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The 8 Best Things to Do in Te Anau, New Zealand
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. Routeburn Track
Overall Ratings
5 based on 539 reviews
Great Walks season is October - April (see website for exact dates). Outside this period facilities are greatly reduced and there are additional safety hazards to consider. Always check the website for changes that might affect your trip. See website for the price of accommodation on this track.
Reviewed By BEGO3791 - Madrid, Spain
First time in new Zealand and first great walk there. The scenery is always changing, from limestone Mountains to deep forest to rivers and lakes, ferns.... beautiful. First day amazing sunny day till Routeburn falls hut. Ranger very nice and hut well organized and comfortable. Second day cloudy, nice to walk but we couldn't enjoy the Mountains as much as we'd have liked it. We have to walk to Lake Howden hut cos there wasn't bunks available in lake Mackenzie. That day we walked many kilometers. You can do it but it is a long day walking. This hut is older than the first one. Ranger very nice too. Last day to the divide raining a lot and windy.
2. Fiordland National Park (Te Wahipounamu)
Overall Ratings
5 based on 518 reviews
Reviewed By LibbyH1 - Cincinnati, Ohio
At a minimum, this offers a lovely drive through a beautiful forest. You need to go through this to get to Milford Sound and many of the famous hikes so many people take. This is an incredibly beautiful place to visit and should be on everyone's to do list when visiting New Zealand.
3. Milford Sound
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By Barry T - Knutsford, United Kingdom
Booked through Mitre Peak organisation in Te Anua. Small bus with Sasha and her daughter as guides. Really good and would highly recommend. Lots of local land stories from an excellent host
4. Doubtful Sound
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By Harriet R - Summerville, South Carolina
This was truly a wonderful experience. We enjoyed the bottle nose dolphins jumping alongside the ship, the fur seals and searching for the Penguin. Lots of information from a crew member. Kayaking, swimming and a trip on the tender craft was offered. The food and crew were fantastic. Our rooms were small but very comfortable for our over night stay.
You could enjoy all of this or just lay back and enjoy the peace!
5. Kepler Track
Overall Ratings
5 based on 391 reviews
Reviewed By Larry P - Fargo, North Dakota
We hiked just for one day from the Kepler car park near Te Anau to Brod Bay and then for about 30 minutes up toward Luxmore Hut and returned. The last stretch was steadily uphill at a steep grade, so tiring. Almost all the hike from the Control Gates is through a beech forest that has lots of moss and ferns. The landscape is many shades of green. As someone from the North American Great Plains, I could have used a little more open space. I was glad it was a sunny day when we hiked.
6. Lake Te Anau
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 851 reviews
Reviewed By dskid - Overland Park, Kansas
Our motel was just across the street from the lake and we walked along the shore a number of times to enjoy the scenic beauty. We were at the end of the lake adjacent to Te Anau and there were very few activities on the lake during our stay there. A couple of sight-seeing boats that were relatively small and a floatplane. This was a great stop on our way around the South Island.
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7. The Chasm Walk
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 424 reviews
Always check the website for changes that might affect your trip.
Reviewed By Robert E
We pulled into the parking lot and found to our amazement a coffee car, with friendly service and excellent coffee. The walk to The Chasm was not very arduous on an excellent track. The view was really interesting and well worth the visit.
8. Te Anau Glowworm Caves
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 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 Alison C
We did our tour with the company Real Journeys - highly recommend them and they have several other tours available within Fiordland National Park too. The glowworm caves were a short journey across Lake Te Anau. We entered the dark cave and walked over an underground waterfall. Then we climbed in to a tiny boat and were pulled via a rope through the cavern. As our eyes adjusted and we looked above us, we could see the small green lights emitted by the glow worms. They tended to group together appearing almost like mini constellations! We had to be completely silent and it was pitch black, since the worms are sensitive to light and sound. It was a very unique experience. I wouldn't recommend if you are claustrophobic or afraid of the dark, otherwise it's spectacular.
