Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Air services to Te Anau and Fiordland are provided by Air Fiordland Ltd. (tel. 0800/107-505 in NZ, or 03/249-6720; fax 03/249-6721; www.airfiordland.com). Charter flights are also available.

By Coach (Bus) -- Daily coach service runs between Te Anau and Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill via InterCity (tel. 09/623-1503). Daily service also runs to Te Anau and Milford Sound from Queenstown. And numerous shuttle bus companies make daily trips, too. Information is available at the visitor centers in Queenstown, Invercargill, and Te Anau.

By Car -- From Queenstown, take State Highway 6, then State Highway 94.

Orientation

Te Anau's main street is State Highway 94, called Milford Road within the township, with the post office, restaurants, grocery stores, and most shops. The majority of hotels and motels are on Lakefront Drive, which stretches attractively around the lake. The township is tiny and very easy to negotiate on foot or by car.

Visitor Information

The Fiordland i-SITE Visitor Centre, Lakefront Drive, Te Anau (tel. 03/249-8900; fax 03/249-7022; fiordland-isite@realjourneys.co.nz), sits at the lake end of Milford Road. It shares the same office as Real Journeys (tel. 0800/656-501 in NZ, or 03/249-7416; www.realjourneys.co.nz). Hours are daily from 8:30am to 6pm in summer and 8:30am to 4:30pm in winter. The Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre, Lakefront Drive, Te Anau (tel. 03/249-7924; fax 03/249-8515; www.doc.govt.nz), is a must for anyone contemplating doing either short walks around Te Anau or the well-known multiday tramps -- Hollyford, Routeburn, Milford, Kepler, and Caples. It's open daily in summer from 8:30am to 6pm, and in winter until 4:30pm. It operates 8:30am to 1pm on December 25. For more information, go to www.fiordland.org.nz or www.fiordlandnz.com.

Tip: Natural Mystery

For an excellent cinematic introduction to the greater Fiordland region -- much of which you will never lay eyes on otherwise -- make sure you see Ata Whenua-Shadowland, a stunning and unforgettable cinematic journey. Call Fiordland Cinema, The Lane, Te Anau (tel. 03/249-8812; www.fiordlandcinema.co.nz), for session times. It costs NZ$10.

Special Events

The DOC Fiordland Summer Nature Programme (tel. 03/249-7921) presents a wide range of adventures in the national park during the summer months, and encourages people to explore some of the park's lesser known beauties. Details are available from the National Park Visitor Centre. The Kepler Challenge and the Luxmore Grunt (tel. 03/249-9596; www.keplerchallenge.co.nz) are tough international ultra-marathon races held in December each year.