Attractions

Milford and Doubtful sounds are the primary draws of this area, and in Te Anau you'll discover a number of options for exploring one or both. You can drive, fly, or take a coach to Milford Sound from Te Anau, and you can fly over or take a scenic cruise through Doubtful Sound.

You'll quickly discover that people in Te Anau are reluctant to recommend one sound or one excursion above another, so explore the choices carefully. Consider your available time and the amount of money you want to spend. My advice would be to drive to Milford and, if you can, overnight on one of the boats; then, if you're still keen to see Doubtful and Dusky sounds, take the 40-minute flight. Not only does this take just a fraction of the cruise time, but you also get a thrilling perspective of otherwise inaccessible areas.

Air Fiordland, Town Centre (tel. 0800/107-505 in NZ, or 03/249-7505; www.airfiordland.com), has several Milford Sound flight packages, some combining cruise options, plus an excellent 40-minute flight over Doubtful Sound.

Southern Lakes Helicopters, Lakefront Drive (tel. 03/249-7167; www.southernlakeshelicopters.co.nz), has a 50-minute flight over Doubtful Sound that passes soaring peaks and waterfalls. The highlight is the flight into Campbell's Kingdom, which is accessible only by helicopter. Call for prices of all their flights. Fiordland Helicopters, Te Anau Airport (tel. 03/249-7575; www.fiordlandhelicopters.co.nz), offers trips that range from 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. It's a little cheaper than Southern Lakes, but it's based farther out of town and runs only one helicopter.

If a full-day bus tour (from Te Anau) is more your style, join the "Discover Milford Sound" tour run by Great Sights (tel. 0800/744-487 in NZ; www.greatsights.co.nz). It runs daily, departing 10:15am from Te Anau Travel Centre and returns at 5:15pm. It costs NZ$205 (US$145/£74) for adults and NZ$103 (US$73/£37) for children ages 5 to 14. You can include lunch for an extra NZ$30 (US$21/£11) per person. Another good option is the popular Milford Sound Barbecue Bus (tel. 0800/421-045; www.milford.net.nz), which departs from either Queenstown or Te Anau. It's a smaller group tour and includes a classic barbecue lunch in spectacular Hollyford Valley rather than on the cruise boats.

Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound makes an idyllic day excursion from Lake Manapouri. At 21m (69 ft.), it's the deepest of the fiords. Filled with ancient rainforest, cascading waterfalls, towering peaks, and abundant wildlife, it's an unforgettable experience. An air of complete silence, broken only by birdcall, adds to the mystery.

Doubtful Sound is 10 times bigger than Milford, and although it can't boast Mitre Peak, its still waters mirror 1,200m (3,900-ft.) Commander Peak. Another difference between the two sounds is that you always know Milford is close to civilization because of the buzz of aircraft going to and from the airstrip and the multitude of buses that make their way there on a daily basis. Doubtful is much more remote.

There's no way to get to Doubtful Sound on your own. Real Journeys transports visitors from Manapouri, then takes a launch trip to the West Arm, followed by a 20km (12-mile) coach trip to Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound. The coach takes you up and over Wilmot Pass, 662m (2,171 ft.) above sea level, stopping on the way to visit Manapouri Power Station, where you spiral 225 eerie meters (750 ft.) downward to view the seven immense underground turbines. A second launch then takes you out into the sound, and if you're lucky, you'll spot the resident pod of 60 or more dolphins, fur seals, and rare crested penguins. You'll get close enough to waterfalls to feel the spray, and you'll be able to savor total silence when the captain shuts off the engine.

Real Journey's Doubtful Sound day excursions use a modern, purpose-built catamaran, Patea Explorer. It carries 150 passengers over two decks and departs daily from Manapouri with connecting coaches from Queenstown or Te Anau. Visitors can self-drive from Queenstown in 2 1/2 hours and from Te Anau in 40 minutes. Reservations are essential. From Manapouri, the Wilderness trip costs NZ$245 (US$174/£88) for adults, NZ$55 (US$39/£20) for children ages 5 to 14. From Te Anau, add about NZ$20 (US$14/£7.20), and about NZ$70 (US$50/£25), from Queenstown. Pre-ordered picnic lunches start at NZ$15 (US$11/£5.40). From October to May, Real Journey's offers overnight cruises on the Fiordland Navigator. Prices vary depending on the season, starting at NZ$424 (US$301/£153) for an off-peak cruise from Manapouri; children's fares start at NZ$212 (US$150/£77).

A Sound Difference -- Real Journey's Doubtful Sound cruise has English-only commentary and two styles of picnic lunches available. It's a longer cruise than the Milford Sound option and much more remote. You'll see far fewer people at Doubtful -- and given that there are around 100 buses a day going into Milford, that says a lot. Milford Sound is more dramatic and awe-inspiring, but Doubtful is a lot more untouched and remote. You're also far more likely to see wildlife at Doubtful -- not that the dolphins are on the payroll!

The Milford Track & Other Walks

Most dedicated trampers consider the famous Milford Track among the finest anywhere in the world. Four days are required to walk the 54km (33 miles) from Glad Jetty at Lake Te Anau's northern end to Sandfly Point on the western bank of Milford Sound. Other popular walks in this area are the Hollyford Valley, the Routeburn, and the Kepler.

All A-Glow -- The Te Anau Glowworm Caves excursion on Lake Te Anau is operated by Real Journeys, Lakefront Drive, Te Anau (tel. 0800/656-501 in NZ, or 03/249-7416; www.realjourneys.co.nz). This adventure runs year-round and includes an underground boat ride into the glowworm grotto. The geologically young caves (only about 15,000 years old) have 200m (660 ft.) of passages, which are still being formed by water cascading down the cave tiers at a rate of 55,000 gallons per minute. On the second level of the waterbed, you'll see the glowworm grotto. A major upgrade of the caves excursion was completed in October 2006. This includes a new multi-million dollar catamaran for accessing the caves across Lake Te Anau. If you want to make the most of the 15km (10-mile) scenic lake cruise, take the daylight option (NZ$56/US$40/£20 for adults, NZ$15/US$11/£5.40 for children ages 5 to 14). Alternatively, evening options provide an interesting nocturnal experience from October to April.