Day 4 on the Milford Track
Reaching the conclusion of any venture is a
time to feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. It's a time to congratulate
and thank those with whom you undertook the venture who helped you achieve
your goal. It's a time to celebrate.
With Milford Sound in the background, Judy and I hugged
at the very end of the Track where the ferry would be by pick us up. Ten
minutes later we'd be at the landing at Milford Sound. We'd have a cold beer
and eat a real sandwich at the restaurant. We'd lived on hot cereal, peanut
butter and crackers, tuna, noodles, and energy bars. Store bought food sounded
pretty good. And so did the beer.
The weather lightened up shortly after we arrived.
We changed into dry clothing in the hut, and posed for a more formal picture
(clearly a posed shot) at the official sign marking the end of the Milford
Track. The boots hanging on the sign are, I'm sure, a gesture of good will
and not the angry frustration of hikers whose boots did not give them the
service on the trek that they had expected. We kept ours, thinking they had
served us well and that they would be useful for our hike on the Abel Tasman.
