Fiordland National Park: An alluring wilderness in New Zealand's remote south west

21 Dec 2023

Read time: 4m 38s

The captivating and remote Fiordland National Park lies in the crevices and valleys of New Zealand's mountainous South Island. This colossal 1.2 million-hectare wilderness is sculpted from ice and rain, carved by ancient glaciers and saturated by copious rainfall that feeds its lush rainforests and glacial lakes.

Here, we take a look at the park, which can be experienced on our Ultimate New Zealand and South Island Discovery holidays, which offer you planned routes and accommodations.

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The Park's Heart: The Spectacular Fiords

The heart of Fiordland lies in the deep fiords like the famous Milford Sound. Described by Rudyard Kipling as the "eighth wonder of the world," Milford Sound is a must-see, ringed by towering cliffs and thundering waterfalls, such as the iconic Stirling Falls, plunging over a thousand feet down into the Tasman Sea's dark waters.

The fiord's dramatic, glacier-carved valleys, cloaked in verdant temperate rainforest, offer picture-postcard views at every turn. If you venture this far southwest, you will stand a good chance of encountering playful dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, and a myriad of seabirds soaring amongst the towering Mitre Peak.

Our New Zealand motorhome holidays provide the ideal blend of adventure and comfort, allowing you to immerse yourself fully in the Fiordland experience. Exploring Fiordland in a motorhome is an adventure like no other. It offers the freedom to chart your own course through this vast wilderness. With a home on wheels, you can discover hidden corners of the park, find the perfect spot for a sunset, and wake up to a new, breathtaking view each day.

Things to know:

14 fiords in total
Milford Sound receives over 500,000 visitors per year
Mitre Peak rises nearly 6,000 ft from the sea floor
Accessible only by foot, boat or scenic flight. Speak to our team to find out more about visiting this area.

World Class Walking Tracks

For avid trekkers and weekend wanderers alike, Fiordland offers some of the most spectacular and internationally celebrated walking tracks. The famous Milford Track sees 40,000 hikers annually, embarking on the 32-mile journey dubbed the "finest walk in the world" in 1908 by the London Spectacular.

The trail meanders through temperate rainforests smothered in green mosses before climbing up to the exposed alpine pass, with staggering views of Mitre Peak, eventually giving way to Milford Sound.

Other trails include:

Kepler Track A 37-mile loop that challenges and rewards in equal measure, the Kepler Track traverses mountain ridges, serene lakes, and dense forests, offering panoramic views that are simply breathtaking.

Routeburn Track Bridging Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Park, this 20-mile trail is a mosaic of awe-inspiring scenery, from mirror-like lakes to towering peaks.

Things to Know

Over 500 miles of walking tracks available
Duration ranging from 1-hour strolls to 5-day epic adventures
Multi-day tracks have basic hut accommodation

Unique New Zealand Culinary Experiences

After working up an appetite on the trails, visitors can indulge in Fiordland's standout locally sourced cuisine. From tender Te Anau lamb to freshly shucked Bluff oysters, menus make the most from ingredients harvested on land and sea. Even a humble meat pie takes on new life when filled with delicate venison or rabbit from the surrounding valleys and ranges.

Dining options within the park itself are limited. Most eateries are concentrated in the towns on the park's periphery.

Here are some of the top spots to enjoy a delicious meal when exploring Fiordland:

Te Anau (the main gateway town)

The Fat Duck: A cosy gastropub with hearty meals, local beers and wines. Offers lunch and dinner.
MacKinnon Room: Overlooking Lake Te Anau, serving modern European and New Zealand dishes in a contemporary setting.
Redcliff Restaurant & Bar: An intimate fine dining restaurant using fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

In Manapouri

Manapouri Lakeview Motor Inn Restaurant: Lakeside dining room with scenic views and NZ cuisine.
Waiau Street Café: Charming daytime café with light meals, sandwiches and baked goods.

In Milford Sound

Pio Pio Café: Located at the Milford Sound Lodge, with a breakfast and dinner menu focused on NZ flavours.
Blue Duck Café & Bar: A quick yet satisfying stop for a bite and drink after a long day of exploring.

Elsewhere in the Park

On-site Resort Restaurants: Many lodges and resorts inside Fiordland have quality restaurants for overnight guests.
Local Eateries & Cafés: Various small cafés and dining spots are dotted around the park's edges.

With its array of cafés, restaurants, and hotel dining rooms, visitors can indulge in Fiordland's fantastic regional cuisine during their stay.

Conserving Fiordland's Rare Wildlife

These varied landscapes and waterways thrill visiting adventurers and provide sanctuary for unique native wildlife species. From the rare flightless takahē, grazing tussock grasslands among the peaks, to the crested Fiordland penguin colonies tucked away down the region's hidden western inlets, this national park remains a final refuge for many creatures that once covered all of New Zealand. Their preservation relies upon careful management of destructive introduced pests and respect for fragile habitats – a fragility visitors are reminded of with every native bird song or dolphin sighting.

This finely balanced environment has sustained Māori tribes for centuries, gifting them kai (food), trails through untouched wilderness and resources to craft canoes and tools. Those ancestral footsteps still felt padding down centuries-old trails are a reminder that Fiordland's wonder isn't just sculpted from granite and rain but woven from stories, prayers, generations of guardianship and an inseparable connection between people and land that prevails today.