Getting There

By Plane -- Air services to Te Anau and Fiordland are provided by Air Fiordland Ltd. (tel. 03/249-7505; fax 03/249-7080). Charter flights are also available.

By Coach (Bus) -- Daily coach service runs between Te Anau and Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill via InterCity (tel. 03/379-9020). Daily service also runs to Te Anau and Milford Sound from Queenstown. And numerous shuttle bus companies make daily trips, too. Information is available at the visitor centers in Queenstown, Invercargill, and Te Anau.

By Car -- From Queenstown, take State Highway 6, then State Highway 94.

Orientation

Te Anau's main street is State Highway 94, called Milford Road within the township, with the post office, restaurants, grocery stores, and most shops. The majority of hotels and motels are on Lakefront Drive, which stretches attractively around the lake. The township is tiny and very easy to negotiate on foot or by car.

Natural Mystery -- For an excellent cinematic introduction to the greater Fiordland region -- much of which you will never lay eyes on otherwise -- make sure you see Ata Whenua-Shadowland, a stunning and unforgettable cinematic journey. Call Fiordland Cinema, The Lane, Te Anau (tel. 03/249-8812), for session times. It costs NZ$10 (US$7.10/£3.60).

Visitor Information

The Fiordland i-SITE Visitor Centre, Lakefront Drive, Te Anau (tel. 03/249-8900; fax 03/249-7022; or visit their website), sits at the lake end of Milford Road. It shares the same office as Real Journeys (tel. 0800/656-501 in NZ, or 03/249-7416). Hours are daily from 8:30am to 5:30pm. The Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre, Lakefront Drive, Te Anau (tel. 03/249-7924; fax 03/249-7613), is a must for anyone contemplating doing either short walks around Te Anau or the well-known multiday tramps -- Hollyford, Routeburn, Milford, Kepler, and Caples. It's open daily in January from 8:30am to 8pm, April 24 through October 24 from 8:30am to 4:30pm, and the rest of the year from 8:30am to 6pm. For more information visit Fiordland NZ online.

Special Events

The Fiordland Summer Festival Weekend (tel. 03/249-7959), held in January, includes a celebrity debate, rodeo, garden tours, harness racing, arts and crafts, food stalls, and street entertainment. The Kepler Challenge and the Luxmore Grunt (tel. 03/249-9596), are tough international ultra-marathon races held in December each year.