Te Anau, otherwise known as the gateway to Milford Sound is likely the best place to stopover on your way to the fiord. The reason is simple - Milford Sound has very few accommodations (one if I recall) and Te Anau being next to a huge lake and a big supermarket within a 100km radius sure make this a no brainer.
So let's go...
Day 24
Distance traveled: 171km
Queenstown to Te Anau Journey
The road from Queenstown started with a traffic jam at the bridge across Kawarau River and that's because they are constructing a larger two-lane bridge to alleviate the hordes of future tourists. It proceeds with a windy drive at the Devil's Staircase that flanks Lake Wakatipu. Beyond that, there are mostly (and thankfully) straight roads that help in the driving experience. The best views come from the road stretches around Lake Wakatipu.
Aden Motel (Accommodation)
We unloaded our loot at Aden Motel (see our review) where we were to stay for a tranquil 4 nights at this cozy motel.
Shore in front of Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre
Lake Te Anau is huge. We took a leisurely 5 min walk from Aden Motel to the shorefront. Indeed it does not disappoint. The cobblestoned beach does have the occasional duck-poo strewn every few meters but generally, it's a place where you can just spend time to relax. Thankfully, there were few tourists around.
Day 25
Te Anau Playground (Place To Visit - Free)
For children, playgrounds are the best places in New Zealand for consistency - NZ towns are generally family friendly and they make it a point to build these to cater to kids.
Fiordland Community Swimming Pool (Place to Visit)
Price - NZD 3 for children (Accompanying adult is free)
Hours - Mon to Fri (except Wed): 3.30pm to 5.30pm / Weekends: 2pm to 5pm
Another great place to unwind for children and it was the first public swimming pool we visited. It's a normal rectangular sized indoor pool which is slightly heated. There is a water slide on one end that looks a little rickety and you can loan the floats from the side. Our kids had a whale of a time here.
Day 26
We bought tickets to Milford Sound from the Real Journeys branch the previous day at the shoreline circus at the edge of Te Anau.
There are quite a few tour operators plying their cruise ships in Milford Sound but you can get yourself a good deal on bookme.co.nz which we used on a few occasions. Generally, there are two cruise types from Real Journeys if you want to go on a day tour - Scenic Tour and Nature Tour.
Scenic Tour
Price - From NZD 74 per adult /
NZD 22 per child (age 5-14) / Free for infants
Departure - 6 time slots from 9am to 3pm
Duration - Around 1h40min
This cruises along the length of the fiord only.
Nature Tour
Price - From NZD 88 per adult /
NZD 22 per child (age 5-14) / Free for infants
Departure - 10.30am / 1.35pm
Duration - Around 2h to 2h15min
This cruises along the length of the fiord and goes out right out to sea before heading back.
We took the Scenic Tour back in 2008 so we tried the Nature Tour this time round. It's a pleasant ride out in a big boat which has free drinks to go around. You can view and experience the spray of really tall waterfalls, check out sea lions basking in the sun and just soak in the majesty of the surroundings. It can get really choppy as you head out to sea so I can safely say that if you get seasick often, take the Scenic Tour 'cos it's good enough to experience Milford Sound.
So we decided to do more sightseeing on our way back to Te Anau.
Homer Tunnel (Place to Visit - Free)
The Homer Tunnel grants cars access to Milford Sound and it has quite a bit of history to it. It is a single-lane 1.2km tunnel opened in 1953 after 18 years since work began with just five men using picks and wheelbarrows. Either end is a great place to stop just just marvel at the scenery. The West end has many small waterfalls while...
the East end with a 945m elevation, has an imposing landscape. There was snow within range of our car and would be the first time our children touched snow. Definitely a moment not to be missed. It would also be the only time during our trip where we actually had any contact with snow as it was heading to Summer season.
Day 27
Glow Worm Caves (Place to Visit)
Price - NZD 81 / adult
Duration - 2h15min
This is an interesting spectacle for the senses. The premise is the viewing of glow worms in caves and we have to be silent. So taking a boat trip across Lake Te Anau, we docked at a forest area with some built up wooden structures.
Now, they didn't want us to take pictures once we ventured into the caves so here's a shot of the entrance. There were low areas and wet areas within the cave and is generally bathed with a warm orange glow of light.
Our guide pointed to us how the worms looked like before we headed to a pitch black cavern. This was the highlight of our tour where we had to sit in boats where we slowly moved across the water while viewing the blue illuminated worms in surreal silence. Thankfully, our kids behaved themselves. It helps if you prep them to shut their gap in advance :)
So let's go...
Day 24
Distance traveled: 171km
Queenstown to Te Anau Journey
The road from Queenstown started with a traffic jam at the bridge across Kawarau River and that's because they are constructing a larger two-lane bridge to alleviate the hordes of future tourists. It proceeds with a windy drive at the Devil's Staircase that flanks Lake Wakatipu. Beyond that, there are mostly (and thankfully) straight roads that help in the driving experience. The best views come from the road stretches around Lake Wakatipu.
Aden Motel (Accommodation)
We unloaded our loot at Aden Motel (see our review) where we were to stay for a tranquil 4 nights at this cozy motel.
Shore in front of Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre
Lake Te Anau is huge. We took a leisurely 5 min walk from Aden Motel to the shorefront. Indeed it does not disappoint. The cobblestoned beach does have the occasional duck-poo strewn every few meters but generally, it's a place where you can just spend time to relax. Thankfully, there were few tourists around.
Day 25
Te Anau Playground (Place To Visit - Free)
For children, playgrounds are the best places in New Zealand for consistency - NZ towns are generally family friendly and they make it a point to build these to cater to kids.
Fiordland Community Swimming Pool (Place to Visit)
Price - NZD 3 for children (Accompanying adult is free)
Hours - Mon to Fri (except Wed): 3.30pm to 5.30pm / Weekends: 2pm to 5pm
Another great place to unwind for children and it was the first public swimming pool we visited. It's a normal rectangular sized indoor pool which is slightly heated. There is a water slide on one end that looks a little rickety and you can loan the floats from the side. Our kids had a whale of a time here.
Day 26
We bought tickets to Milford Sound from the Real Journeys branch the previous day at the shoreline circus at the edge of Te Anau.
There are quite a few tour operators plying their cruise ships in Milford Sound but you can get yourself a good deal on bookme.co.nz which we used on a few occasions. Generally, there are two cruise types from Real Journeys if you want to go on a day tour - Scenic Tour and Nature Tour.
Scenic Tour
Price - From NZD 74 per adult /
NZD 22 per child (age 5-14) / Free for infants
Departure - 6 time slots from 9am to 3pm
Duration - Around 1h40min
This cruises along the length of the fiord only.
Nature Tour
Price - From NZD 88 per adult /
NZD 22 per child (age 5-14) / Free for infants
Departure - 10.30am / 1.35pm
Duration - Around 2h to 2h15min
This cruises along the length of the fiord and goes out right out to sea before heading back.
We took the Scenic Tour back in 2008 so we tried the Nature Tour this time round. It's a pleasant ride out in a big boat which has free drinks to go around. You can view and experience the spray of really tall waterfalls, check out sea lions basking in the sun and just soak in the majesty of the surroundings. It can get really choppy as you head out to sea so I can safely say that if you get seasick often, take the Scenic Tour 'cos it's good enough to experience Milford Sound.
So we decided to do more sightseeing on our way back to Te Anau.
Homer Tunnel (Place to Visit - Free)
The Homer Tunnel grants cars access to Milford Sound and it has quite a bit of history to it. It is a single-lane 1.2km tunnel opened in 1953 after 18 years since work began with just five men using picks and wheelbarrows. Either end is a great place to stop just just marvel at the scenery. The West end has many small waterfalls while...
 |
| Homer Tunnel - Milford Sound end |
the East end with a 945m elevation, has an imposing landscape. There was snow within range of our car and would be the first time our children touched snow. Definitely a moment not to be missed. It would also be the only time during our trip where we actually had any contact with snow as it was heading to Summer season.
 |
| Homer Tunnel - East Portal |
Day 27
Glow Worm Caves (Place to Visit)
Price - NZD 81 / adult
Duration - 2h15min
This is an interesting spectacle for the senses. The premise is the viewing of glow worms in caves and we have to be silent. So taking a boat trip across Lake Te Anau, we docked at a forest area with some built up wooden structures.
Now, they didn't want us to take pictures once we ventured into the caves so here's a shot of the entrance. There were low areas and wet areas within the cave and is generally bathed with a warm orange glow of light.
Our guide pointed to us how the worms looked like before we headed to a pitch black cavern. This was the highlight of our tour where we had to sit in boats where we slowly moved across the water while viewing the blue illuminated worms in surreal silence. Thankfully, our kids behaved themselves. It helps if you prep them to shut their gap in advance :)
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