Hotels in Te Anau

Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri are both beautiful lakes and only separated by approximately 15kms. Floatplanes and helicopter trips can be taken from the lake shore in Te Anau. However,we were advised to overfly the Fiordland between Manapouri from that town's airport. The one hour flight in the (pilot plus 3) single engined Cesna took us across the southern end of Lake Te Anau and climbed up to 3,000 feet on its way out over the Fiordland to the Tasman Sea before flying down Milford Sound then close to the mighty Sutherland Falls and up to 6000 feet before the journey back to Manapouri. An unforgettable hour's flight that costs the two of us $290 each. Due to the beautiful weather my partner and I experienced in the area, I swum in both lakes without a wet suit and the second of those swims was on New Year's eve. We used Real Journeys to visit Doubtful Sound which was an incredible 15k trip across Lake Manapouri in a large high speed catamaran, coach transfer across to Doubtful Sound and a three hour exploration of the Sound. We loved Doubtful even more than Milford.A

My mother, myself and 2 children (8 &12) booked a package with Trips and Tramps which gave us a taste of the Kepler track, the Routeburn track and Milford track as well as a cruise in Milford Sounds. This was a great way to see what we enjoyed and also to have a guide pointing out things we may have missed if walking unguided. We all loved the whole experience, the highlight being the heli-ride and return walk to Luxmore Hut and summit. This was unbelievably stunning and definitely our highlight (only take kids if they are very fit and used to long walks) I will definitely return and do this whole walk unguided one day. Te Anau itself was a very friendly, laid back and small town, we walked everywhere. Gloworm caves are a must, esp for families. Best eating place we experienced was the Distinction Villa restaurant - opposite the heli pad - and one of the pizza places in town. Stunning scenery which I miss terribly

Te Anau is a great place to stay during summer (we haven't experienced winter at Te Anau) - with beautiful views and so much to do either locally or nearby - on the must do list is to visit the Glowworm Caves, visit Lake Manapouri and of course a day trip trip to Milford Sound ( we went with Go Orange (coach and cruise, pick up and return to Te Anau) - it was fantactic!!! We understand that Dusky Sound is also a fabulous place to viist - we'll do that one next time. In Te Anau itself, you don't need a car, everything is at walking distance, wehad great meals at Te Ranch and The Moose... staff were helpful and friendly. Other than that several places to get a cup of coffee etc. and just watch the people go by. A relaxing place to stay - where you can be as active or inactive as you want to be... local flights or cruises, fishing... lovely walks etc. We'll be back!

Te Anau is such a small town it is very easy to get round. It's also a good base for trips to Milford Sound and other parts of Fjordland; and float planes are based on Lake Te Anau. There is a number of restaurants in or near the Town Centre (which is the name of the main street) but most are closed by 8pm. Of particular note are Bailiez Cafe (which is actually a bar and restaurant serving wholesome good food) and The Moose Bar (a Speight's alehouse which also serves good reliable food). For those on self-catering, there are two supermarkets in the town - a smallish 4-Square in Town Centre and the larger Fresh Choice in nearby Milford Crescent.

Glow worm tunnels are a truly amazing place to see. in my top 3 of things to do in NZ south Island. Te Anau Cinema is a great place to unwind. The best cinema experience I have ever had. Very small and intimate I think only 48 seats so be sure to book so you don't miss out during peak seasons. Big, comfy seats and you can order a pot of tea to come during the intermission break and they bring it right to your seat. when you buy a bag of lollies they put them in a bowl and with your icecream you get a real spoon not one of plastic ones.

Te Anau is a nice little town with a holiday feel, much more relaxed than Queenstown. There are plenty of places to eat, some nice shops, and two supermarkets.We did the Glow worm tour the evening we arrived - it was great - exceeded expectations. Doubtful Sound one day, Milford Sound the next - both great. We had read warnings about the road into Milford, but found the road easy to drive, with little traffic. Well worth driving yourself, so you can stop and look at things along the way. Allow plenty of time. We especially liked the Mirror Lakes, and the stop before entering Homer Tunnel. Our stay at Te Anau for three nights was perfect, we were so glad we didn't stay at Queenstown and have that long trip back after each of the tours. Our tours were all with Real Journeys - an excellent tour company, so well organised and safe, with times carefully calculated so you can fit everything in but never feel rushed. Can recommend them wholeheartedly, especially the Glow worm tour. We also loved the big Italian restaurant, La Dolce Vita. Lovely atmosphere, and their fettuccine with local venison is absolutely delicious.