Who: John and Lori Simons of Superior, and Don and Kathie Dolce of Longmont
Where: At the top of Mackinnon Pass on the South Island. The Milford Track has long been described as “the finest walk in the world.” It is a five-day, four- night Queenstown-to-Queens- town, all-inclusive guided walk. This was day three of 34.5 miles of hiking. After reaching the top of the pass, we were rewarded with spectacular views of the Clinton River and Arthur River valleys. The monument was constructed in 1912 as a memorial to the efforts of Quinton MacKinnon and Ernest Mitchell, who discovered the pass in 1888.
Best meal: Even though we were in very remote areas, we stayed each night in very comfortable lodges and were served wonderful meals, including three-course dinners.
Best deal: A nice warm shower, laundry facilities and a cozy bed to sleep in after a long day of hiking, seeing magnificent waterfalls and hiking through lush tropical forests.
Best time to go: Summer runs from December to March. Even though December is high tourist time, the Milford Track is not crowded because the number of walkers each day is regulated, and all hiking is routed in the same direction, so there is really a sense of solitude. Weather is unpredictable.
Best travel tip: Book through Ultimate Hikes and follow the guidelines for clothing. Good sturdy hiking boots are a must. Ultimate Hikes provides good-quality daypacks so there is no need to bring your own. There are lots of sand flies (a mosquito-like biting insect) so bring a good repellent.
