Te Anau
One of my last adventures, I would have on the southern Island was visiting Te Anau. This pitoresque lakeside town serves as a gateway to the vast Fiordlands National Park. The Intercity Bus trip was exciting enough itself, due to a very talkative, but knowledgeable bus driver named Richard. He even called the police to have two MAUI Caravans pulled over!
The town, also known as “Gateway to Fiordland” is very well prepared for tourists who like all sorts of activities, such es multiple-day hikes, cycling, visiting a glowworm cave or excursions to Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound. There are two supermarkets, an excellent variety of sports- and gear shops as well as several bar’s and restaurants.
Right at the entrance you can find the Fiordland National Park Visitor’ Centre. Again a place with helpful people and accurate information. Once I arrived at Rosie’s Backpacker Homestay, Rosie offered me a bicycle, so I could go here straightaway. The Birdsanctuary Punanga Manu o Te Anau is located next to it and worth a visit!
I enjoyed my strolls in the evenings along the lakefront of Te Anau where the Te-Rua-o-te-Moko Fiordland beckons from accros the water. It’s such a peaceful pleace, where relaxing and being active seem to be in perfect harmony. I can definitely recommend doing the Town Reserve to Upukerora River walk!
Kepler Track
I really wanted to do a multiple-day Track here. The Kepler Track would have been perfect for it! Unfortunately I could not book all the huts or campsites, which would mean that I had to do the Track of 60 km in two days instead of the recommend three or four days. Not the best idea I thought. Besides Rosie told me that the Kea’s are pretty annoying when it comes to pitch your tent on this Track. They can do great damage to it.
Instead I went to the Rainbow Reach, as well as to the Dam to see the “start” and “end” of the Track. It was at the Dam where I spotted the Lake2Lake Trail instead. In my hostal I met several people, one young German boy, Max, did the Routeburn Track in 2 days for the same reason…. he needed 4 days to recover from it. A good decision I made here…. I believe!
Lake2Lake cycle Trail
Arriving at the Dam, I easily spotted the KEPLER TRACK sign. It was already noon, so I didn’t feel like going still up for a day hike to enjoy the majestic view. Now that I had a bicycle it felt right to make use of it by doing the Lake2Lake cycle Trail. This time my bike was in better shape than the one I had in Napier. Still,… no suspension and the front gear didn’t work. So a good work-out it became!
I cycled along the spectacular scenery in the heart of Fiordland, first along the Waiau river, with passages through the forest, where it shortly felt like a downhill trail. Native bush, wetlands and eventuelly even farmlands full of sheep, I enjoyed each section of the trail, even if I sometimes had to get off the bike and walk as I wasn’t fit enough to deal with the steepness with only one gear!
Shortly before reaching Supply Bay near Manapouri, I decided to turn round and cycle back. For a spontaneous bike-ride it had been long enough!
Distance: 28,5 km (one way) Grade: 2, Easy
Duration: approx. 4 hrs. (return – I did approx 42 km)
Rosie’s Backpacker Homestay
Once I started looking for a suitable accommodation in Te Anau, I got Rosie’s recommended by another Hostel which was located far out of the Town. Relying on the public buses I needed to find something more central.
Arriving at Rosie’s I instantly sensed, that this was “HOME”. I was so heartly welcomed by both Rosie and her husband Alistar, as if we had known eachother for ages. They showed me around in their lovely home, where you can help yourself to freshly baked sourdough bread in the morning for breakfast and you share the kitchen and living room with the family.
They would both know all their guests by name and great you in the morning in this lovely personal way. As they have worked for the DOC and being hut wardens, any question you might have will be patiently answered. There are 3 bicycles for guests to use free of charge.
It’s the most special place I have stayed. I actually am still in contact with four other guests from the short time I have spend in their home. Sitting togehter at the kitchen table sharing our meals at night, singing Scottish and Irish songs and talking about life, culture or whatever was on our minds was heaven!
For more information visit their website: https://www.rosiesbackpackers.co.nz
Manapouri Track
After consulting with Rosie and Alistar, I decided to go for the Manapouri Track. It would be possible to do it in two days with only one overnight stay in either a hut or my tent. The huts were not bookable but on a “first-come-first-serve” base. According to Rosie, almost nobody used this Track, except for hunters. We were out of hunting season right now.
At the Fiordland National Visitor’ centre they had given me the advice to book a shuttle bus and additionally a dinghy boat to Manapouri and across the river. So I did. A funny lady called Isobel became my bus driver. At Manapouri Pearl Harbour I had to wait for fifteen minutes till Rory the Dinghy guy turned up. A lovely man. In less then 3 minutes we had crossed the river and my little adventure could start.
Rory told me, he had just before brought three ladies over. I would probably catch up with them. And so I did. About five minutes later I met the three Swiss women and we sort of hiked up together until the viewpoint of the circular Track. Two of them did it partly barefoot! Pretty impressive, with all the mud and steepness. I shared my “Zelten” with them while we enjoyed the view over Surprise bay to Stone Point.
Then I said “goodbye” and continued to my next stop “Back Valley Hut“. A small, typical hunters hut with four bunks and an open view over a piece of grassland. It was only 2 p.m. so I decided to keep going to the next hut. It started to rain a bit and the challenging tramping track became very muddy. A dense forest and a tricky swingbridge which was wet made me sweat. But…. I loved it! Very proud of myself going over that single steal cable bridge with my heavy rucksack!
After approx. 1,5 hour later I arrived tired at Hope Arm Hut. Another girl walked all of a sudden from the beach side towards the hut too. Her name was Clara and she came from Alaska. She had been on the lake with her paddleboat for a couple of days already and had just pitched her tent. A million of sandflies, she told me.
The Hope Arm Hut wasn’t much better. Twelve bunks…. I had them all for myself… theoriticaly. In practice I was sharing the place with a million of sandflies and mosquitoes. It became a long, long night. Almost asphyxiating myself with my silk inner sleeping bag over my head not to get bitten in the face! Heavy rain during the whole night!
I woke up by the sound of boiling water, as Clara had come in to make a tea. I went for a pee outside and for a moment I could not breathe. The forest had turned into a fairy! Sunlight was shining through the huge firn trees, and lightening up the bright green moss. Turning round I could spot the peaceful lake Rakatu. “Come on, have that pee…. so you can get your camera out!” I said to myself.
Sharing this moment with Clara was great. We ended up walking togehter back to the start, where she pumped up her little paddleboat while I kept waiting for Rory to pick me up. An amazing Track… for those who love to have a nature paradise almost all to themselves!
Milford Sound
Another very touristy thing to do, is going on a cruise in either Doubtful or Milford Sound. As I had been already at Manapouri where the Doubtful Sound cruises start from, I had set my mind on Milford Sound. Easily reachable by IntercityBus this seemed the best option for me. Richard was my bus driver once again!
The drive to Milford Sound turned out to be very impressive. Wonderful waterfalls already all along the way. Richard made sure we got a lot of photo-stops along the way. We stopped at Mirror Lake, Latitude 45 South, passed Gunn viewpoint and made another stop at Lake Fergus Lookout. All slightly too touristy for me. Especially after seeing already so many wonderful spots while walking around…. this was quite a contrast… as being a “guided tour“.
Unfortunately the weather didn’t get any better. It was already cloudy in the morning, but it lastet throughout the day. Boarding the Cruise boat was still fine. I got myself a great spot on the upperdeck while it was still dry. The “Bowen Falls” were amazing to start with and it got even better. I got to see “the four Sisters“, the “Fairy Falls” and “Stiring Falls” and far more. Soon heavy rain washed the upperdeck completely out.
I sheltered one deck below and enjoyed the tour. The mystic Sound was even with all shades of grey magical. After a long wet day, I finally got the bus all the way back to Queenstown, passing Te Anau for a last time. Will miss this place…. which made me feel “at home”.
