Milford Track - South Island, New Zealand
Posted by: 
Metro2
S 44° 55.520 E 167° 55.635
58G E 731011 N 5021175
The trail now known as the Milford Track was long-used by the Maori to collect and transport greenstone.
Waymark Code: WMJZ19
Location: South Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 01/19/2014
Views: 4
The Milford Track is a famous 53.5 km (33.2 mi) hiking track near the beautiful Milford Sound on the South Island.
Wikipedia (
visit link) adds:
"The Milford Track is a widely known tramping (hiking) route in New Zealand – located amidst mountains and temperate rain forest in Fiordland National Park in the southwest of the South Island.
The 53.5 km hike starts at the head of Lake Te Anau and finishes Milford Sound at Sandfly Point, traversing rainforests, wetlands, and an alpine pass...
The native Maori people used the Milford Track for gathering and transporting valuable greenstone. There are many Maori legends about the track and the native species found in it.
Donald Sutherland and John Mackay were the first European explorers to see what are now known as Mackay Falls and Sutherland Falls, in 1880.
This website (
visit link) adds:
"Maori frequently travelled this route during journeys to Milford Sound/Piopiotahi to collect pounamu (greenstone). In 1888 a track was cut up the Arthur Valley to the Sutherland Falls, with the first known European crossing of the pass made later that year. Today approximately 14,000 people walk the Milford track each year making it one of the most popular walks in New Zealand."
and this website (
visit link) informs us:
"According to Maori tradition, Fiordland (including Piopiotahi or Milford Sound) was carved out by the demi-god, Tu Te Rakiwhanoa. His aim was to create waterways and safe harbours stocked with fish and birds. Milford Sound is his most spectacular work."