Top Things to do in Te Anau
Countries
10 Things to do in Te Anau That You Shouldn't Miss
A gateway to Fjordland National Park, the quaint and peaceful township of Te Anau is nestled on the edge of a lake of the same name—the perfect site for jetboating or fishing. Embark on one of many day-long or multi-day hiking or walking tracks, then return to town to restore your body with a soak or massage at a spa and a delicious café meal. Nature lovers will marvel at the Te Anau glowworm caves, the Wildlife Park and Ivon Wilson Park, where rare Takahe birds flutter freely.
Restaurants in Te Anau
1. Fiordland National Park (Te Wahipounamu)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 658 reviews
Reviewed By 67arda - North Shore, New Zealand
we did both kepler and routeburn tracks = such a gem of an area and so pristine - lovely to meet full of like minded folk along the way who equally enjoyed taking the time to fully breathe in the environs ....tip - take your time and keep camera charged !
2. Doubtful Sound
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,296 reviews
Reviewed By Nalacoops1950
Go Orange provide a very professional, organised service and meet their promise of a trip with small numbers on a comfortable boat. Travis and Karina were the guide and.captain for the day, both being amusing, knowledgeable and enthusiastic in making it enjoyable for all, The trip across lake Manapouri is a great start to the day, followed by an interesting bus ride to the harbour. Karina made a few stops showing interesting place on the way. The 3 hours sailing the Sound is full of spectacular mountains, waterfalls and scenery all around. Time passed quickly and at the end you have the pleasure of reversing the bus journey and Manapouri lake crossing to look forward to. It is not a cheap trip but does provide the small personal tour promised in a comfortable boat with enough personal space to view the Sound. We would certainly do the trip again and would recommend it to others. Thanks for a superb and memorable day
3. Milford Sound
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,688 reviews
Reviewed By EugenioA193 - Singapore, Singapore
The tour we take starts from Queenstown to milford Sound national park, ee contract our tour with #southerndiscoveries and starting wit our guide and driver Greg, we feel safe with Greg due to the weather conditions on the road, slippery road with snow and Etc, the trip Magic all the information along the road Greg gave us, we arrive on time and the service incredible all the logistics without a mistake, we arrive the ship and start the trip beautiful sights and all incredible until we returned to Queenstown Safe and Happy, magic experience is a must on the south Island in New Zealand
4. Te Anau Glowworm Caves
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,476 reviews
Visit the Te Anau Glowworm Caves - an underground network of limestone caves lit by hundreds of glowworms. In the darkness they produce a glittering display. Carved out by the force of the river, the underground world is surprisingly beautiful with whirlpools and roaring waterfalls. Begin with a scenic cruise across Lake Te Anau and then our nature guides will take you in groups through the caves and then in a small boat into the grotto. Departs Te Anau.
Reviewed By 554michaelr554 - Umina Beach, Australia
I know there are many sites around the world you can see glowworms but this tour is so different. Harry (Potter) our guide was full of very interesting information on all things glowworm and also provided a lot of information on the formation of the underground caves,. After a short walk through the cave we reached an underground jetty where we stepped into a small dinghy and in complete darkness Harry used a wall mounted chain to pull us along a section filled with glowworms. What an absolutely marvellous experience. Once back at the kiosk we were given a short slideshow lecture on the life and times of the glowworm, overall a fantastic experience. I should add that the boat ride to the glowworms was also interesting with informative information on Lake Te Anau as well as a slight detour along the way to highlight some of the more picturesque aspects of Lake Te Anau
5. Gertrude Saddle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 49 reviews
Reviewed By KazSydAustralia - Sydney, Australia
This is no ordinary NZ tramp. Tough because it does not have a normal track. Mostly rocks, streams, snow and everything in between. Best not to take young children because of the terrain. Just make sure you are fit and properly equipped. Good boots, nordic walking sticks, snacks, water bottle etc. Extraordinarily beautiful views along the way and right at the top, provided the weather is good on the day. So please check forecast before starting. So good luck.
6. Lake Te Anau
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,092 reviews
Reviewed By 151Sunseeker67 - Tauranga, New Zealand
So peaceful and beautiful, a must see on a south island trip and a peaceful contrast to the hussle and bussle of Queenstown. Plenty of places to stay and quite a few options for food as well as a good supermarket.
7. Kepler Track
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 502 reviews
Reviewed By k-fairbrother-nz - Upper Hutt, New Zealand
A multi day walk not for the faint-hearted or unfit but in saying this i managed to complete this walk after having broken my ankle a few months prior and then needing surgery and a moon boot which was removed 4 weeks before the trip. I was way out of shape and found this much harder for not having had enough time to build my fitness back up. Absolutely loved it though and would do it all again with the same barriers which is mostly down to my own stubborness and determination. Would definitely prefer to be fitter though! Kea on the top of Luxmore, South Island Robins and Whio along the Iris Burn section, well equipped huts and knowledgeable rangers, stunning scenery including mountain peaks, clear rivers, diverse bush/forest, amazing views, beautiful lake. All in all this was an incredible tramp and highly recommended.
8. The Chasm Walk
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 619 reviews
Always check the website for changes that might affect your trip.
Reviewed By ksufan88 - Wichita, United States
This is a very easy loop walk (slightly uphill for the first half) from the parking area that affords excellent views of a dramatic waterfall with several interesting rock formations. One of my wife’s personal favorites was the holes that have been created in the rocks by pebbles. There are ferns and other plants to observe along the walk. Total time to walk round trip is 20-30 minutes.
9. Lake 2 Lake Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 24 reviews
The Lake2Lake trail runs alongside Lake Te Anau and the East side of the Waiau river towards Lake Manapouri. The total length to Manapouri will be 28km. The first 19km from Te Anau to Balloon Loop and last 4.7km from Manapouri to Supply Bay Road is now open for walkers, runners, cyclists and any other non-motorised transport (e-bikes welcome).
Reviewed By klvmar
We rented bikes from Wild Rides in downtown Te Anau and embarked on a beautiful ride, past Lake Te Anau and along the Waiau River to Lake Manapouri. Most of the trail was easy, but there were a few hairpin curves that were a bit much for us, as 70-year-old senior citizens. But overall, it was a great ride. My favorite remembrance of the trail was at a viewing platform on the Lake Te Anau Control Structure (in other words, a dam) where this warning was posted: "Danger: No Jumping Off the Wall: Extreme Danger Below". Next to this warning was another sign that read "Darwin Awards Candidate". Pretty funny!
10. Te Anau Bird Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 286 reviews
Reviewed By gernita24 - Auckland Central, New Zealand
We happened to arrive at the sanctuary just as they were about to begin a trial version of the new tours they will be running from Dec 16th 2020. We were invited to join in and were so glad we said yes. We learnt so much from the knowledgeable guides and loved the fact that we got to go in the enclosure with the takahe. They currently have 2 families and we got to see all 4 adults and the 3 chicks. They came pretty close to us as we were near the feeding station. Such a great experience to see these birds which were once thought to be extinct. We also got to go in the duck enclosure and hand feed them. We thought the $10 they will be charging was excellent value (kids will go free) and if you don’t want to do a tour you can make a gold coin donation and make your own way round reading the informative signs.
