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About Fiordland
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Fiordland is situated on the south-western corner of the
South Island, comprising the western-most third of Southland. Most of it is covered by the
Fiordland
National Park, making it the largest national park in
New Zealand, containing many tourist attractions, such as Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound or the Milford Track. During the ice ages, glaciers carved many deep fiords, the most famous of which is Milford Sound. |
Transportation and Accommodation
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The Fiordland is accessible by road from Queenstown via Te Anau. There are many scenic flights to both the sounds from Queenstown as well as Te Anau. There are many cruise or ferry services privately operated for tourist attractions.
The tourists can be lodged at Te Anau which is the gateway to the Fiordland national park. There are all sought of accommodation options suiting all budgets. Tourists can also take over night cruise that serve in both the sounds.
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Visitor Attractions
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Te Anau
The
township of
Te Anau is located on the eastern shore of
Lake
Anau,
South Island largest lake. Te Anau is also the gateway to
Fiordland
National Park. The town caters to the accommodation requirements to the visitors of
Milford and Doubtful sound. Other tourist activities include water sports such as Jet Ski, jet boating, diving, fishing etc.
Milford Sound
Milford Sound has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey, and is acclaimed as
New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Milford Sound runs 15 kilometres inland from the
Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1,200 metres or more on either side. Among the peaks are The Elephant at 1,517 m, said to resemble an elephant's head, and
Lion
Mountain, 1,302 m, in the shape of a crouching lion. Lush rain forests cling precariously to these cliffs, while seals, penguins, and dolphins frequent the waters. The must do activity is to explore the sound on cruise. There are many cruise services operating in the sounds. Each ride takes about 2 hours. There is also the option of extended overnight cruises on Milford Sound. Also, you have the option to take a scenic flight over the sound. Other activities include water sports such as Jet Ski, nature walk, wild life and marine life exploration etc.
Doubtful Sound
Doubtful sound is largest of the two sounds located in the Fiordland national park. It is very close to Te Anau. Doubtful Sound is unusual in that it contains two distinct layers of water that do not mix. The top few meters is fresh water, fed from the high inflows from the surrounding mountains, and stained brown with tannins from the forest. Below this is a layer of cold, heavy, saline water from the sea. The dark tannins in the fresh water layer make it difficult for light to penetrate. Thus, many deep-sea species will grow in the comparatively shallow depths of the Sound. Tourism activities include day cruise, over night cruise, water sports, nature walks, marine life etc. |
Tips for Travelers
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Usually visitors explore only one of the two sounds, of which Milford Sound is the most popular. There are many single day coach tours inclusive of 3 hour cruise departing from Queenstown. Wet clothing is always recommended as both the sounds receive heavy rainfall through out the year. |
Traveler Resources
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