Just two hours from Queenstown airport, the beautiful little town of Te Anau and the neighbouring village of Manapouri (a few kilometres south) are at the heart of Fiordland, New Zealand’s largest national park with world heritage status. Te Anau and Manapouri are where you base yourself if visiting Fiordland, and this is where Fiordlanders live.

These are the only towns next to the national park. Both Te Anau and Manapouri are built on the shores of massive, pristine lakes (Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri) that are part of the national park; so just dip your toe in the water of these lakes and you are already in the national park. From Te Anau town centre you can walk around the lakefront and onto the famous Kepler track.

10 Popular things to do from Te Anau and Manapouri

#1:- Visit the fiords at Milford, Doubtful Sound & Dusky Sound

Te Anau and Manapouri are the gateways to incredible and world-famous fiords at Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, where you can enjoy a boat cruise or kayak. As well as being right next to the Kepler track, Te Anau is also at the start of the Milford Road; the only road to Milford Sound and the start of the Milford Track. Manapouri is the start of the journey to Doubtful Sound, which is also a beautiful fiord further south. If you want to visit these fiords, or more of these stunning fiords further south, or walk these beautiful tracks, then you need to base yourself in Te Anau or Manapouri.

Milford Sound is of course the most famous sound, attracting up to a million visitors a year, but that’s partly because you can drive there, 120km north of Te Anau on the Milford Road. It’s stunningly beautiful, however, stretching 15 km inland. Captain John Grono discovered it in 1812 (after Captain Cook had failed to spot it) and named it after his hometown in Wales, Milford Haven. Lush forests cling to the 1,200m-tall cliffs in an amazing display of successful plant colonisation against all odds. Mountains are all around, including the iconic Mitre Peak. Penguins, seals and dolphins all live here, along with tasty rock lobster. The cliffs around the sound rise to 1,200 metres. There are two beautiful and permanent waterfalls in the sound, Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls, tumbling over hanging valleys high above. You can join a cruise in the sound or explore it by kayak.

The second-most visited sound is Doubtful Sound, accessible from Manapouri, and without question just as beautiful. It has three arms, making it feel a more intimate sound than Milford Sound. You really get up close to the forest and cliff edges. It is home to many NZ wildlife, including one of the most southern populations of bottle-nosed dolphins, which were previously in decline but which have since seen recovery in numbers. They are some of the largest bottle-nosed dolphins in the world, growing to more than four metres in length. To get to Doubtful Sound you catch a boat across Manapouri Lake, then a coach journey over Wilmot Pass. The greater isolation of the fiord makes it a particularly magical place, but it is easy to organise a cruise or kayak experience here too, and arguably it’s easier to get to because you only have to drive to Manapouri rather than Milford Sound.

You can also visit Dusky Sound, which is the third-most visited sound is Dusky Sound. This is further south than Doubtful Sound but can be visited by boat from Doubtful Sound. It is a very long sound at 40km in length and is a breeding area for the rare Fiordland penguins.

#2:- Go for a stroll or jog at famous Walking tracks

The most famous walking tracks in Fiordland National Park are its ‘great walks’ on good quality tracks maintained by the Department of Conservation. But there are other tracks too, and options to walk our tracks independently or guided. If you are a a visitor to New Zealand your first step to walking here is to understand that the Kiwi word for walking is “tramping”. If you want to tramp, Fiordland is definitely the place for you.

The Milford track is the most famous track of all, travelling from the west side of Lake Te Anau, over the Wilmot Pass to Milford Sound in the North. The track was cut by pioneer explorers in the 1880s. For more information on this heroic effort, go to our History page.

There is a spirited argument about which is more beautiful; the Milford track or the Routeburn track next door. The Routeburn Track wends its way from the Divide (accessible from the Milford Road) towards, and into, Mount Aspiring National Park.

The third great walk is the Kepler track, which starts from the shores of Lake Te Anau, just outside the town of Te Anau. It’s therefore the most accessible great walk, but again there are arguments about whether it is the most beautiful.

In short, all three great walks traverse awesome valleys and mountain ranges in Fiordland and are fantastic tramping routes, and if you have the time then you should do them all. You always have the promise of a warm bed and a good meal in Te Anau between trips!

All three great walks have Department of Conservation huts along their route. It is essential to book ahead to stay in these huts, particularly on the Milford Track. Go to the Department of Conservation website to book, or pop into the Department of Conservation visitor centre on the lakefront in Te Anau (south of the main street) to find out last-minute availability.

There are many more multi-day walks in Fiordland – it is 1.2 million hectares of wilderness after all. The Hollyford track (in the north of the park, down one of our most beautiful valleys) and the Humpridge track (in the south of the park) both have huts along their routes. (In the case of the Humpridge Track these are not owned and run by the Department of Conservation as this route is privately operated by the Tuatapere community).

There are many routes for experienced trampers in Fiordland, such as the difficult Dore Pass. These routes are much less well-marked and can be very challenging, including some potentially dangerous river crossings and mountain passes. A good range of topographical maps from Fiordland Frontier, Outside Sports, and the Department of Conservation visitor centre are available in Te Anau. The Department of Conservation can also give safety advice on these routes and weather conditions.

#3:- See a Takahe in Te Anau’s wildlife centre (Punanga Manu o Te Anau)

The incredibly rare takahe bird is arguably Te Anau’s biggest draw card. It is an incredibly rare endemic bird. There are only about 200 left in the wild, living high up in the Murchison Mountains opposite Te Anau on the other side of Lake Te Anau, in Fiordland National Park.

Immense efforts are being taken to protect them in this wild place from invasive, non-native predators, particularly stoats and rats. There is an intensive trapping programme in operation in the Murchison Mountains.

To emphasise the importance of this fabulous bird to the Te Anau community, there is a giant fibreglass model of one near the lakefront which is great for family photo calls. But don’t think this is the closest you are going to get to one. The great news is that you have a very good chance of seeing one right here in Te Anau, at our bird park (officially known as the Wildlife Centre but the only creatures in it are our endemic birds).

To get to the park, you can go on a leisurely stroll south on the lakefront, past the yacht club. Entry to the park is free and the large Takahe enclosure is clearly marked. There are many other rare New Zealand birds you can also see in the park.

Learn more about this bird from the DOC website.

#4:- Enjoy Panoramas of Fiordland from the skies on a Helicopter or plane Tour

From Te Anau and Manapouri, you can view the dramatic panoramas of Fiordland from the skies in one of our helicopters. Don’t forget your camera, as you won’t stop clicking.

Fiordland is one of the best places in New Zealand to experience a scenic flight. Its immense diversity is incomparable. Nowhere else do you have the chance, within one hour, to fly along a dramatic coast, up 1000 metre vertical cliffs, over lush rainforest, lakes and mountains, and land on a glacier or by a mighty waterfall.

The great thing about helicopters is they are very manoeuvrable. They give a marvellous up-close view. Many people also report they feel less air sick in a helicopter. Helicopters can also land where planes can’t, so they can often do pick-ups from out-of-town bed and breakfasts on large pieces of land, for example.

Fiordland pilots are experienced and spend a lot of time in the air. This is often for reasons other than sightseeing trips. Helicopters are used throughout Fiordland for a whole range of tasks. They are used for land and sea rescue operations, and to cull deer by shooting from helicopters (a very effective way of managing deer herds in areas over-run with deer). Helicopters are also used for conservation projects, enabling conservation workers to access remote areas for pest control purposes and to monitor native bird populations. Helicopters also enable maintenance of remote tramping huts on the Milford, Kepler and Routeburn tracks and elsewhere, and aerial bombing to disperse snow that is at risk of causing road avalanches.

#5:- Visit Fiordland Cinema and enjoy a show

There are many reasons to visit Fiordland Cinema if you are in this region. If it is raining or if you are tired for the day, enjoy a relaxing experience at the Fiordland Cinema.

Some of the interesting things you might like when visiting this place.

• It’s a beautiful, smart, and warm cinema with simply massive seats.
• It shows a great range of recent releases and special movies.
• Several times a day (usually in the afternoon) it shows the incredible movie Ata Whenua (Shadowland) which showcases Fiordland from the air, using extraordinary footage from helicopters. (This is no surprise because the owner of the cinema is renowned helicopter pilot Kim Hollows.)
• You can be served a range of hot and cold drinks, including alcohol, while you watch your movie, along with popcorn or scrummy cakes.
• When you walk into the cinema in winter you are met with a roaring log fire. We’ve never come across another cinema with a log fire in the reception area.
• The cinema includes an awesome bar called the Black Dog which is great for functions and also benefits from the roaring log fire.

Check out the latest shows on the website.

#6:- Swimming in the Lakes

If you like to swim in mountain lakes, then you will love Te Anau and Manapouri. These locations often have long hot summers that are perfect for family trips to the beach. And what could be better after a day’s tramping, kayaking or running, than to dive into our pure mountain lakes?

Lake Te Anau is the largest body of freshwater in Australasia, a stunning lake with three deep arms spreading west like fingers into Fiordland. There is a popular swimmingarea to the north of town near the boat marina. Along the Kepler track, which runs along the lake edge for 5.6km, there are beaches at Dock Bay and Brod Bay. These can be reached on foot, or alternatively hop on the Kepler water taxi from Te Anau.

Lake Manapouri (connected to Lake Te Anau by the mighty Waiau River) is popularly described as the most beautiful lake in New Zealand. Its beautiful sandy beaches and deep blue waters can make you feel like you are on a pacific island, not deep in the south of New Zealand. Frasers Beach right next to the village is a lovely family beach. However, the most picturesque beaches in Lake Manapouri are undoubtedly reached by boat. So hop in a kayak or go on a lake cruise to reach them.

Both the lakes are great playgrounds but it is important to remember safety first. It takes only a few seconds to get into trouble and drown. The coldness of our lakes away from the shores can easily cause hypothermia even if you are able to swim. And beaches often shelve away from very shallow water to very deep water. If you have young children who cannot swim, make sure you watch them at all times. All children using a play boat should wear a proper life jacket (not a swimming pool-standard buoyancy aid which might not hold a child’s head above water). Life jackets can be bought in Te Anau at Outside Sports on the main street. Never swim in areas used by motorboats.

#7:- Explore the Glowworm Caves of Te Anau

When visiting Te Anau or Manapouri, one of the must-do activities you should not miss is the Te Anau Glowworm Caves. These remarkable limestone caves were developed by river activities and discovered in 1948 by Lawson Burrows. this cave is 250m long and part of the larger Aurora caves system which is 6.7 Km longer.

The main attraction of this cave is the bioluminescent glowworms. Your journey to this cave system starts with a boat trip across the Te Anau Lake. On your boat trip, you can enjoy the amazing scenery of the Fiordland landscape.

Travel through the limestone passages on foot and by boat to find a grotto of thousands of glittering glow worms, native to New Zealand. A great trip for families. It’s also an intimate experience with only 12 people per guide. The trip is great for filling in some spare time (it only takes two and a bit hours) and is operated by Real Journeys.

Conclusion

If you are visiting New Zealand, it is worth staying a couple of days in Te Anau. It is easy to get around Te Anau and Manapouri on foot or bicycle. Both the towns are built on the flat, with little traffic, and most homes and accommodations are within walking distance or easy cycling distance of the shops and restaurants.

If you are doing either the Milford or Doubtful Sound cruise, try to stay here for a hassle-free journey.