Summer in Fiordland is a beautiful thing and a holiday in this place of overwhelming natural beauty presses the re-set button in unimaginable ways.
Te Anau is a small town with a big heart, the perfect base camp for summer adventures. The famed Southland hospitality is genuine visitors are enthusiastically welcomed.
Snow has all but disappeared from mountain tops in summer, and lush green rainforest abounds, with the bright red flowers of the Southern rata (native Christmas tree) dotted throughout. Temperatures creep into the late 20 degrees encouraging family fun from a dip in the lakes to a paddle or a fishing expedition or simply a picnic on the beach.
Summer is the best time to explore the Fiordland based New Zealand Great Walks – the Kepler, Milford and Routeburn tracks. But there are also dozens of free day walks, including excursions found along the road to Milford, at Lake Manapouri or around Lake Te Anau.
The walks are the best places to spot forest birds like tomtits, fantails, tūī, bellbird and native wood pigeons, while the Eglinton Valley is a stronghold for kākāriki, robin and kākā. The cheeky mountain parrot, the kea, likes to hang out around the Homer Tunnel.
Summer must-do’s in Fiordland
The Te Anau Bird Sanctuary is top of the must do list, just a short stroll around the lake from Te Anau township and home to the pre-historic looking takahe. Originally thought to be extinct the unique bird was rediscovered in Fiordland and is the region’s pride and joy.
Take a boat cruise in Milford (Piopiotahi) or Doubtful (Patea) sounds and spot rare Bottlenose dolphins, Fiordland Crested penguins and fur seals. Charter cruises venture deep into Fiordland for outstanding fishing, diving, ocean-to-plate crayfish, kayaking and paddleboarding.
Take to the air by float or fixed wing aeroplane or helicopter to appreciate the sheer grandeur of towering mountains, glacial-carved valleys, thundering waterfalls and Fiordland’s magnificent coastline.
Dine on local game and fresh seafood in outstanding restaurants or delicious Asian dishes at Te Anau’s first food truck. Sleep soundly and well in accommodation ranging from BnB’s to motels, boutique properties and luxury lodges.
Jump on an e-bike to explore the area, or ‘make like a local’ and find a swimming hole in the largest body of fresh water in Australasia.
Experience your own backyard
Fiordland – Beyond Belief is the destination’s recently launched brand which targets domestic visitors and positions Te Anau as base camp for a world of adventure and fun.
“We’d seen the untapped potential of domestic visitors for a long time, people who have travelled all around the world without fully exploring what their own backyard has to offer,” says Destination Fiordland manager Madeleine Peacock. ”There is so much more to the area that just Milford Sound and a quick stopover in Te Anau on the way there and back.”
“Fiordland – Beyond Belief conveys the scale, grandeur and mind-blowing nature of the area, and applies to everything on offer from the people who call Fiordland ‘home’ to the quality of experiences, accommodation and food, and a deep sense of connection with the environment.”
“Our research identified Kiwis’ desire to connect with nature, looking for real world experiences, connecting with natural environments and ensuring those environments will be protected for generations to come – it’s about who we are as Kiwis,” she says. “So come and say hello. There’s never been a better time.”
Launching from Te Anau Basecamp
With Te Anau as the basecamp for Fiordland adventures, visitors can take time travelling to Milford Sound by road – just two hours on this beautifully scenic route.
To reach Doubtful Sound is just a short drive to Manapouri then a boat trip across Lake Manapouri followed by a bus tour over the Wilmot Pass to the sound.
The journey from Te Anau to the start of the Milford Track (by bus then boat) is about 1 hour 45 minutes, while it takes 1 hr 15 mins from Te Anau to The Divide to access the Routeburn Track and just 5km from Te Anau to the start of the Kepler Track.
There are a variety of track transport options or car relocation specialists can move vehicles from one end of a track to another.
