What to do in Te Anau, gateway to the wilds of Fiordland

Apr 2

Te Anau is a small farming town that would be almost totally unremarkable — except for the fact it’s the last town on the road to Milford Sound.

sunrise from luxmore hut, high above te anau

No one goes to Te Anau to visit Te Anau. You go because this small, otherwise unremarkable town is the best entry point for exploring Fiordland National Park — one of New Zealand’s greatest wildernesses.

Although you can visit the wilds of Fiordland on a day trip from Queenstown, staying in Te Anau means the trip to Milford Sound isn’t as gruelling (two hours versus four hours drive).

Te Anau is also a pretty laid back place. Which means it’s unpretentious and no frills.

You won’t get the boutique coffee roasters and fine dining you would find in Queenstown, but you can enjoy the sight of locals stomping around in gumboots.

As always, these are my selections based on the small businesses I love, the awesome places to eat, and the little things that make a place memorable. This isn’t the most comprehensive run down of things to do in Te Anau.

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Quick tips for visiting Te Anau and Fiordland

BEST TIME TO GO

Hiking is best in summer (from December to March) but expect rain at any time of year. Ideally you want to pack a raincoat and a cosy fleece even for day hikes in summer.

PLAN AHEAD

Cell service is limited in Fiordland and on the road to Milford Sound. Check maps in advance or download offline maps.

Te Anau is also the last place to top up on petrol and snacks before heading to Milford Sound, which is a four hour return drive — so make sure you’re fuelled up before heading out of town.

Take insect repellent — this is a great one.

Things to do in Te Anau

All of these activities are accessible from Te Anau, using the town as a base.

1. My favourite thing to do in Te Anau, and possibly all of New Zealand — go on an overnight cruise to Doubtful Sound

you probably won’t see a single other boat while in doubtful

the navigator is a gorgeous ship with an old world feel

An overnight trip on Doubtful Sound is one of the most spectacular things you can do anywhere in the South Island, or the whole of New Zealand.

It’s one of those experiences that make me fall in love with travelling all over again — where I felt those moments of “oh, this is why.” This is why I save money, take time off work, sleep in dorm rooms far from the comfort of my own home.

I do it for the awe and wonder of the kind I experienced on Doubtful Sound.

views in every direction on the cruise in doubtful sound

You might not travel for the same things as me, but if you love the feeling of being in wild, remote places far from civilisation, you might like this trip.

THE DETAILS

I travelled with RealNZ and would highly recommend the company and the trip to anyone.

Book your Doubtful Sound overnight cruise well in advance, as it’s not a big boat and spaces fill up quickly.

Visit the Two Wee Bookshops in Manapouri

The thing I loved most in Te Anau (aside from all the hikes nearby) was visiting the Two Week Bookshops in Manapouri.

Manapouri is a gorgeous lake 20 minutes from Te Anau. There’s not much there — a small village on the lake, with some walking trails and lovely views.

And Ruth Shaw’s fabulous little bookshops.

The Two Wee Bookshops are so sweet, with a carefully curated selection of books. Including, Ruth’s own memoir; The Bookseller At The End Of The World.

I loved this book, and think it’s a great souvenir to take home with you. Pick up a copy from the bookshop, and there’s a good chance Ruth herself will have signed it.

I read my copy while driving around the South Island and was inspired by her story. It’s a good one.

Get out on the lake with Fiordland Historic Cruises

3 hour lake cruise and guided walk >>

Photo by Douglas Thorne

Fiordland Historic Cruises is a locally owned and operated business that takes small groups out on the historic wooden sailboat, Faith.

The whole setup is kept intimate deliberately by the owners Adam and Megan, so you can expect the cruise to be laidback and welcoming, really showcasing the famous hospitality of Southlanders.

Go in the evening, and you can enjoy drinks and canapés as well.

Check out the number of 5 star reviews these guys have and you’ll see how much people love this trip.

Go on a day hike of one of the big Great Walks in the area — the Kepler, Routeburn and the Milford Track

*Hiking through ferns on the Kepler Track*

It takes an impressive amount of planning to get hut bookings on any of the three Great Walks that depart from Te Anau. As in, sit online at the exact date and time the bookings open and smash keys until you have dates locked in, kind of planning.

These are probably the three most popular Great Walks, which are themselves the top 11 trails in the country. Which means Te Anau puts you right in the middle of the creme de la creme of New Zealand hiking.

If you’re not that organised (hello, me neither!) or you just don’t have 3-5 days to spare for a multi day hike, or you don’t have any gear, or sleeping in a room with 50 odd strangers sounds like hell to you, you might be happy to know you can do sections of these trails as day walks.

The Milford Sound track:

Take a water taxi from Te Anau Downs, hike to Clinton hut and back (3.5 hours return) and catch the water taxi back again.

The Kepler track:

Take a water taxi across the Brod Bay, hike up to Luxmore hut for the epic views, then walk down and catch the taxi back.
You can also walk from the Control Gates up to Luxmore, you will just be adding an extra 1.5 hours to your trip each way.

A native orchid spotted near Brod Bay

View from inside Luxmore

The Routeburn track:

Drive or catch a shuttle to the Divide, and from there you can walk up to Key Summit, Earland Falls, or even Lake Mackenzie if you’re game for a longer walk.

For more information on track transport for these day walks, check out Fiordland Outdoors.

Hike some more, obviously

Gertrude Saddle

For me, Te Anau is the jumping off point for some of the epic walks in Fiordland. One of the things I love most about the town is that walking around in hiking clothes is totally normal, nay encouraged.

Some of the day walks you can do along the road to Milford Sound:

Lake Marian Track (a great option for less experienced hikers)
Gertrude Saddle Track (for more adventurous and experienced hikers)
The Lake Gunn Nature Walk is so delightful, a lovely stroll through the Fiordland rainforest.

Lake Marian

There are more hikes near Te Anau that are still on my list, most notable Green Lake Hut and Key Summit, which is one I have yet to tackle, as you need a clear day.

As you can tell from my photos, most of the time I have been in Fiordland it has been cloudy.

Check out the op shops in town

I am not sure if this is true, but when I was in the Luxmore Hut, the warden mentioned that all gear left behind — and he said everything from sleeping bags to brand new jackets was forgotten — is gathered up and shipped off by DOC to the local op shops.

Maybe that is just a good cautionary tale to make people stop leaving their clothes in huts, or maybe there’s a kernel of truth there. Either way, if you’re a magpie like me, the local op shops might be worth a look.

Where to stay in Te Anau

Coffee and art stop

If you’re looking to grab coffee (and a pie) to fuel up for a road trip towards Milford Sound, I highly recommend the Milford Road Merchant.

I stop here every time I’m heading down this road, and it’s becoming something of a ritual. You’ll be standing in line for coffee alongside the local cops, tradies, and others who yarn away while waiting — it feels like a cool community spot.

As well as excellent coffee, the shop stocks a whole range of art and goods from local artists and makers. There is a very good chance you’ll see something in here you like.

Where to eat in Te Anau

I can tell you where not to eat, and that’s The Fat Duck.

Maybe you will have more luck there than me and my friends, but we stopped in for some drinks and hot snacks after a long hike, and were so disappointed in the triple cooked chips (which were soggy, almost devoid of seasoning, and bizarrely served with hot sauce) that we talked about it for the two hour drive back to Queenstown.

Or maybe that is purely our fault for taking big city expectations to a small town.

So, dial back what you want from food. Te Anau is typical of a small New Zealand town, except for the fact that here you can still expect to pay city prices. The businesses here can afford to be average because there is such a steady flood of people coming into town, many of whom will eat once and then leave and never come back.