The Milford Track is the most renowned hiking trail of New Zealand and this tells a lot regarding the country's other superb tracks. Consequently it is also part of the "Great Walks" and subject to the corresponding permit system. You better plan well ahead to obtain one of the rare tickets - at least 6 months. If you're lucky you may try to get a permit on the fly but this works out only in case of cancellations - don't bet on this. In order to manage the masses only 40 hikers are permitted per day and you have to finish the trail within 4 days/3 nights and stay in comfortable huts along the trail. The weather is extreme and usually very rainy - be prepared to experience hail storms even in summer time (yes, this happened to us at the time ...) so take some warm and highly weather-proof clothing! The extremely well maintained track is, in principal, very easy to hike with no technical difficulties ... unless it is flooded due to hefty rainfalls. The most strenuous part is the Mackinnon Pass but even occasional hikers should have no problems whatsoever (if well-equipped).

The Milford track traverse some of the most spectacular scenery of the Fjordland National Park starting at the shores of Lake Te Anau and ending in the breathtaking Milford Sound (which is actually a fjord and not a sound). Further highlights are a really, really wet tempered rain-forest, numerous waterfalls (especially during rainy days), a high pass and deep valleys in a great mountain scenery.