Where the Wild Things Are
The end of the road and the start of the wild
9 destinationsFiordland is one of the most remote and dramatic places in New Zealand and also one of the most remote in the world. Mountains drop straight into deep dark fiords, ancient beech forests cover every slope, and the rain that falls here feeds some of the most spectacular waterfalls anywhere on earth. This is the part of the country that makes people go quiet.
Milford Sound
Milford Sound is where the mountains meet the sea in the most dramatic way possible and it is unlike anything else in New Zealand. Waterfalls drop straight into the dark water from cliffs that go up hundreds of metres on both sides. A boat cruise is the best way to see it properly and on a rainy day it is actually even better because there are more waterfalls.
Doubtful Sound
Doubtful Sound is three times the size of Milford but far fewer people make it out here, which makes it feel wilder and more remote. Getting there involves a boat across Lake Manapouri, a bus over a mountain pass, and another boat into the fiord. The silence out here is something you will not find many other places in the world.
Routeburn Track
The Routeburn is one of New Zealand's Great Walks and connects two national parks through some of the best mountain scenery in the country. The Harris Saddle crossing on day two gives you views that stretch in every direction across the mountains. Book the huts early because they fill up fast and for very good reason.
Kepler Track
The Kepler Track loops through the mountains above Lake Te Anau and stays mostly above the treeline with big open views the whole way. It is another Great Walk so the huts are comfortable and you meet good people on the trail. The views across the lake and into the surrounding Fiordland mountains are wide open and very beautiful.
Gertrude Saddle
Gertrude Saddle sits above the Milford Road and the view from the top looking down into the Black Lake and out over the Fiordland mountains is one of the most raw and remote landscapes in the country. Getting there involves a steep scramble over loose rock and the track is hard to follow in places. Only go on a clear day and with the right experience behind you.
Mt Aspiring
Mt Aspiring is called the Matterhorn of the South and standing at 3033 metres it earns the comparison. Getting to the summit is a serious multi-day mountaineering trip that needs technical climbing skills and good conditions. Even approaching the base via the Matukituki Valley is a brilliant day walk with the mountain growing bigger with every step.
Purakaunui Falls
Three tiers of waterfall fan out over a wide rock face into a pool below and the whole thing is surrounded by very green native bush. It is one of the most photographed waterfalls in New Zealand and one of the easiest to reach with just a short flat walk from the car park. The Catlins is a bit out of the way but Purakaunui is a great reason to go.
McLean Falls
A 22-metre waterfall drops in a single clean drop into a small pool in the middle of the Catlins forest. The track to get there goes through some of the best native bush in Southland and takes about 40 minutes return with only one short steeper section. A great add-on if you are already in the Catlins for Purakaunui.
Key Summit
Key Summit sits at the start of the Routeburn Track and is one of the best short hikes in Fiordland. The track climbs through beech forest to an open summit with views over three major valleys and the surrounding mountains in every direction. You do not need to do the full Routeburn to walk up here, and most people who do it wish they had done it sooner.
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