Photo: James Frankham / NY Times
I've always wanted to visit New Zealand ever since I saw The Lord of the Rings movies, and this feature at the New York Times by Robert D. Hershey Jr. just added a lot of fuel to my wanderlust fire:
IN 1908, The Spectator magazine called the 33.5-mile Milford Track through Fiordland National Park in New Zealand “the finest walk in the world,” an honorific still credible to knowledgeable hikers — one fan was Sir Edmund Hillary — a full century later.
The park, part of the Te Wahipounamu Unesco World Heritage Site, is of jaw-dropping beauty, a rare combination of rain forest, rushing rivers and glacially carved alpine heights that yields vistas that make you think you’ve stepped into a picture postcard. What’s more, novices as well as hardened trekkers can fully enjoy the delights of the Milford, which offers as much solitude as you could want and ambient water so pure you’re actually encouraged to drink whatever you can reach.
Wow. Just Wow. Has anyone ever been there? What's your experience? Link
Its not bad, it depends on what your experiences are of tramping beforehand. It can be stunning if you havn't experienced the environment before, and although there might be individual features bettered elsewhere its a great package deal, great scenery, amazing waterfalls, lush vegetation.
Walking on a track with so many others isn't the greatest, but the track has some highlights and getting no rain over the time is a rare occurrence.
Here is a rough overview of our trip.
http://xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/viewthread.php?tid=5863
It's kind of funny, since it's my own country, I don't have the same awe about places like Fiordland that other would, and indeed they probably deserve. But I would absolutely recommend it.
A one week permit for a single foreign hiker currently costs NZ$10,000,000 - about USD$15,000. A day-hiking permit can be purchased on the black market for about USD$500 in Christchurch.
and yes, it is very awesome.
As far as the Milford track goes, you would need very high tolerance for rain and muck! There really is no dry season there. If you can manage a few days of wet, though, it is spectacularly beautiful.
As for New Zealand - not only is the country of unparalleled beauty, but the people who live there are among the most kind and polite I've met anywhere. I deeply love NZ and I'd go back in a moment if I could.
I love this country =D