Things to Do in Te Anau

While there are campground facilities in addition to huts, most hikers elect to sleep at the huts, which offer cooking facilities, beds and the chance to unwind. At its northern trailhead, the Routeburn track begins by Glenorchy and Mt Aspiring National Park before snaking over the spine of the mountains toward Fiordland National Park. Though the trail only ascends to 4,100 feet, the surrounding mountains tower 9,000 feet and are often beautifully snowcapped—which only adds to a landscape dotted by waterfalls and alpine lakes. Due to heavy snowfall in winter, the season for hiking the Routeburn Track is from the end of October to April, with reservations absolutely necessary at least a month in advance.

When visiting New Zealand’s Milford Sound, you’d be forgiven for driving straight through from Te Anau and simply just wanting to get there. After all—Milford Sound is one of the world’s most stunningly scenic areas, and it’s hard to bottle the excitable urge to get there as fast as you can. As it turns out, however, the journey to famous Milford Sound is all a part of the experience, and the Milford Road is lined with hikes, viewpoints, and scenic adventures. One of these stops is known as “The Chasm,” where wooden boardwalks weave through the rain forest amidst a canopy of ferns. After only a couple of minutes on the trail, the sound of waterfalls thundering in the distance gradually begins to get louder, until the Cleddau River is powerfully splashing beneath your feet. From the bridge overlooking The Chasm, you’ll notice a series of massive rocks that are riddled with oversized potholes, which have been naturally formed by water swirling in circles within the canyon. Over the course of thousands of years, the swirling water has created these smooth depressions and holes in the rocks, which only add to the impressive nature of this short, but worthwhile hike.