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National Parks & Marine Reserves

Fiordland National Park

Immerse yourself in the deep green magic of Fiordland.

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One of the most dramatic and beautiful parts of New Zealand, the power of Fiordland’s scenery never fails to enthral travellers. Waterfalls tumble hundreds of metres into massive fiords; ancient rainforest clings impossibly to the mountains; shimmering lakes and granite peaks look the same today as they did a thousand years ago.

Carved by glaciers during successive ice ages, the park's fourteen fiords were 100,000 years in the making. The Maori attributed their creation to a giant stonemason called Tute Rakiwhanoa.

At 421 metres, Doubtful Sound is the deepest of New Zealand’s fiords. It’s a haven for nature, with resident bottlenose dolphins, fur seals and penguins.

Described by Rudyard Kipling as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ Milford Sound is always spectacular - daily scenic flights and cruises reveal its beauty to visitors.

The remaining two thirds of the park are covered by virgin beech and podocarp forest, where you can find trees that are more than 800 years old. Visitors are able to explore via a 500 kilometre network of walking tracks. As well as the famous Milford, Kepler and Routeburn Tracks - three of New Zealand's 'great walks' - there are many other less known, but just as spectacular, tracks to discover. The Department of Conservation provides more than 50 hikers' huts in the park - accommodation ranges from the higher-than-usual level of comfort to the more basic.

Several of the fiords can be explored by sea kayak, as can lakes Te Anau and Manapouri. Eco-cruises of the less accessible fiords can be arranged in Te Anau or Manapouri. Diving in Fiordland provides a rare chance to see deepwater sea plants growing near the surface.

In 1990 Fiordland was listed as a United Nations World Heritage site and given the name Te Wahipounamu - 'the place of greenstone', after the area's most treasured mineral resource.

FIORDLAND Region

Contact Details

Contact:	DOC Fiordland Visitor Centre
Phone:	3 2497 924
Postal:	PO Box 29, Te Anau 9640
Website:	www.doc.govt.nz/templates/PlaceProf ile.aspx?id=38468
Contact:	Fiordland i-SITE Visitor Centre
Phone:	+64 3 2498 900
Fax:	+64 3 2497 022
Postal:	PO Box 1 Te Anau
Email:

Milford Sound is the closest town to this highlight.

In Milford Sound:

Other towns near Milford Sound by road:

Te Anau (101 minutes)

Other towns near Milford Sound by rail:

Milford Sound does not have any rail stations.

Other towns near Milford Sound by air:

Milford Sound does not have scheduled passenger air services.

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All information available on this web site concerning products and services is provided by the suppliers of those goods and services. Because information is liable to change from time to time you should not rely on the information on this web site but should check the accuracy of the information with the relevant supplier. Tourism New Zealand is not responsible or liable for any claims arising in relation to information supplied to it.

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