Lynwood Lodge

Relaxing by Lake Te Anau

by victorwkf

There are many benches where you can relax by the beautiful Lake Te Anau and you should really do so, especially in summer or autumn when the weather is good. The weather was chilly when I was there, so I did not sit on the bench for too long but nevertheless it was enjoyable to catch the cooling breeze.

MILFORD SOUND DEEP UNDERWATER OBSERVATORY

by balhannah

The Cruise we did of Milford Sound, was by "Red Boat" and it included the Observatory. We decided to have a look, as it would be different to what we had seen else where in the World.

It is located in Harrison's Cove, beneath Pembroke Glacier, amongst towering mountains of Fiordland National Park.

First of all, you head to the visitor reception hall for a welcome and interpretation of the geology and ecology of the region.
Next, we descended into the large, fully air conditioned, undersea viewing area, which features large, clear windows for plenty of viewing. We descended the equivalent of a four storied building, leading down beneath the fjord.

It was different.....You can see black coral feeding in front of the windows – all being inspected by a variety of fish. We didn't see an octopus, but we did see a seal chasing after a fish.
The black and red coral that are usually at depths of than forty metres are a rare species. Other sights were anemones, sponges, sea stars, horse mussels and fish.

The Fjord contains a unique and beautiful underwater environment, there is nowhere else like it in the world and it was one that we both quite enjoyed seeing!

THE CHASM

by balhannah

This place was amazing!

Just a short walk from the road, the water is rushing down the Cleddau River with such force, that over thousands of years, it has sculpted the boulders and has even put holes through them! It was rather mesmerizing, you definately wouldn't want to fall in, it would be the end of you! Waterfalls, lovely forest, but hard to get a decent photo to show what it IS REALLY LIKE, you really have to stop and have a look yourself!

Only about a 20min walk.

Fiordland of Te Anau

by abi_maha

"Spectacular and dramatic"

The calm deep waters of Lake Te Anau make up the largest lake in the South Island and second largest in NZ while it has a lot of greenery surrounding the lake. The attractive town of Te Anau lies nestled on the edge of this beautiful lake, with a spectacular backdrop of Mt Luxmore and the Murchison mountains.
Despite being touristy we do agree that this part of NZ is a must see and must do! We thoroughly enjoyed walking around Te Anau and cruising the fiords of Milford Sound. We didn't want to try and do too many things so we missed a visit to the caves, but the cruise we did do and had a woderful time!
The term 'fiordland' was alien to us before this trip, truly seemed like a term out of some fantasy novel, no wonder the Lord of the Rings was filmed i this country, the 'Ents' and 'Oliphaunts' all fit in this scheme of things so aptly!

"Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound"

The hub of the Fiordland region is the attractive town of Te Anau. From here it is an easy 2- 2 & 1/2 hours drive to Milford Sound and 20 minutes by coach to Lake Manapouri and the start of a Doubtful Sound excursion

"Summer times"

Fordland experiences long twilights over the Summer months, allowing plenty of time in the evening to relax and enjoy lakeside strolls, a visit to the Te Anau Glowworm Caves, or to simply sit back and savor a meal or glass of wine in one of the many cafes or restaurants- We took this bit of advice and stuck to it! :)

Te Anau...a break stop before to Milford Sound

by dragontml

This pretty town on Lake Te Anau (the largest lake on the South Island) is more or less halfway between Milford Sound and Queenstown. It's also a gateway to Fiordland National Park and the starting point for some of New Zealand's most famous hiking trails (called "tracks"). Weather permitting, floatplane trips into the park depart from the lake. If feats of engineering fascinate you, take a guided tour of the huge, underground, hydroelectric Manapouri Power Station.

Trips to Doubtful Sound, larger and more remote than Milford Sound, also depart from Manapouri.