The Southern Alps and Fiordland
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Southern Alps and Fiordland - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
Aoraki/Mt. Cook is New Zealand's highest peak at approximately 12,218 feet. There are 22 peaks over 10,000 feet in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. According to Māori legend, Aoraki was one of three sons of Rakinui, the sky father. Their canoe caught on a reef and froze, forming the South Island. South Island's oldest name to local Māori is Te Waka O Aoraki (Aoraki's canoe) and the highest peak is their ancestor Aoraki, frozen by the south wind, and turned to stone. The officially recognized names of this mountain and the national park were changed to their original Māori names of Aoraki (Aorangi to North Island Māori) as part of a 1998 settlement between the government and the major South Island Māori tribe, Ngai Tahu. The Māori and Anglo names are used interchangeably or together. The 273-square-mile national park surrounds tiny Aoraki/Mount Cook Village, which consists of a visitor center, an airfield, a pub, a little school, and a range of accommodation providers. Walking is always an option, and in winter there's heli-skiing. If the weather is clear, a scenic flight can be the highlight of your stay in New Zealand. Contact the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park Visitor Centre or the Metservice weather website to check conditions before setting out on an unguided excursion. Hiking trails radiate from the visitor center, providing everything from easy walking paths to full-day challenges. Be sure to fill your car's gas tank and purchase essentials before leaving Twizel or Tekapo as services are very limited in the village. For a unique hands-on educational experience take a half-hour hike to the fast-growing 7-km (4.3-mile) Terminus Lake of the Tasman Glacier. Fed by the retreating glacier and the Murchison River, the lake was formed only in the past couple of decades. From Terminus Lake, you can examine up close the terminal face of the glacier, which is 3 km (2 miles) wide. A trip with Glacier Explorers takes you by boat to explore some of the large floating icebergs that have calved (fallen away) from the glacier. It's an eerie experience skimming across the milky-white water and closing in on icebergs. From the airfield at Mount Cook Village, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft make spectacular scenic flights across the Southern Alps. One of the most exciting is the one-hour trip aboard the ski planes that touch down on the Tasman Glacier after a gorgeous scenic flight. The 10-minute stop on the glacier doesn't allow time for much more than a snapshot, but the sensation is tremendous. The moving tongue of ice beneath your feet—one of the largest glaciers outside the Himalayas—is 27 km (17 miles) long and up to 2,000 feet thick in places. The intensity of light on the glacier can be dazzling, and sunglasses are a must.
Aoraki Mount Cook, Canterbury, New Zealand -
2. Fiordland National Park
Encompassing more than 3 million acres of wilderness, Fiordland is the country's biggest national park. Nearly a million people visit each year to see playful dolphins and rain forest--coated mountains, but most converge on Milford and Doubtful sounds, the park's stars. Don't worry—the park is massive enough to easily absorb the crowds. The scenery actually quiets them, too: entire boatloads of visitors have been known to just hush out on the water. Sand flies and rain (along with your job, breaking news, and the rest of the world) will seem like tiny nuisances when you behold Milford Sound, with Mitre Peak rising along the coast and waterfalls tumbling into the sea. I see the falls, said one returning visitor, and everything just falls away.
Otago, New Zealand -
3. Gibbston Valley Wines
The wine-making industry in Central Otago began with the vines that were first planted here. The best-known vineyard in Central Otago, Gibbston Valley Wines is a beautiful spot for lunch and wine tasting. There are cheese platters and tasty sandwiches through to a full à la carte menu with wine recommendations. You can even taste wines in a cool, barrel-lined cave with cave tours on the hour. If you can't get out to the winery, Gibbston Valley also has a café in Arrowtown, where you'll get hint of what you've missed.
1820 State Hwy. 6, Gibbston, Otago, 9371, New Zealand03-442–6910Sight Details
Rate Includes: Wine-cave tour and tasting NZ$19.50 -
4. Lakes District Museum
Don't leave Arrowtown without dropping in to this small but very cleverly constructed museum. It gives a great insight into the history of the area, with artifacts of the gold-rush days and even a whole streetscape underground, complete with Victorian schoolroom, bakery, and blacksmith. There's also an information center, small bookstore, and gallery. You can even rent a pan for NZ$3 and get gold-panning tips to try your luck in the nearby Arrow River. When your patience frays and your hands go icy, keep in mind that a hobby prospector found a 10-ounce nugget in this very river in 2006. (He sold it on eBay for NZ$15,000).
49 Buckingham St., Arrowtown, Otago, 9302, New Zealand03-442–1824Sight Details
Rate Includes: NZ$10 -
5. T.S.S. EARNSLAW
This lovely old ship is more than 100 years old, and one of the world's few coal-fired steamships still operating. It's in superb condition partly because it's only been on this lake and the water's so pure. T.S.S. (Twin Screw Steamer) Earnslaw runs across to Walter Peak and back on a 1½-hour cruise. You can do a stopover at Walter Peak High Country Farm and watch a sheep shearing and farm dog demonstration. But the best trip is to go to the Colonel's Homestead Restaurant for dinner (or lunch); it's an exceptional buffet—make sure you leave room for the sumptuous selection of desserts. The cruise back into Queenstown's particularly beautiful when the sun's going down.
Beach St., Queenstown, Otago, 9300, New Zealand03-442–7500Sight Details
Rate Includes: Cruises from NZ$70 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Amisfield Winery & Bistro
Step into this expansive winery and bistro and enjoy stunning lake and mountain views. Both the wines and the restaurant have earned accolades over the years. Go for a memorable Trust the Chef lunch or dinner. Wine-tastings are available at the cellar door; the pinot noir, aromatic whites such as riesling and pinot gris, and the méthode traditionelle are all worth sampling.
10 Lake Hayes Rd., Queenstown, Otago, 9371, New Zealand03-442–0556Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tasting NZ$10, refunded with purchase of bottle -
7. Bullock Wagon Trail
This 268-km (167-mile) heritage highway, which stretches from Timaru to Twizel via Mt. Cook, recognizes the long, arduous journeys early settlers in the region made by bullock wagon. Leaving the Canterbury Plains at Geraldine or Pleasant Point (depending on whether you are coming directly from Christchurch or through from Timaru), the highways join at Fairlie and quickly climb toward the first of the alpine passes—Burkes Pass—along the Bullock Wagon Trail. The Burkes Pass monument marks the division between the high and low country, and from there the country immediately takes on the dried look of high-country tussock lands. To learn more about the trail and the history of the region, stop in at one of two information centers along the way.
New Zealand -
8. Cardrona Distillery
Although it will be several years (around 2025) before their first batch of 10-year old single malt whisky is ready, Cardrona Distillery has released its three- and five-year-old batches, and a lovely range of spirits is ready to go, including vodka and gin. The setting, tucked away high in the Cardrona Valley, is beautiful, and they offer tours departing hourly 10–3 every day. Book tours in advance if you're visiting during the holidays or long weekends.
2125 Cardrona Valley Rd., Wanaka, Otago, 9382, New Zealand03-443--1393Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tours NZ$25 -
9. Chard Farm
The Chard Farm vineyard perches on a rare flat spot on the edge of the Kawarau Gorge, not far from Gibbston Valley and opposite AJ Hackett Bungy. Its location and access road are beautiful, and you'll find an excellent portfolio of wines to taste including pinot noir, chardonnay, gewürztraminer, pinot grigio, and riesling.
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10. Chinese Settlement
In a less-visited part of the town is the former Chinese settlement. Chinese miners were common on the goldfields, brought in to raise a flagging local economy after the gold rush abated, but local prejudice from resident Europeans forced them to live in their own separate enclave. Some of their tiny 19th-century buildings, which have been restored, were built of sod, which endures well in the dry climate; others were built of layered schist stone, with roofs of corrugated iron or tussock thatch. Ah Lum's store (also restored) was built in a style typical of the Canton Delta region of China and operated until 1972. The settlement is a worthwhile part of any day-walk in the area.
Bush Creek, west end of town, Arrowtown, Otago, 9302, New ZealandSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
11. Church of the Good Shepherd
On the east side of the township, the tiny Church of the Good Shepherd is one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand. This beautifully simple stone interdenominational church has sat on the shore of Lake Tekapo since 1935. There's no need for stained glass as the view through the window is the lake's brilliant blue. A victim of its own popularity, the church has restricted parking and no longer allows photography inside the building. Right next to the church is a lovely bronze statue dedicated to the working sheep dogs of the area.
Pioneer Dr., Lake Tekapo, Canterbury, 7999, New Zealand03-685--8389 -
12. Crossfire
At this excellent facility, you can have a hand at clay-bird or rifle shooting, archery, or get a basket of golf balls and swing away. It's fun for experts, and you get full instruction if you're a novice. There's an activity for everyone including the kids at the minigolf course. Largely undercover, this is a great option if the weather's misbehaving.
9 Mt. Barker Rd., Wanaka, Otago, 9382, New Zealand03-443–5995Sight Details
Rate Includes: From NZ$13 -
13. Dark Sky Project
If you're extremely lucky, you'll see the southern lights in this area. Even if you don't, you're still at one of the best stargazing sites in the world. Dark Sky Project operates from the Mt. John Observatory and studies the skies above Lake Tekapo. The glass-enclosed Astro Café has ham-off-the-bone sandwiches, telescopes, and dizzying views. Stargazing trips leave from the town office in the evening, and reservations are essential. Dark Sky Project also offers a shorter 75-minute tour of the Cowan's Observatory, which is more suitable for those with younger children.
Godley Peaks Rd., Lake Tekapo, Canterbury, 7945, New Zealand03-680–6960Sight Details
Rate Includes: From NZ$99 -
14. Fear Factory
A scary addition to the adventure scene in Queenstown, Fear Factory challenges you to walk through their haunted house in the center of town. Not for kids—thousands of people have chickened out (just yell "chicken," and you don't have to continue). It's best to do this half-hour activity with friends. Those under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
View Tours and Activities54 Shotover St., Queenstown, Otago, 9300, New ZealandSight Details
Rate Includes: NZ$30 -
15. Lake Tekapo
The long, narrow expanse of Lake Tekapo anchors the area. Its extraordinary milky-turquoise color comes from rock flour, rock ground by glacial action and held in a soupy suspension. Tekapo, the country's highest large lake, has good fly-fishing in its waters and in the surrounding rivers and canals. As you drive into the small town, you'll notice a knot of restaurants with tour buses parked outside. It's a rather off-putting image, but it's relatively easy to keep the township at your back and your eyes on the lake and mountains. If you're not planning to stay at Mt. Cook, then Tekapo is the best place in the Mackenzie Basin to stop for the night. And once the buses have passed through for the day, it's a quiet spot—at least until the hordes of Cantabrians arrive for the summer break. A pleasant lakefront recreation area separates the town retail area from the lakeshore.
Lake Tekapo, Canterbury, 7999, New Zealand -
16. Milford Discovery Centre & Underwater Observatory
Even in heavy rain and storms Milford Sound is magical. Rainfall is so excessive that a coat of up to 20 feet of fresh water floats on the surface of the saltwater fjord. Lightly stained with tannins from the plants and soil, it creates a unique underwater environment similar to that found at a much greater depth in the open ocean. Head downstairs at the Milford Underwater Observatory, and you can see rare black coral (that looks white) as well as anemones, starfish, octopus, and any number of fish swimming by. The Discovery Centre and Observatory is operated by Southern Discoveries and is only accessible by boat; you can add it on to most Milford Sound cruises.
Milford Sound, Southland, 9679, New Zealand03-441–1137Sight Details
Rate Includes: NZ$99, Admission cost includes cruise and picnic lunch -
17. Milford Road
If there was nothing to see at the end of this road it would still be worth the journey. It's a spectacular route, on one of the highest highways in New Zealand, traveling through mossy beech forests, past waterfalls and grand sweeping valleys. The road is narrow and winding at times, so allow at least 2½ hours. Stop for some great photo ops at Mirror Lakes, Knobs Flat, and Lake Gunn before reaching the Divide, a watershed between rivers flowing both east and west and the starting point for the Routeburn Track. When you reach the Homer Tunnel think of the unemployed workers who began building it as a relief project in 1935 using picks and shovels. Before making the trip, check the transit website (www.milfordroad.co.nz) or phone (0800/444--449) for avalanche warnings (snow and trees), and, between May and November, come equipped with tire chains, which you can rent in any Te Anau service station. Take care and drive to the conditions, and if you're just not comfortable, you can always take a bus from Te Anau or Queenstown. There have been a number of accidents on this stretch of road caused by overseas drivers, who are unfamiliar with the conditions and are driving too fast or on the wrong side of the road.
New Zealand -
18. Mt. Difficulty
You could spend a lot of time in the tasting room with the large range of good wines on offer here, or you can keep it simple and grab one of their tasting trays, featuring a selection complete with notes. There are some sweet dessert wines that can only be bought at the cellar door to consider as well. Make sure you stay for lunch. Staffers are friendly and know their stuff, and the view out from Bannockburn is pure Central Otago.
73 Felton Rd., Cromwell, Otago, 9384, New Zealand03-445–3445Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tastings from NZ$10 -
19. Punanga Manu o Te Anau/Te Anau Bird Sanctuary
The lakeshore Te Anau Bird Sanctuary gives you the chance to preview some of the wildlife you're likely to encounter when hiking in Fiordland. The center houses one of New Zealand's rare flightless birds, the takahe, which was once thought to be extinct. The lakeside walk to the center makes for a pleasant one-hour stroll. The birds here have either been injured or involved in captive rearing programs. The injured birds are rehabilitated and sent back to the wild if they're strong enough. Entry's free, but if you have a NZ$1 or NZ$2 coin to donate it helps with the upkeep.
Manapouri Rd., 1 km (½ mile) west of Te Anau, Te Anau, Southland, 9600, New Zealand03-249–0200Sight Details
Rate Includes: Donation requested -
20. Puzzling World
The cartoon-like houses built at funny angles with the Leaning Tower of Wanaka is just the start. Turn off here for a number of puzzling life-size brainteasers, including the amazing Tumbling Towers, Hologram Halls, and Tilted House, which is on a 15-degree angle (is the water really running uphill?). There's a 3D Great Maze to get lost in and a Sculptillusion gallery. For a break, head to the café, take on the puzzle of your choice, order a cup of coffee, and work yourself into a puzzled frenzy.
188 Wanaka Luggate Hwy., Wanaka, Otago, 9382, New Zealand03-443–7489Sight Details
Rate Includes: NZ$25
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