Hollyford Track 1-5 April

At 8:30am we were in a minibus operated by Fly Fiordland heading for Milford Sound. At Milford Sound Airport four of us plus packs headed to the plane while the other four had coffee and some photo time while awaiting the return of the plane for the second flight to a small grass airstrip at Martins Bay. From there it was little over an hour through the bush - where the bellbirds sang loud enough to make our ears ring - to the 24 bunk Martins Bay Hut. It was down to business next day with a backtrack through the bush, up another grassy airstrip and past the Ngai Tahu-run “Hollyford Guided Walk” lodge, then through beautiful Fiordland forest before emerging onto the shore at Lake McKerrow. A long walk around the lake edge followed, with some time to explore the old settlement of Jamestown on the way. A boulder scramble on the track followed, through forest and gullies eventually leading to Hokuri Hut in time for a mid-afternoon swim. Day three’s tramp was on the Demon Trail. The next day a couple of hours walking lead us to the southern end of Lake McKerrow, skirting around the lake edge before a morning tea stop at the McKerrow Island Hut. A few more hours walking over rocky terrain lead eventually to the long Pike River swing bridge and a bit further on, to the large Lake Alabaster Hut. The final day saw us on a Great Walk standard section and easy tramping. We had time for early lunch and a brew. Another two hours on and more rain, and we were crossing the Humboldt Creek and out to the road end where we squeezed ourselves under a smallish shelter to put on dry clothes and wait for the mini bus back to Te Anau.