Attractions
Pick your way through primeval land in Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park is in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s known for the glacier-carved fiords of Doubtful and Milford sounds. A beech forest trail on the sandy Milford shore offers views of towering Mitre Peak. Nearby, the craggy Earl Mountains are reflected in the glassy surface of Mirror Lakes. On the Cleddau River, the Chasm Walk passes over bridges with views of powerful waterfalls.
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Pick your way through primeval land in Fiordland National Park
NEW ZEALAND // On the edge of New Zealand's South Island is a landscape for giants. Cliffs a kilometre high. Jagged mountain peaks wreathed in clouds. Immense alpine lakes. The deep wet forests feel like something from the Jurassic, dense with ferns and mosses. Birds unique to this part of the world roam the tussocks or shelter amid knobbly tree roots - kiwis, crested penguins, flightless parrots. Dolphins gambol in the glacier-carved sounds. Seals snooze in piles on rocky beaches. For humans, the rugged land offers some of the world's most mind- blowing kayaking and hiking. The three Great Walks - the Milford, Kepler and Routeburn tracks - take you into the heart of the wild and offer the chance to sleep in old-school tramping huts.
Why go to Fiordland National Park?
This impressive natural environment features stunning fjords, spectacular waterfalls and snow-capped peaks. Ancient rainforest clings impossibly to the mountains. Waterfalls plunge hundreds of meters into huge fjords. The glistening lakes and granite peaks look the same today as they did a thousand years ago.
How big is the Fiordland National Park?
Fiordland National Park occupies the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. At 12,607 square kilometers (4,868 sq mi), it is the largest national park of the 13 parks in New Zealand and is a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site.
Is Fiordland National Park free?
National parks are owned by the people of New Zealand and entry is free for all.
What is special about Fiordland?
Fiordland is famous for its walking and hiking. Three of New Zealand's great walks are found in Fiordland (Kepler, Milford and Rothburn) and there are plenty of options for day walks. Te Anau and Manapouri offer a range of activities to do on the lake.