Te Anau & Around
The small town of Te Anau (pop 3000) is the gateway to Fiordland National Park and home to the park’s Visitor Centre. It’s frantically busy with visitors and hikers from November to April, but surprisingly quiet in the off-season of May to October. Its population rises and drops accordingly.
It’s an endearing place on the southern shores of Lake Te Anau, the South Island’s largest lake. There’s plenty of accommodation, eating spots and places to stock up on what you need for your adventures.
There are bus connections to Te Anau from Queenstown, Invercargill and Dunedin.