Kiwi Adventures Blog: Milford Track Day 3, New Zealand

Day 3, 9 miles to do and the weather is really holding up. No one has ever heard of 3 days without rain before. It is being referred to as a drought. One problem with this is that walking up a high pass in the blazing sun ain't fun. So we all push off as soon as we are fed and watered. The track zigzags up, up and up. The up some more. It is only an average of 18 degree so it is not a lung killer. Hot chocolate or soup are waiting for us at the top. We see a helicopter take off from the top and plunge (intentionally) vertically down about 1 meter off the side then level out at the bottom. Madman. Take the next bus. The views at the top are stunning and change within minutes from boiling hot and sunny, to freezing and sunny, to cloudy and windy, then back again. the walk down is a killer. It is just down, down and more down and your knees and achillies are burning. You can't stop as the sand flies keep away while you are moving. The last mile seems like ten. But then we are there.

We dump our packs off and head inland to the Sutherland Falls. It is the 5th highest in the world and it is a big one. There is virtually no pool at the bottom and the last drop of water is tremendously noisy. There is just sheer tonnes of water coming down. Now you would perhaps think that a tonne of water walling on your head may be worth avoiding but Jhan though he would go for a swim anyway. This was very funny. He got to the edge of the water and the falls generates a hurricane like wind blowing away. He forced his way 15 meters into it the fell over. So turned back. Then fell over. Then fell over again. Then crawled. And fell over while crawling. Let us conclude that this is not the ideal place to swim. He lived. In the evening there is plenty of wine flowing and we play games (in an every increasing silly way). Lights out time when the generator go off saves hangovers. Very good day.