milford track--would like to hear people's experiences
 

I'm in the very early "information-gathering" stage for a trip to New Zealand in February (probably 2009-maybe 2010).

We have always wanted to hike the Milford Track. I think that we can handle the rainy weather. But I'm not sure about the sand flies. Are they pretty much all along the track, or are there fewer as you climb higher into the mountains? If you keep covered can you avoid being bitten, or do they just jump under your clothes?

Wondering what experiences others have had on the Milford Track? Good? Bad?

Hi . Keep covered and you will be ok. dont do what I did - strip for a wash in river . Very stupid error. I was a total mass of bites. Next time I'll put up with feeling a bit ugh - or fork out the money to stay in cabins with showers !

The sandflies are pretty much everywhere, but especially bad near water. Don't walk around with your socks off, or even take them off to wring the water out. Put DEET on the minute you expose skin. Also I would bring antihistamine tablets and cream. You'll probably get a few bites anyhow and some people (like me) have a severe reaction to the bites. Others don't seem to react at all.

Thanks. Your answers are encouraging. I had read posts about people driving to Milford Sound and having to run back to their cars to avoid the flies. But it sounds like they hopefully won't bother you if you're covered and wearing insect repellent.

By the way, they're not big like houseflies, they are small, like gnats.

As mentioned above, the sandflies are only bad near water. Although the Track parallels rivers for much of itts course, we found that the flies were only bad right at the beginning of the Track, and the very end. Hardly a problem at all the rest of the way, and not a problem at all at higher altitude. You should go - make a reservation as early as possible - a year in advance is not outlandish.