Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park offers some of New Zealand’s most impressive outdoor adventures. Hike past snowcapped peaks, cascading waterfalls and mossy forests. Take a cruise down mystic-looking Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound, join a sea kayaking tour or go scuba diving in glassy lakes. The landscape hasn’t changed much from when the first Māori people came here to catch fish and find jade. In the park you can still find New Zealand’s rare flightless birds.
Discover picturesque Lake Te Anau on a kayaking trip, cruise or fishing charter. Head to the Te Anau Wildlife Centre, just a short walk from the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre, to see New Zealand’s kea and kaka parrots and takahē and weka (wood hens).
To admire Fiordland’s aquatic wonders, visit the Underwater Observatory at Harrison Cove. If you are a scuba diver and visiting in winter, put on a dry suit and explore the unique underwater landscape on a guided dive. Tannin-laden water from the mountains forms a dark layer on the seawater, creating an unusual habitat of black-coral colonies for reef fish and sea pens.
During the warmer months, gear up to hike the Milford, Kepler or Manapouri tracks. The Milford Track is the most famous and is 53.5 kilometres (33 miles) long. Hire a guide or register to go independently; bring supplies for 4 to 5 days. Book ahead to get bunk beds in the rustic huts, with kitchen facilities, along the way.
The often wet and cold hike to the Mackinnon Pass is rewarded with views over the valley, snowy Mount Hart and Mount Balloon.
Fiordland National Park lies in the south-western tip of New Zealand. Lake Te Anau and its village are a 2-hour drive away from all the transport options and tour agents in Queenstown. From Te Anau, it’s 2 hours by coach to Milford Sound. Cruises over Doubtful Sound and some major hikes leave from Manapouri.