t need to take the 6 hour journey back as I wasn’t returning to Queenstown (yet), and I got off the bus half way back, starting my time in Te Anau. 

I had been expecting to start my time in the Te Anau area by tackling one of the ten New Zealand great walks in its entirety, the Kepler Track. Fortunately, a cancellation came up for the apparently best of the great walks, the Milford Track, so I’ll be tackling that tomorrow instead. 

But not to miss out on the Kepler Track, I did a day section like I’d done previously with the Tongariro and Abel Tasman great walks. 

Tomorrow we start the big one, the Milford Track, apparently described as “the best walk in the world”. I’ve got 4 days in the wilderness, staying in purpose made huts along the way. This track ends at Milford Sound, and I’m hoping to gain a greater appreciation of the area by hiking it, and not by boating it!