Tracknet offer reliable daily scheduled passenger bus and coach services to and from many of the most beautiful areas of the South Island.
Tracknet
77 Manapouri-Te Anau Road
Te Anau 9679
New Zealand
res@tracknet.net
Milford Track Shuttle | Departure Times | Cost | Travel Time | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bus from Te Anau to Te Anau Downs | 8:30am | 10:30am* | Included below | 30mins |
Boat from Te Anau Downs to Glade Wharf | 9:00am | 11:00am* | $109.00 | 1hr |
Boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound | 2:00pm | $50.00 | 30mins | |
Bus from Milford Sound to Te Anau | 3:00pm | $40.00 | 2hrs & 15mins |
*The 10:30am departure will only be available once the 8:30am departure is full. Minimum of 6 passengers also required.
Out of Season Milford Track Transport package is available to book now from 2nd May to 20th May 2021 (note this is weather permitting and minimum numbers of 6 passengers is required to confirm a departure).
Bookings are essential as all departures operate on demand, however, all departures are weather/track/lake/road dependent as conditions can change quickly. Tracknet will not transport passengers if weather and conditions are deemed dangerous or unsuitable.
Please read the following information which outlines important aspects for you to consider when walking the Milford Track during the Winter.
Hut Information
DOC hut fees apply – hut tickets are available at DOC Centres.
Bridges are removed to avoid damage from avalanches and some facilities are not available. Hut tickets are necessary. Radios, gas cooking rings, fuel for heating and lighting are removed from huts. They will not have running water but a nearby water supply is available. Flush toilets are closed but a winter pit toilet is provided.
Equipment Considerations
In addition to the equipment listed for walking during the Great Walks Peak Season you should also carry: a gas cooker, toilet paper, torch or gas light for at night in the huts, extra food in case you are delayed on the track, extra warm clothing, mountain radio and/or personal locator beacon (PLB). You pack should have a pack liner to keep your gear dry.
Hiring Equipment
Mountain Radios and Personal Locator Beacons can be hired in Te Anau from Stu’s Place (Mountain Radio’s) +64 3 249 8363 and Mobil Te Anau (Personal Locator Beacons) +64 3 249 7247.
If you require any additional gear there are hire and provisions available in Te Anau. You can hire tramping gear from Bev’s Tramping Gear Hire and/or Outside Sports.
Accommodation, showers, spa bath, sauna, laundry, car storage, baggage storage and lockers are available at the Te Anau Lakeview Holiday Park
Didymo
When you arrive at Glade Wharf on the Milford Track, you will be asked to walk through a 5% detergent to 95% water solution – this will kill any Didymo (an invasive Freshwater plant) which may be on your boots. If you have any other gear (such as gaiters or waders) please check, clean (using a 5% detergent to 95% water solution) and dry your gear BEFORE and AFTER your travels through Fiordland National Park – and any other area in New Zealand. This product is not Endorsed as part of the Qualmark License held by Tracknet.
Image from: DOC
The 53.5 km Milford Track is in the heart of spectacular Fiordland National Park, which is part of the Te Wahi Pounamu, South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.
The Milford Track starts at the head of Lake Te Anau and finishes in Milford Sound. Te Anau is the nearest township to the start of the track. It is 150kms from Invercargill; 180kms from Queenstown; 300kms from Dunedin and 650kms from Christchurch. Te Anau has a full range of accommodation, hire services and car storage.
Often described as the finest walk in the world, the Milford Track is one of New Zealand’s most popular. The track can only be walked in one direction, as a 4 day / 3 night walk – Glade Wharf to Milford Sound, during the Great Walks Summer Season (late October to late April). Only 40 Independent Walkers and a similar number of Guided walkers are permitted to start the track each day. Booking during summer is essential – contact the Department of Conservation to reserve your hut space on the Track.
The Milford Track passes through the beech forests of a sheer-sided glacial valley as it gradually climbs and follows the usually crystal-clear Clinton River to the foot of Mackinnon Pass. From the pass (1073 metres) spectacular views of the surrounding mountains are obtained. The Sutherland Falls, the highest waterfall in New Zealand can be seen after the descent from the pass. The higher rainfall and milder temperatures of the Arthur Valley give a more diverse forest walk, past waterfalls and lakes to Sandfly Point. A wide variety of native birds may be seen or heard along the length of the track.
Your walk concludes at Sandfly Point, where a ferry will take you the short distance across the bay to Milford Sound. Here is where the Tracknet bus departs to take you on your onward journey to the Divide, Te Anau Downs, Te Anau or Queenstown.