Te Anau

Your Base Camp for Fiordland

Te Anau is the town you want to overnight in before heading up to Milford. The logic is simple: the tour buses leave Queenstown at 6:30am and roll into Te Anau around 8:30-9am. If you're already in Te Anau, you're ahead of all that. There are a couple of really solid holiday parks right on the lakefront here which make for a comfortable night before the big early start.

While You're Here

Te Anau is more than just a pit stop though. The glow worm caves are on the other side of the lake, boat access only, so it's just your tour party and the cave and the worms. Pretty special. The RANKERS promo code gets you a discount on the caving tour which is worth having. And there's a free bird sanctuary on the lakeside walk where you can see the Takahe. These birds were thought to be extinct until mid last century when they were found again in the nearby Murchison mountains. They look very chill and innocuous. Worth the wander.

And Then There's Doubtful

If you've got an extra day, Manapouri is just down the road and that's your jumping-off point for Doubtful Sound. For me it's the better cruise. Limited numbers each day, genuinely remote, and much quieter than Milford. Stay in Manapouri the night before and get on the early sailing. It's cheaper and the Queenstown buses haven't arrived yet. The RANKERS promo code works on the Doubtful Sound day cruise too, which takes a decent chunk off the price.