Day 2 on the Milford Track
At the base of the mountain, next to a tarn
(a small alpine pond) is the Quintin Mackinnon Memorial. The plaque on the
west face reads:
"Erected by the Gaelic Society of NZ and the Otago Rugby
Football Union assisted by the Government in honour of Quintin Mackinnon -
Explorer - Who discovered this pass in 1888 and who in 1892 was drowned in
Lake Te Anau"
When trekkers cross the north end of Lake Te Anau on
their way to the start of the Track, there is a cross erected on a small
rock identifying the approximate site where Mackinnon drowned.
The memorial on the Pass may be the most photographed site
on the track, weather permitting. Few have had the opportunity to take a
picture in sunny weather like this.
