Te Anau: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

Now in Te Anau--:--:--

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The road from Te Anau to Milford Sound is about 120 kilometres and two hours without stops, but nobody does it without stops. It climbs through a glacier-cut valley, past still lakes and beech forest, crosses the main divide and drops through a tunnel into the fiord. There is no fuel and no phone signal on the way, so fill up and download the map in town. Allow a full day with the cruise, and leave early to beat the coaches.

A short history of Te Anau

The town sits on the shore of Lake Te Anau, the largest in the South Island, and is the gateway to Fiordland National Park, established in 1952. For years there was only a small settlement of sheep farmers here. In 1948 Lawson Burrows rediscovered the glow-worm caves on the western side of the lake, which the Māori had known about for a long time. In 1953 the Homer Tunnel opened after almost twenty years of digging, and since then the road to Milford Sound has passed through Te Anau.

The ten best sights in Te Anau

1
Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre
The Department of Conservation office on the lakefront; ask here the evening before about the Milford Road, avalanche closures and which short walks are open
2
Fiordland Cinema
Shows Ata Whenua, a short film of Fiordland shot from the air; a good plan for the evening of a rainy day, when the cruise was grey
3
Fiordland Vintage Machinery Museum
A small local collection on the Milford Road at the edge of town; worth an hour only if it rains
4
Te Anau Glowworm Caves
Reached only by boat across the lake with a set departure time, so book ahead, especially for the evening trips in summer
5
Te Anau Bird Sanctuary
Free, a short walk along the lake from town, and the easiest place to see a takahē; go early in the morning when the birds are active
6
Kepler Track start
You do not need to book the Great Walk to walk its first hours as a day hike; the huts must be booked, the trail itself is open
7
Eglinton Valley
Wide flats with room to pull over; never stop on the road itself for photos, the tour coaches come fast
8
Mirror Lakes
Come early, before the wind, or the reflection is gone; the sandflies here are fierce, so put on repellent before opening the car door
9
Lake Gunn
A flat loop through old beech forest beside the road; a good leg-stretch about halfway to Milford
10
The Divide and Key Summit
The car park fills by mid-morning in summer; the climb to Key Summit is about three hours return, so do it on the way back only if the cruise was early

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Te Anau →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Te Anau:

Free walking tours in Te Anau

The Milford Road

Eglinton Valley · A classic U-shaped valley left by a glacier: a flat floor of tussock with walls of beech forest rising steeply on both sides. It is the first long open view on the road.
Mirror Lakes · On a still morning the small lakes reflect the Earl Mountains perfectly. The sign by the water is fixed upside down, so it reads the right way in the reflection.
The Divide · At about 530 metres this is the lowest east-west crossing of the Southern Alps. It is also the western end of the Routeburn Track, one of the Great Walks.
Homer Tunnel · The 1.2-kilometre tunnel was cut through solid granite, with work starting in 1935, and it opened to traffic only in the 1950s. It drops steeply towards Milford, so use a low gear.
The Chasm · The Cleddau River pours through a narrow gap here and has worn the rock into smooth basins and holes. A short loop through the forest leads to the bridges over it.
Milford Sound · Despite its name it is a fiord, carved by ice, not a sound cut by a river. The Māori name is Piopiotahi, and Mitre Peak rises about 1,690 metres straight out of the water.

The lake at Te Anau

Te Anau is a small town on the shore of the largest lake in the South Island, and most of what it offers is on or across that water. Across the lake are caves lit by glowworms; along the shore is a sanctuary for a bird once thought extinct; and at the south end the Kepler Track sets off into the forest. All of it is within a short drive or walk of town. A half day, or the afternoon and evening after the Milford drive, with the caves booked for the evening.

Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre · Fiordland is the largest national park in New Zealand, created in 1952. It is part of Te Wāhipounamu, a World Heritage Area that covers much of the south-west of the island.
Lake Te Anau · By area it is the largest lake in the South Island and second in New Zealand only to Lake Taupō. Its western arms reach deep into the mountains of the national park.
Te Anau Bird Sanctuary · The takahē, a large flightless bird, was thought extinct until 1948, when Geoffrey Orbell found it alive in the Murchison Mountains across this lake. The sanctuary keeps a few so visitors can see one.
Kepler Track start · The Kepler is a 60-kilometre loop opened in 1988 as one of the Great Walks. Unlike most of them it starts and ends close to a town, so a day walk is easy.
Brod Bay · A sandy beach on the Kepler Track, about an hour and a half on foot from the start along the lakeshore through beech forest. It is the usual turning point for a day walk.
Te Anau Glowworm Caves · The caves were rediscovered in 1948 by Lawson Burrows, who searched for caves mentioned in old Māori accounts. They are young in geological terms and the river is still cutting them, so the water roars through.

Manapouri and Doubtful Sound

Twenty minutes south of Te Anau is Lake Manapouri, and beyond it Doubtful Sound, a fiord no road from the rest of the country reaches. Getting there is half the trip: a boat across the lake, a bus over a mountain pass, then a cruise out towards the Tasman Sea. The road and the power station on the way are the story of a fight that changed how New Zealand treats its nature. A full day, booked ahead, and best on the second day in Te Anau.

Pearl Harbour, Manapouri · The trips across the lake leave from this small harbour on the Waiau River at Manapouri. The village is tiny and the boats are the reason most visitors stop here.
Lake Manapouri · At about 444 metres it is the second-deepest lake in New Zealand. Its many wooded islands make the crossing to West Arm one of the prettiest boat rides in the country.
Manapouri Power Station · The station was dug deep inside the mountain in the 1960s to power an aluminium smelter. A plan to raise the lake for it led to the Save Manapouri petition of 1970, signed by about 265,000 people, and the lake was spared.
Wilmot Pass · The road over the pass was built to bring in the heavy machinery for the power station. It runs from the lake to Deep Cove and is not joined to any other road in the country.
Doubtful Sound · James Cook sailed past in 1770 and called it Doubtful Harbour, because he doubted he could sail back out under sail. A pod of bottlenose dolphins lives in the fiord year-round.
Fiordland Cinema · Back in Te Anau, the cinema screens Ata Whenua, a short film shot from the air over parts of Fiordland most visitors never reach. It is a fitting end to a day in the wilderness.

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Getting to Te Anau and getting around

Milford Sound Airport · Small planes fly in from Queenstown for a fly-cruise-fly day, but they need clear weather over the mountains and are cancelled often; have the road as a back-up
Te Anau bus stop · Coaches to Milford Sound and to Queenstown pick up in town; if you would rather not drive the Milford Road yourself, a coach-and-cruise day from here is the easy way

Cheap eats in Te Anau

Te Anau is the last place to buy food before the Milford Road, and the town knows it: the pie shops and cafés open early for drivers heading out. A pie with venison in it is the local touch, and a packed lunch is not optional, since there is almost nothing between town and the sound. At Milford itself there is a café by the road end and food on the bigger cruise boats. Prices below are rough.

Miles Better Pies · A venison or lamb pie for the road, about NZ$8-11
Wapiti Cafe and Bakery · Coffee and a filled roll to take away, about NZ$12-18
Sandfly Café · Breakfast or coffee and cake in the centre, about NZ$12-25
FreshChoice deli · Sandwiches, fruit and water for the Milford picnic, about NZ$15-25 for two
Café at Milford Sound · Coffee and a snack at the road end before the cruise, about NZ$10-18
Lakeview Bar & Cafe, Manapouri · A coffee or a light lunch by the lake after Doubtful Sound, about NZ$15-30

Museums in Te Anau

Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre · Displays on the park, maps, weather and road status; free
Fiordland Cinema · Ata Whenua screens daily; a short film and a drink at the bar next door
Manapouri Power Station · Seen on the Doubtful Sound trip; the story of the lake that was saved
Fiordland Vintage Machinery Museum · A small local collection on the Milford Road; for a rainy hour

Nature and day trips near Te Anau

Key Summit · About three hours return from The Divide, with a view over three valleys
Lake Marian · A steep forest climb of about three hours return to a lake in a hanging valley
Lake Gunn Nature Walk · A flat loop of under an hour in red beech forest
Mirror Lakes · A boardwalk of a few minutes; best before the wind rises
Doubtful Sound · A full-day trip from Manapouri; dolphins, penguins in season, and silence

Things to do in Te Anau with kids

Te Anau Glowworm Caves · A boat ride, a walk past waterfalls inside the rock, and a dark grotto lit by glowworms
Te Anau Bird Sanctuary · Free; takahē and other native birds a short walk from town
Ivon Wilson Park · Small lakes and short paths at the edge of town for a run-around
Te Anau lakefront · A flat path along the water from the centre; good for scooters and an ice cream

Where to eat in Te Anau

Redcliff · Local venison and lamb in a small house off the main street; book, mains about NZ$35-50
The Fat Duck · Hearty dinners on the main street, about NZ$30-45
Black Dog Bar · A bar beside the cinema; a drink before or after the film
Ristorante Pizzeria Paradiso · Pizza and pasta for a tired family, about NZ$25-35

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Frequently asked questions about Te Anau

What is there to see in Te Anau?

The top sights in Te Anau are Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre, Fiordland Cinema and Fiordland Vintage Machinery Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Te Anau?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Te Anau without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Te Anau?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Te Anau, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The Milford Road.

How do you get to Te Anau and get around?

The main ways are Milford Sound Airport and Te Anau bus stop. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Te Anau, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Te Anau that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

Looking for a hotel in Te Anau for your dates?

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