Fortunately, most of the time spent walking the Milford Track--a four-day, 33.5-mile walk on New Zealand's South Island--involves more marveling than worrying about the surroundings.

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At the top of Mackinnon Pass, the high point of Milford Track in every sense, are some of the most spectacular views of the deep, U-shaped Arthur and Clinton valleys on either side.

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"Flooding, snow, high winds, avalanche risk, slips and rock falls can all occur at any time of the year, " says Christine Officer, program manager at the DOC office in Te Anau (a two-hour bus ride from Queenstown), which manages the Milford Track.

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