Fiordland Region

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Fiordland is located on the south-west coast of the South Island. The magical scenery in this area can leave you breathless. Take the time to stop and enjoy its rugged beauty. The nearest major city is Invercargill which provides regular flights and car hire should you wish to tour this area.

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Manapouri 

Manapouri is about a 20-minute drive from Te Anau and here you can visit Manapouri Power Station. You will need to contact the local Information Centre for details on arranging tours to the station. Tours are available to take you on Lake Manapouri and then travel by coach down the spiral tunnel to the power station's machine hall in the heart of a mountain. Did I mention it was 2km down? 

 

Take a gentle walk with the kids along the waterfront of Lake Manapouri, starting off at the southern end of Cathedral Drive, and take in the wonderful view of this lake.  
 
Milford Sound 
Back to the underwater theme, Milford Sound's Underwater Observatory is well worth a visit. Milford Sound is 119km north of Te Anau and is on tar-sealed road. The road can get quite windy and, if you are unlucky to get wet weather on your trip down to the sounds, you won't be totally disappointed. On a recent trip by the Kids Friendly New Zealand team our young travellers gave up counting the number of waterfalls on the way to the Sounds after they reached 500!  

 

Although the trip from Te Anau to Milford Sound is only two hours, take your time to view some of the sights along the way. Some 51km along from Te Anau is McKay Creek which looks over Eglinton Valley. A little further on, seven kilometres in fact, are the Mirror Lakes. On a fine day stop off here and take a photo of the reflections in the lakes. Toilets and water can be found at Knobs Flat some 63km from Te Anau.

 

 

With many scenic things to see on your journey get the children to count how long it takes to get through the Homer Tunnel, which is the gateway to Milford Sound. The Homer Tunnel is over 9km long and drops 700 metres over this distance. For those with a camera it is worth pulling over and taking a photo of the kea, New Zealand's native parrots, that hang around the tunnel. But please don't feed them as this affects their natural diet. 
 
If you are lucky enough to get fine weather and take a tour on Milford Sound, you will see the spectacular Mitre Peak which stands 1683m high. On a fine day waterfalls are at their minimum, but on wet days  - and trust us here because this region gets around six metres of rainfall each year - you will see hundreds of them! But within two hours of the rain stopping, so do the majority of the waterfalls.
 

 

Te Anau
Te Anau is a holiday destination in Fiordland. It is only a two hour (177km) drive from Queenstown.  While here make sure you take time to visit the Te Anau glow-worm caves, suitable for children five years and over, before you continue on your journey to one of the sounds, like Milford Sound.
  
 

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Accommodation   Activities   Parks and Reserves   Travel Tips


Find accommodation in Fiordland to suit your family needs and budget.

  
Discover great activities and attractions to do with your family in Fiordland. 		 
This area has many wonderful places to vist. Enjoy the outdoors with your children.		  
Tips for making your holiday in the Fiordlands even more special
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