Te Anau – Nature, Trails and Wildlife

Te Anau is considered the gateway to Fiordland and can be reached from Queenstown via SH6 and SH94, and from Invercargill via SH1 and SH94. Check road conditions before travelling. The destinations described here offer different experiences: a trail along Lake Te Anau, the Bird Sanctuary and a park with recreational activities. This helps you choose activities according to your interests and the time available.

Lakeside trail and views

The Visitor Centre to Upukerora River Track runs along the shore of Lake Te Anau to the point where the Upukerora River flows into the lake. The longer return walk takes three hours and follows the lakeshore and passes the rodeo grounds before reaching the river mouth. Along the way, the track offers views across Lake Te Anau to the Murchison Mountains and Fiordland National Park. This description of the route therefore highlights both the lakeshore and the views across the lake to the river mouth. The three-hour estimate for the longer return walk gives you a specific timeframe when comparing trails by length.

Takahē and a visit to the Bird Sanctuary

Punanga Manu o Te Anau, also known as the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary, is open to the public during daylight hours and is free to visit. As operating conditions can change, it is advisable to check the current access conditions before visiting. The takahē pairs at the sanctuary support the Takahē Recovery Programme: they raise chicks that are released into predator-controlled habitats at about one year of age. Raising the chicks and their subsequent release are therefore part of the same conservation effort. The sanctuary also has a scavenger hunt for children, created by rangers.

Ivon Wilson Park and Lake Henry

Ivon Wilson Park covers 35 hectares and contains both native and introduced trees. Several trails lead to Lake Henry; the park also has disc golf and mountain biking trails. The lake is stocked with rainbow and brown trout and serves as a children’s fishery. The activities on offer are quite varied: you can focus on the trees and trails, plan a game of disc golf or a mountain bike ride, or include Lake Henry as a children’s fishery. This makes it easy to plan a visit to the park around different interests, without needing to commit to a particular itinerary.

Further context in the Southland District

The Hump Ridge Track is located in the wider Southland District destination. The three-day loop crosses subalpine heights and follows a rugged coastline. On 25 October 2024, the track opened as New Zealand’s eleventh Great Walk. The route includes a short interpretive loop around the historic Port Craig sawmill site. The timeframes differ considerably from the local trail examples: the Hump Ridge Track is listed as taking three days, while the longer return walk on Te Anau’s Visitor Centre to Upukerora River Track takes three hours. This comparison helps put the different scales of the activities described into perspective.

Discover more destinations: Stewart Island, Lumsden, Papatotara, Mossburn, Garston, Dipton, Nightcaps, The Key

For the wider travel overview: Southland District.