Fiordland

Fiordland

Southern Wilderness

Te Anau - the small picturesque town on the shores of Lake Te Anau - is the gateway to the southern wilderness area of Fiordland national park and Milford Sound, and departure point for many walking tracks.

Milford Sound is the only fiord accessible by road. From the head of the fiord, regular cruises take visitors past majestic Mitre Peak and 16km out to the open sea.

Doubtful Sound - three times longer and 10 times larger than Milford Sound - is Fiordland’s second largest fiord. Accessible by boat and plane, this remote wilderness area is renowned for its wildlife.

Heritage

Māori, the first people to discover the beauty of Fiordland, have many stories about the formation and naming of this remote wilderness.

According to one Māori legend, demi-god Tu-te-raki-whanoa used Te Hamo (his adze) to carve the fiords from rock. Starting in the far south, Tu-te-raki-whanoa created a rough coastline and many islands, gradually perfecting his technique along the way. Piopiotahi or Milford Sound was his greatest achievement. When underworld goddess Hine-nui-te-po saw the fiord's beauty, she was worried that visitors would never want to leave so released the sandflies to encourage humans to leave the area.

Early Māori visited Fiordland on hunting trips, and for tangiwai - a translucent greenstone / New Zealand jade - that was found at Anita Bay and at the mouth of Milford Sound.

Captain James Cook and his crew, who spent five weeks anchored in Dusky Sound in 1773, were the first Europeans to visit Fiordland.

Cook’s maps and descriptions of the area attracted sealers and whalers who established New Zealand’s first European settlements. From the mid-19th century on, surveyors, explorers and prospectors began exploring Fiordland’s interior.

Sustainability

Fiordland is one of the southern hemisphere’s great wilderness regions. In 1986 Fiordland was awarded World Heritage status for its stunning natural features, exceptional beauty and role in demonstrating the earth’s evolutionary history.

Sustainable Tourism South - a regional initiative for sustainable best practice in tourism - has 40 tourism operators engaged in a programme to help incorporate sustainable business practices into their business. The project aims to give the tourism sector a leading role in the protection and enhancement of the environment.

Real Journeys - a major tourism operator running tours, cruises and walks in the sounds - was one of the first New Zealand operators to earn a Qualmark Green standard for sustainable practices. Real Journeys is also involved in Department of Conservation (DOC) initiatives.

DOC operates endangered species programmes, including takahe, kiwi and kakapo breeding projects, on pest-free offshore islands. The department ensures human impact is minimised by restricting visitor numbers on more popular walks like the Milford Track.

Nature / Wildlife

Fiordland is a haven for native New Zealand birds, such as tui, kea, kaka, native pigeon, bellbird, tomtit and grey warbler, and the endangered takahe.

The flightless alpine takahe was thought to be extinct until the 1950s when a small group was rediscovered in Fiordland's Murchison and Stuart mountains. Since then, a breeding programme has helped increase the population, and DOC continues to carefully monitor the only wild population of about 160 takahe.

Marine life thrives in the fiords, home to bottlenose dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, Fiordland crested and little blue penguins, and visiting whales. Scenic cruises and kayak tours explore the fiords and wildlife in its natural habitat.

Milford Sound’s high annual rainfall and distinctive narrow shape creates a fresh water layer on top of the seawater, allowing deep-water dwelling species to exist at a much shallower depth. Milford Sound Underwater Observatory and guided dive tours give visitors a glimpse of rare species such as the red and black corals.

Adventure / Outdoors

Three of New Zealand’s nine ‘Great Walks’ are in Fiordland. The Kepler, Routeburn and Milford tracks are regarded as some of the world’s best walks.

Milford Track - a four-day 53.9km hike between Lake Te Anau and Sandfly Point in Milford Sound - is one of New Zealand’s famous tramping routes. Walkers can choose to be independent or guided, but numbers on the track are restricted and accommodation must be reserved. Boat access is required at both ends.

Routeburn Track, a 32km traverse of Mount Aspiring and Fiordland national park, takes about three days to complete. Access is less restricted than Milford Track, and camping is permitted. Much of the Routeburn is accessible to day walkers.

Kepler Track, a 67km journey through Fiordland national park, starts and finishes at Lake Te Anau. The Kepler is one of New Zealand's safest back country tracks. It has no river crossings, is well marked and well provided with huts. The complete loop takes three to four days, and is suitable for moderate outdoor and fitness ability.

DID YOU KNOW

• Fiordland national park - New Zealand's biggest national park - covers five percent of the country’s total land mass.
• Lakes Manapouri and Hauroko are New Zealand's deepest lakes.
• Lake Te Anau is New Zealand's second largest lake.
• Milford Sound, with more than 8m of rain annually, is one of the wettest places on earth.
• Homer Tunnel, which connects Milford Sound with the rest of New Zealand, took nearly 20 years to complete.