Hiking and Fun on the Milford Track
New Zealand, 2008
God Almighty first planted a garden,
and, indeed it is the purist of human pleasures.
— Francis Bacon
Milford Sound is one of the most popular and visited places in New Zealand. The fjords are attracting incredible numbers of tourists. And for good reason; of course I want to see the fjords too. I was lucky enough to find a place on a small sailing vessel for a couple of days in Doubtful Sound, avoiding the big and extremely commercial tours through Milford Sound. Now it is time to explore the Milford area on foot. Being such a popular area, and it requiring a boat trip there and back, everything, including the huts, needs to be booked in advance. Once more I surrender to a very well maintained trail and huts hosting a lot of people. It better be worth it.
It feels a bit strange to start a trek in the afternoon. Having had enough time yesterday to get organized, there was not much to do this morning. Checking my emails I realize there is no confirmation of my trip to Antarctica and decide to give the travel agent a call. While the owner of the agency had confirmed my place on the trip over the weekend, he was not aware that the office staff had already promised the place to another person on the waiting list. I am beyond surprised about the twist; I so strongly feel that I will be traveling to the Antarctic.
