On our way back to Te Anau we decided to make a quick stop at Marian Creek. Although we didn’t have time to do the full hike up to the lake in this valley, we had seen that the first part of this track was often mentioned as being worth visiting.
We started by once again crossing the Hollyford River, the light in this section of the valley allowed us to see how clear the water was. We continued a short distance along the trail paralleling the Hollyford River, until the track took a sharp turn and took us up the steep hillside.
After climbing a short distance we started to hear the sound of the river in the distance. The trail took us to the banks of Marian Creek where we were able to see the river tumbling down the steep hillside in a series of waterfalls. We were once again reminded of how lucky we had been with the weather during our visit as the sunlight filtered through the thick canopy of trees and moss above the river.
Continuing on up the valley, the track became a series of boardwalks and raised platforms that clung to the hillside and occasionally hung out over the river below. We followed the elevated boardwalks as they twisted and turned with the river, getting different views of the cascading water at every turn.
Making our way back to the car, we started our drive back towards The Divide on the Milford Highway. We made a quick stop at the lookout near the summit to enjoy one final view of the Hollyford Valley.
We arrived in Te Anau and enjoyed much needed showers before heading out into town to find some dinner. We returned to our cabin for an early night in preparation for starting our next hiking adventure the following morning; the Kepler Track.