In this page, you will find informations and advices we can give, based on our experience
Fiordland National Park - South Island
Fiordland National Park is New Zealand's largest: 26,000 km², but also the wettest, with 182 days of rain a year.
The main points of interest in this remote and hostile area are the Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound fjords. But before embarking on a cruise in one of these fjords, it's a good idea to drive along Route 94, which is packed with beautiful vistas.
Doubtful Sound
No hike
1 day
210 € per person in 2023
Doubtful Sound is New Zealand's largest fjord, and has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1990. To visit it, you have to cross Lake Manapouri, then take a bus through dense forest and finally board a ferry to sail into the fjord. In 2023, we chose this cruise over Milford Sound because it's less popular and apparently just as pretty, if not prettier. When we booked this cruise a few days before departure, we were hoping for rainy weather, or at least not big blue skies. Indeed, the mountains bordering the fjord are very high, and only rain reveals waterfalls dripping everywhere. Well, we got our wish.
At the start of the cruise at Manapouri, we were a little worried about visibility. And the closer we got to the fjord, the worse it got. But once in the fjord, the rain and mist give the place a mystical atmosphere. The mountain peaks are shrouded in mist, the water rushes down the slopes with an impressive flow, the wind pushes the water from the cascades and gives the rain an almost horizontal angle. We're soaked, but enchanted by this place and we're really not disappointed. The place lives up to its reputation as a very humid place (6000 mm of rain falls here every year... yes, 6 meters of rain per square meter!!!). At the end of the fjord, where it meets the sea, we catch a glimpse of a few penguins and a dolphin leaping into the water. After 3 hours of magnificent cruising, we return to Manapouri, hoping that our photos will capture the atmosphere and that the equipment won't have taken on water.
Access: from Manapouri.
Route 94
No hike
15 minutes
Free
Mirror Lakes
Viewpoint just beside the parking lot, on a small lake that beautifully reflects the mountain. To get the light in the photos below, you need to be there in the morning. There are so many opportunities to see reflections on a lake in NZ, that this one isn't the best. The view is a little narrow.
No hike
15 minutes
Free
Hollyford Valley and Hundred Falls Lookouts
Mountain views.
On this part of Route 94 you're likely to encounter the famous Kea, the world's only species of mountain parrot. It's endemic to New Zealand. It's a bird that likes to nibble on car window seals and windscreen wipers!
Access: on Highway 94, Hollyford Valley is 86 km from Te Anau and Hundred Falls 102 km.
3,7km one way - 1h10
Elevation gain 472m
3 to 4 hours
Free
Marian Lake
In our opinion, the prettiest part of Route 94. The trail along the river and waterfalls is nice, in the forest and, for once, undeveloped, apart from a few footbridges near the waterfalls. The trail then climbs gently up rocky paths and tree roots, with one acrobatic but easy section. The waterfalls have a strong flow and the water is transparent. The emerald-colored lake is surrounded by high, snow-capped mountains. It's a sight to behold. The peacefulness of the place invites you to relax, and it's an ideal spot for a picnic with a view.
Access: on Highway 94, 88 km from Te Anau.
No hike
15 minutes
Free
Monkey and Kiosk Creeks
Monkey Creek and Kiosk Creek offer mountain and river views.
Access: on Highway 94, Monkey Creek is 94 km from Te Anau and Kiosk Creeks 63 km.
No hike
15 minutes
Free
Tutoko Valley and The Chasm
Tutoko Valley overlooks a crystal-clear river with mountains in the background.
At The Chasm, the river flows into a deep, narrow chasm. But you can't see much. At the time of our stay in 2023, the path was closed following damage caused by a storm in 2020. Reopening was scheduled for 2024.
Access: on Highway 94, Tutoko Valley is 114 km from Te Anau and The Chasm 108 km.
No hike
15 minutes
Free
Christie Falls
Lovely waterfall and transparent pool. Very easy to get to as it's right on the road.
Access: Highway 94, 89 km from Te Anau.
450m one way - 5 min
20 minutes
Free
Lake Gunn
Lake accessible from the campsite via a beautiful forest.
Access: on Highway 94, 75 km from Te Anau.
No hike
15 minutes
Free
Eglinton Valley
Beautiful valley surrounded by mountains.
Access: on Highway 94, 52 km from Te Anau.
500m one way - 5 min
15 minutes
Free
Lake Mistletoe
Not a very interesting lake.
Access: on Highway 94, 28 km from Te Anau.
Milford Sound
Boucle de 2km -
30 min
1 hour
Free unless you take a cruise
Milford Sound is the cul-de-sac of Route 94. Don't expect to see a town; there's nothing here but fjord cruise departures, a hotel and a restaurant. A few hiking trails are marked out. During our stay in 2023, we combined the Foreshore Walk, which gives a view of the fjord, with the Lookout Track, which climbs a little into the forest to give an elevated view. But the latter view is a little blocked by trees.
This is the departure point for cruises to Miford Sound. We didn't choose to take this cruise. We preferred Doubtful Sounds (see above).
Access: Highway 94, 117 km from Te Anau.
Lake Manapouri
No hike
15 minutes
Free
You don't come to Lake Manapouri by chance. It's the starting point for cruises into the fjords of Doubtful Sound.
Access: Manapouri.
Te Anau
No hike
Depending on wish
Free
Stopover town between Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and the Catlins. We only spent one night on the lakeshore and “visited” the Bird Sanctuary Punanga Manu O Te Anau. These are aviaries set in a wooded park where New Zealand's emblematic birds are kept, difficult to see in the wild. You'll see Takahe, Kaka and Kakariki. Access is free of charge.
Access: in Te Anau, on Route 95 heading south.
Lodging
We have tested :
Copyright Magali and David BELLEC