Milford, Part 2

The first day is a relatively short hike -- I think it only took us a couple of hours to get up here...to the Clinton Hut. There was still plenty of time to play once we arrived! Compared to carrying your own tent, these are the height of luxury! (And they don't weigh a thing!)

The track meanders along the Clinton River...and what is obviously a "Swimming Hole!" Patrick is a big fan of swimming in mountain lakes and streams. Whenever he comes out, he says it was "Refreshing!" (Which is code for ICE COLD!) I stuck my toes in here, and was reminded of the ice baths you see elite athletes icing their ankles in. I'm not an elite athlete, so I opted to keep my toes out. Patrick dove right in, came out lobster red, and declared it was, of course, "Refreshing!"

Couple of hut shots...another thing you don't have to carry when staying in the huts is your own stove/gas. The huts on the Milford track have these for you. And running water! Chef Patrick is here preparing our tasty first night's dinner, along with our 40 new best friends. There was quite a variety of food this first night -- obviously a lot of people took the approach of "I can carry anything on my back for 2 hours!" A group of 5 strapping looking early-twenties guys cooked huge steaks, and pulled a 3 Liter bottle of Coke out and drank that. Now, why didn't we think of that?

Home away from home...each bunk complete with a comfy mattress, and screens on the windows to keep the sandflies out. (Windows open are essential when sharing a bedroom with 18 other adults -- Clinton Hut has 2 sleeping huts, besides the big kitchen/socializing hut.) In the afternoon, we went on a Nature Walk with the DOC Ranger, and learned some interesting secrets of the NZ bush. That night, he took everyone out on the helicopter landing pad, where we all laid down and he used this amazing pointer to show us the constellations in the night sky. The star-gazing was fantastic...the pointer was truly amazing. (Seriously! A POINTER to use on CONSTELLATIONS, and it works! He did say that it can be problematic if pointed at an airplane, the light carries and can obstruct their vision...)

After such a luxurious night at Clinton Hut, we were all ready to get out hiking bright and early.