Te Anau

Te Anau sits on the edge of its namesake lake and borders Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area. The road through the town connects Queenstown and Milford Sound.

This area makes a great base for visiting Fiordland National Park – an amazing wilderness featuring gorgeous fiords, numerous waterfalls and ancient snowcapped peaks. The mountains are covered with lush rainforests and many beautiful waterfalls tumble hundreds of feet into enormous fiords. This natural environment of shimmering lakes and huge granite peaks has not changed in over a thousand years.

Because the town is home to a wide range of accommodation such as lodges and hotels, many fine restaurants and shopping, it is the perfect place to stay when visiting the Milford and Doubtful Sounds. In addition, there is an abundance of hiking in the area. In fact, two of New Zealand’s great walking tracks start at the lake: the Milford Track and the Kepler Track. Other popular activities in the area include lake and fiord cruising, fishing, kayaking and visiting glowworm caves.

The Department of Conservation Visitor Center is on the Lakefront and a Wildlife Park is within walking distance from it. There are variety of birds you can see here including the flightless Takahes, Kakas, Tuis, Keas and Parakeets.