“On a Mish” #439 Wet Feet in Fiordland (Part One). Te Anau to Fiordland (West Cleddau Valley). Fiordland National Park. Southland. 10.8.2025. With an average of around 200 days of rain per year Fiordland is considered one of the worlds wettest places. Its location at the bottom west corner of Te Waipounamu / South Island makes it a direct target for any storms brewing up in the Tasman Sea, and at times you can get storms which produce a phenomenal amount of rain. A place that has been dealt a lot of damage from a Fiordland storm is the West Cleddau Valley and the famous ‘Chasm Track’ at its entrance. It was while on a mish up this small and spectacular valley that I found out that when ‘off-track’ there are no dry feet in Fiordland…
Over the years I have slowly ticked off each major (or minor) valley that is within proximity of the Milford Road. After tackling the easier to negotiate tracks like Key Summit (Routeburn Track) and the Gertrude Valley I began venturing up the less beaten tracks like Mistake and Falls Creeks. After running out of tracks I began to explore the small trackless valleys like Monkey and Cirque Creek, and while being tough outings, the missions were excellent. However now I have to take my bad hip and back into account when head out on a mish.
Some of my favourite adventures have been when I have left the road and headed straight into the bush, and then eventually above the treeline. Along with the world-class views, the off-track travel usually means you will have the entire valley to yourself. The fact that the area is so stunning to the eyes really boggles the mind when you are the only one taking in the beauty. There is something so Fiordland about having an entire valley to yourself!
One valley that has always interested me is the West Cleddau Valley near Piopiotahi Milford Sound. I first looked at heading up the valley in 2021, however the place was still in a shambles after being hit by a storm that produced more than a metre of rain over a 40-hour period. Along with severe damage to the famous ‘Chasm Track’ many of the other trails in the area were wiped off the map. On that mish I settled on a march up the Grave Talbot Pass Track and that was a real adventure as I had to avoid a tonne of track damage. It would be many years later that I would have another go at getting up one a smaller valley accessible by the Milford Road.
Now over four years later I would return with my gear, a body in slightly better condition, and a plan to get some of the way up the valley and find a spot to pitch my tent. It would be a rare occasion when I would have to carry all of my camping and exploring gear in one go. I knew it wouldn’t be a simple wander as most of the short hike would be off-track. Along with the bush-bashing there was the reality that I would have to cross the Cleddau River to get to a good spot to pitch my tent. And of course, like so many missions before that means I’ll have wet feet in Fiordland…
