It was with great relief that our final day in the Hollyford Valley dawned clear and calm. Knowing how long and difficult sections of this trail were, we had arranged to be picked up by plane at a small airstrip that caters to guests staying at the private lodge in the area. We had been given pretty vague instructions about our flight, which seemed to differ slightly from the instructions others had received. As a result we all decided to get an early start and left the hut just as the first rays of sun were hitting the surrounding peaks.
To get to the airstrip we needed to backtrack along the coast, the waters of the lagoon were perfectly calm. An early morning sea mist was just burning off, giving us hope that we would have perfect conditions for our short flight.
We arrived at the runway, and with no plane in sight, we enjoyed some morning tea with one of the other hikers that would be flying out with us. Eventually, we heard the sound of a plane approaching.
We loaded ourselves and our packs into the plane and took off for civilisation. As we started to climb we had a great view of the Hollyford River below us and the valley we had walked through.
As we banked out to sea to start our flight down the coast to Milford Sound, we got a final look at Martins Bay where we had spent the last day and a half.
The small plane hugged the coastline and despite the windless morning, we were nevertheless jostled around a bit by the wind currents coming off the hills and ocean. We were able to enjoy the views of the rugged coastline and the Darran Mountains in the distance.
It didn’t take long for us to reach Milford Sound and as we turned into the narrow Sound we were able to look down on the tour boats cruising along the fiord. We landed at the small airstrip and made our way to the café where we would be picked up after lunch.
After enjoying an early lunch of real food, we walked over to the waterfront to get a better look at Milford Sound. Having seen so many pictures of Milford Sound in the rain, fog and cloud, it was strange to see the area with such sunny skies and calm waters.
Taking the board walk along the shore we took in the views of the sound and the famous Mitre Peak.
After a while we made our way back to the café to meet the minibus that would take us back to our car at the trail head. The drive across the Darran Mountains was beautiful, with the shear rock walls of the mountains on every side. We climbed up to the Homer Tunnel, a 1.2 km (.75 mile) long, single lane tunnel carved into the rock. The road dropped quickly towards the Hollyford Valley where we were pleased to get into our car and make our way back to Te Anau ready for our next adventure.