With three days to rest before hitting the trail for the second of our great walks we decided to take to the legendary Milford Road. When we left Te Anau it was under a clear blue sky, but as we crept closer to where the mountains meet the sea the clouds grew thicker, grayer, and lower. The valley became narrower with the mountains becoming so precipitous it seemed as though they were bound to collapse upon us . By the time we'd made it to The Divide area the clouds had obscured just enough of the view to show us a hint of what we were missing, so we headed back a few km to Lake Gunn to make camp and wait out the weather. Thus we battled with the weather for the next 2 days, hoping against hope that everything would clear up so that we could catch that perfect glimpse of Milford Sound in the sunshine.
In the meantime a few short hikes in the valleys kept us (me really, since Kayleigh entertained no ideas of hiking on her short 3 day break) busy. One short walk was inspired only by the peculiar way the DOC had designed for you to cross the river. Named a "walkwire" on the topo map, it turned out to be just what it sounds like: a tightrope like wound wire supplying your only footing with a wire on each side acting as your handrails. It was delightfully fun and shaky. Later, a fun jaunt up the Humboldt River to the base of the Humboldt Falls rewarded me with a refreshing dip in the crystal clear waters at the base of the massive falls. It had actually been a sunny and warm in the Hollyford Valley that day, but the clouds clung to the peaks with frusterating tenacity so we again retired back to the Lake Gunn camp in desperate hope that the next day would reveal the true glory of our surroundings. We hadn't planned on camping for any length of time, so we had just enough food left to scrape together another dinner from various bits and pieces.
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| At least we got to enjoy this sunset for our troubles |
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| Humboldt Falls |
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| The walkwire |
The last day before we had to report back to Te Anau for our hiking preparations was bathed in glorious sunshine, pure and uncorrupted by a single cloud. We got on the road as soon as possible and when we came around the corner to the Divide this time - WHOA! Stop the car! OMG! The way the cliffs shaped the Hollyford valley, the ancient rainforest decorating the granite with deep green and the last bit of winter's snow decorating the peaks like a crown - it was like a scene from a CG movie. The road continued along this way, somehow becoming more impossibly scenic. Once through the engineering marvel that is the Homer Tunnel the road reached it's most impressive. Walls of sheer granite raising several thousand feet from the valley floor on three sides creates a natural amphitheater of unprecedented scale. We progressed along the road in small increments, stopping every few km to take more photos.
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| The far side of the Homer Tunnel |
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| Looking down the Hollyford Valley from Key Summit |
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| Alpine tarns |
Eventually we arrived at what many consider the créme de la créme of the highway - the Milford Sound. Mitre Peak rising a mile directly out of the sea over the sound is the most iconic image in all of New Zealand - one that I'd been incredibly excited to lay my eyes upon for the first time. You can imagine my surprise then when I found myself completely underwhelmed by the sight. All the photos I'd seen of the sound had been centered on Mitre Peak itself, but as it turns out it isn't even the largest peak on the sound. The whole sound is framed on either side by large stone cliffs which are much closer to the shore viewpoint, causing them to dwarf the entire scene. Not the worst problem in the world maybe, but the real issue is the busloads of tourists, the constant helicopter chatter above and the two or three large cruise ships on the sound at any given time catering to said busloads of tourists. It felt and sounded more like a busy airport terminal than the pure and unspoiled place it's made out to be. This is really a shame, as it seems that tourism has spoiled the very thing it has come to enjoy. Don't get me wrong, it was a pretty place for sure, it's just that after all the glory that is the Milford Highway, well, it just didn't hold up. Perhaps Donald Sutherland was right when he expressed his fear that his Milford Sound would never be the same again once the tourists arrived.
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| The classic photo of Milford |
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