Things To Do in Te Anau

Before you head into Fiordland National Park, your first stop in Te Anau should be at Fiordland Cinema, 7 The Lane, Te Anau (tel. 03/249-8844). This cool boutique movie house was custom built to screen a 30-minute narrated film Ata Whenua based on two years of footage filmed by helicopter pilots in Fiordland National Park. It’s absolutely stunning footage (it brought tears to my eyes) and gives you a sense of the park’s scale and what makes it truly unique. It’s just a bonus that the cinema is also home to the Black Dog Bar, a little cocktail bar that’s the only place you can sample the region’s famous crayfish (most of it is exported to China). You can even take your wine or drinks in while you watch the movie. The movie screens daily at 5pm and 6pm for NZ$12.

Next up is the Punanga Manu o Te Anau/Te Anau Bird Sanctuary, which can be found beside the DOC visitor center. It’s home to rare and endemic bird species, including takahē and kākā. If you visit in the spring months, you may even be lucky enough to see their chicks.

For a beautifully relaxed day on Lake Te Anau, Fiordland Historic Cruises (tel. 03/249-8174) will invite you abroad Faith, a historic sailing ship. While the tour’s name here implies you’re going to learn history about the lake and the area, you’ll actually learn much more history about the ship itself—but you will gain a greater understanding of the area’s ecology on a short guided walk to the Hidden Lakes. Your ticket (NZ$120 adults and NZ$50 ages 5 to 17) includes unlimited drinks, “canapes” (a word that’s really underselling the spread of pastries and sweets the friendly staff serve) and the opportunity to drive the boat or help hoist the sails. (Sailors and captains hats provided!)

If that sounds a bit too sedate for your tastes, Fiordland Jet  (tel]  0800/253-826 in NZ) operates a fun jetboat ride down the Upper Waiau River to Lake Manapouri, with lots of 360 spins, stops at “Lord of the Rings” filming locations, and a short guided walk on the Kepler Track. Afterwards, you can opt to cycle back to Te Anau on e-bikes on the newly formed Lake2Lake Cycle Trail. While the hour bike ride back to town is a great way to see the area with lots of photos stops along the way, the bike ride is best for those who are very confident cyclists, as the trail is very loose gravel. It costs NZ$209 for adults and NZ$124 for kids aged 5 to 15.

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.

Doubtful Sounds

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 so we recommend booking a tour with RealNZ. Their Doubtful Sound cruise is 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!