Milford Track - advice and tips wanted please

[Tony Egan]

I just decided to book the Milford Track walk at the next available time which is late February 2007. Have to carry all food, clothing, sleeping bag etc. for 3 days so seems like anything larger than a Mamiya 7 and a light tripod may be impractical? Is this just the excuse I need to buy an xpan? Appreciate any advice of a general hiking or photographic nature from anyone who has made this walk. Anyone done it carrying a LF kit?
Look forward to responses especially from any NZ tramping photogs out there!
Thanks,
Tony

 

[naturephoto1]

Hi Tony,

I have heard the many arguments about the Xpan as nice and as good a camera as it is. I do not know if you already have a Mamiya 7/7II. But, you should be able to carry the Mamiya and at least 2 or 3 lenses. Additionally, though it might be nice to use the panoramic insert, it is not the easiest to use. Additionally, once loaded, you must complete the 35mm roll of film. Though it may be more expensive, you can crop the 6X7 image to the proportions for the panoramic images if you wish. There are markings in the viewfinder that will help you frame accordingly. Additionally the Mamiya lenses are outstanding. If I were to carry 1 lens it would be the 65mm. Two would be the 65mm and either the 43 mm or the 50mm. Three would be the 65mm, either the 43mm or the 50mm, and the 150mm.

If you carry the Mamiya camera, you may want to look into the Kirk Photo L bracket for the camera that allows for the Arca Swiss QR type and to switch from horizontal to vertical with little or no recomposing when the camera is mounted on the tripod head.

Rich

 

[roteague]

Tony, I haven't done this particular hike, but I believe that you are required to make a certain distance every day. So, you might want to be aware of what equipment you are going to carry.

 

[Tony Egan]

Thanks Rich - yes I have a Mamiya 7 + 80mm and 65mm. I also like the 65mm a lot & I agree, I think cropping would be preferable to the 35mm insert which by all accounts is very fiddly and may not be practical in all conditions. Despite the warnings I just bought an insert kit on eBay and will try it out in the next few months. I'm weighing up do I buy more lens for the Mamiya or go with, say, xpan 45mm and 90mm. The xpan 30mm is very pricey!

Thanks for the tip on the L bracket - I'll check it out.

 

[naturephoto1]

Thanks Rich - yes I have a Mamiya 7 + 80mm and 65mm. I also like the 65mm a lot & I agree, I think cropping would be preferable to the 35mm insert which by all accounts is very fiddly and may not be practical in all conditions. Despite the warnings I just bought an insert kit on eBay and will try it out in the next few months. I'm weighing up do I buy more lens for the Mamiya or go with, say, xpan 45mm and 90mm. The xpan 30mm is very pricey!

Thanks for the tip on the L bracket - I'll check it out.

Hi Tony,

Don't forget that with the larger negative/transparency with the Mamiya, you can crop any ratio of the panorama that you want as a 2:1 or 3:1 or any other ratio that you want. You have to choose which format, but I really do like the Mamiya. I have not handled the Xpan, but that will be a substantial investment for a body and 2 lenses.

As to the bracket, here is the link:

Dead Link Removed

There is an error on the site for the weight which is actually closer to about 5 oz.

The bracket is very well designed, adds a small amount of weight compared to the normal Arca type QR and only is generally of little notice when handling the camera.

I have included a photo of the bracket.

Rich

 

[alan c. davis]

Hi, Tony must admit I've never done the Milford but I'm a regular visitor to the land of the long white cloud on hiking holidays and have done many tracks both popular like the Milford and others much more remote. Just keep in mind this area of New Zealand has upwards of 300 inches of rain a year. When hiking I allways carry my Hexar rf rangefinder with generally only 2 lenses. In multi day hiking weight will allways be the most significant factor in your planning. I carry my camera in a small wast bag so I can pull it out without having to take my pack off each time I take a photo. This means the camera is allways easily accessible and also the last thing you want is it dangling around your neck hour after hour. Buy the Xpan.

 

[John McCallum]

Hi Tony. First off - great choice!
Alan makes a point worth noting about the rain. Currently experiencing around 3" per day down there! Though it would be different in Feb, is good idea to be aware and make allowances.
The Xpan could be a good option if you are confident you can switch to pano format images intuitively - not knowing experience there. I think pano format would suit the start of the treck - thru the river deltas - but perhaps less so later in the higher ground. But your views may well be different! Weight wise, I think the Xpan could be very good option, though it is a relatively heavy 35mm camera.
In my experience it's definately all about the #1 the weight #2 the space you have #3 efficiency of gear for images required.
If you're going to carry LF gear on a 3 day tramp, it would be very helpful to be pretty fit so you can cover ground quickly to make a vantage point at optimum light which may only become apparant when you are out there. The extra gear required is significant too don't forget. Change tent, film holders, boxes for exposed film (I carry separate boxes for N,N-,N+ and N++ b&w development) as well as new. Heavier tri-pod presumably. How many lenses would you carry - I never carry more than 3 on a longer hike.
Flexibility in the timetable also helps. If you can allow the option to stay an extra night or two to make the most of a location, this can mean the difference between success or not. DOC's estimated walk times are quite easy but aren't for photographers! As an example, a couple of weeks ago I stopped on a tramp in the in the central plateau and spent two hours photographing some vocanic hot springs, completely unplanned and arrived at the first hut after dark. The stop contributed a lot to the overall trip.

BTW I think on the Milford track there's the option to have someone carry your gear.

Cheers, John.

 

[Tony Egan]

Thanks Alan and John. Yes, waist bag will be the way to go and some high quality waterproof clothing by the sound of it. Have to break in a new pair of boots in the next few months also... As for my very own NZ Sherpa.... hmmm sounds tempting!
Cheers, Tony

 

[John McCallum]

Hi Tony, yes I think it would be a good idea to make sure the boots are well worn in. The feet will thank you later! If you happen to pass through Auck, maybe we could meet up. I'm sure Sean would be keen also. Cheers, John.

 

[P C Headland]

As others have pointed out, be prepared to get wet. There's waterproof clothing and Fiordland-waterproof clothing..... Make sure you have loads of industrial strength insect repellent too. The scenery is stunning, and the air crystal clear (apart from the rain, clouds and sandflies).

Stick to the Mamiya - you have it now, you are used to it and it takes nice big negatives. You'll want the largest format you can easily carry. A polariser wouldn't go amiss either.

Enjoy yourself! If you pass through Wellington, drop me a PM.

(would an Xpan really be any lighter?)

 

[eddie gunks]

i have not been to NZ since 96. but when i was there most of the trails are well maintained and easy to follow. ofcourse you can get way off the beaten path.....i am sure the milford is awesome. the rest of the "free" hikes were awesome too. i would love to do the milford but i am not going to pay that much.

bring the 7 and your lenses. should be perfect. i got an RB67 and i would bring that for sure. have fun and post some images when you get back.

eddie

 

[John Koehrer]

Hi Tony,
You've got the Mamiya. Why not just add the 43 or 50 & carry that & the 80.
That way you don't have to collect yet another system

 

[DrPablo]

I did the Milford Track back in 1994.

More than anything else you want to go wide -- very wide. Like the 43mm wide.

The valleys are very narrow, the mountains tower above you, and it's almost impossible to capture Sutherland Falls, which is the 4th tallest waterfall in the world, without a wide lens. And in the end you'll find yourself in Milford Sound, which is a reasonably narrow fiord with 6000 foot mountains rising right out of the ocean.

 

[jeroldharter]

My wife and I lived in Invercargill for about 6 months in the mid-1990s. We spent several weekends in Milford sound and also did the Milford Track as well as several others. The Milford Track is definitely worth doing. Because they have huts, you do not need a tent or any fuel. They have basic cooking facilities and potable water. Therefore, you are able to backpack rather light which leaves more room for photo gear. The hiking is fairly difficult by Wisconsin standards so I would definitely avoid the large-format gear unless you are in excellent shape. At the time, I used 35mm gear but a Mamiya 7 would be a great camera to take on that trip along with a lightweight tripod. I would like to have the 150 mm lens in the kit also because it is useful for picking out graphical elements from the larger landscape. Depending on your altitude, the climate can be very pleasant or very wet and bug infested. Be prepared for sand flies at the lower elevations. If you have never experienced them, you will be in for a treat. They are thick enough that it can make film changing somewhat difficult and you want to make sure that none of them get behind the lands if you change lenses. The Milford Track is very pillars so I think that the only option is to hike the entire trail. On some of the other tracks, you can hike up to the first hut to get above the tree line and then spend a couple of days sleeping in the same place but doing day hikes for photography. I found that the very pleasant.

We spent about 8 months on the South Island of New Zealand and it is one of the most beautiful and most pleasant places I have never seen. However, I had three misfortunes which I would like to go back to remedy. At the time, I did not eat much lamb or have an appreciation for wine. Also, I was not interested in fly fishing. Now that I have fixed all of that I would like to go back to drink some sauvignon blanc, may be switched to some red wine to eat with a New Zealand lamb shank, and then go fly fishing for trout on the rivers. Have a good trip and take a massive amount of film.

 

[Tony Egan]

Thanks Jerold and Paul. Some good advice. I'll be sure to eat lamb and drink wine but I'll skip the fishing.... I have experienced sandflies in several parts of Australia and know how unpleasant they can be. Also more food for thought on which kit to take....

 

[copake_ham]

Thanks Jerold and Paul. Some good advice. I'll be sure to eat lamb and drink wine but I'll skip the fishing.... I have experienced sandflies in several parts of Australia and know how unpleasant they can be. Also more food for thought on which kit to take....

Tony,

I have to admire you. So far they've told you to expect 300 inches of rain, sandfiles so thick that they will eat the felt off of your film cannisters, and that once you start this ordeal you will have no choice but to finish it!

OMG man, you're living in OZ - have you not considered just a couple of weeks lazing it about up in Surfer's Paradise? :confused:

Good luck to you, sounds as if you'll need it!

 

[Tony Egan]

OMG man, you're living in OZ - have you not considered just a couple of weeks lazing it about up in Surfer's Paradise?

George - actually I'll be up that way for my parents 50th wedding anniversary late December and then a week on the beach with my family in January a bit further south - I then need to do something to work off the summer lard I will build up in that time! Who says Australians get too many holidays!!

 

[Tony Egan]

Thanks for all the tips on this post and some earlier ones regarding places to see and things to take on my South Island journey. The trip was great except for having to back-track 120km from Arthurs Pass to Sheffield on day 2 to retrieve a folder containing my passport, tickets, maps etc. which I left behind at New Zealand's greatest pie shop!
I ended up taking the Mamiya 7 and XPan and only carried the XPan on the Milford Track. Met some great people on the track from all over the world, got soaked to the bone on only one day and managed to avoid blisters due to great pair of boots - my second best friends.
I have developed all the 120 film and have about 30 rolls of 35mm to go. I have posted some neg scans in my PBase galleries here if you'd like to take a look:
http://www.pbase.com/tonyegan/nz
I'll post some 35mm scans from the track in due course.

p.s. my final sandfly bite scar has just about healed over now! I was a bit lazy with the repellant in the first few days but after about 40 nasty red bites emerged the Rid roll-on became my first best friend.

Cheers, Tony

 

[roteague]

Thanks for the followup Tony. Hopefully, we can get together this coming Spring and talk about it over beer.

 

[Mick Fagan]

Very nice pictures, especially the Moeraki Boulders, which I've never heard of before.

Mick.

 

[copake_ham]

Tony,

Glad to hear you not only survived, but thrived. Your 120 pics are amazing, espescially, as Mick mentioned, the Moeraki Boulders. The singular one with the swirl of foam about it is amazing.

I also found your pic of the miner's huts to be interesting. While not nearly as good, here's a counterpart I shot in what is now Suarago National Park-West outside of Tucson not long ago:

 

[roteague]

Very nice pictures, especially the Moeraki Boulders, which I've never heard of before.

Mick.

Mick,

Here is an article I put on my website about Moeraki Boulders if you are interested: http://www.visionlandscapes.com/ArticlesTips.aspx?Article=9

 

[roteague]

I have developed all the 120 film and have about 30 rolls of 35mm to go. I have posted some neg scans in my PBase galleries here if you'd like to take a look:
http://www.pbase.com/tonyegan/nz
I'll post some 35mm scans from the track in due course.

Great images Tony, thanks for sharing these. Your pictures of Glenorchy and Moeraki Boulders brought back lots of memories of my last trip to NZ. BTW, did you happen to get by Fleuer's Place at Moeraki Harbour? It is a neat little restaurant overlooking the Harbour.

Also, I've been told that the water at St. Bathans is no longer deep blue. Is that true, that you remember?

 

[Tony Egan]

Robert,
Yes, I ate at Fleurs as the sun was setting over the harbour. Very nice meal with a fine NZ Sauvignon Blanc to wash it down. As I was leaving the restaurant I discovered my car keys were not in my pocket causing a panic. The lovely restaurant staff wandered around with me in the fading light looking for them. Eventually discovered them on the rocks near the water's edge where I had taken a shot a bit earlier. Kinda took the edge off the nice dinner but another memorable event!

I don't recall the water at St Bathans as being a spectacular blue but then again I was thinking mainly in B&W! It was a very interesting landscape and I struggled a bit to find an angle and composition to tell the story of its unique features.

Moeraki boulders was an exercise in patience. There was a busload of Chinese tourists running around and over the boulders when I first arrived leaving footprints in all the wrong places! It was overcast so I waited for a few hours watching the sun chase a break in the clouds and the clouds in turn chase the sun. Just before the sun got below the headland there was 10 minutes of reasonable light with no one else on the beach. It's a place you could happily spend 6 months going down to twice a day in different light, weather and tides and never get bored.

 

[Mick Fagan]

I agree with George about the single rock with the swirling water as the best, in fact it was that picture that made look at the rest of the rock pictures.

Robert, many thanks for the link to your site, great information.

Tony, if ever I'm shooting with you, I'll never ever ask you to hold my keys or passport. )

Mick.