At first glance, there doesn’t seem all that much for kids to do in Te Anau, yet there are one or two interesting activities and sights in the town and some amazing adventures to be had on various trips around Te Anau. Boat cruises, glow-worms, horseback trekking, and wildlife can all be enjoyed.

Boat Cruises
Boat cruises regularly tour New Zealand’s second largest lake, Te Anau, although the big boating attractions in the Fiordland region are Milford and Doubtful sounds. Milford Sound Red Boat Cruises run trips on the former to take in some of the most magnificent scenery in the world, including the lofty Mitre Peak. Website: www.redboats.co.nz.

Farm Adventures
There are several farms in the area and the Waiau Downs Farm, about an hour from Tuatapere, is a must for budding farmers. Farm tours here include horseback and donkey riding, milking cows, lamb-feeding and sheep-shearing. Tours take around two hours, but there are also shorter one-hour tours available. Phone: +64 3 226 6622; website: www.farmadventures.co.nz.

Fiordland Astronomy
Te Anau has the right climate for stargazing, and Fiordland Astronomy offers nightly observations of the skies with binoculars and a large telescope. Phone: +64 27 269 9478.

Glow-worm Caves
The Te Anau Glow-worm Caves are one of the main attractions near Te Anau and perfect for little ones. The caves are on the other side of the lake and regular scheduled launches depart town on a 35-minute journey across the lake. Visitors walk a path before taking a small boat ride inside the caves where the glow-worm grotto features thousands of tiny glow-worms – an amazing sight. The duration of the trip is 2 hours, 30 minutes. Website: www.realjourneys.co.nz.

Horseback Trekking
Horseback trekking is also popular in Te Anau and High Ride Adventures offer reasonably-priced trips on mules that take in beautiful landscapes and numerous farm animals along the way. Groups are small and the horses well trained. High Ride Adventures are located on Wilderness road and can pick you up at your hotel. Website: www.highride.co.nz.

Quad Biking
High Ride also offers quad bike adventures where visitors are taken on a trip through Te Anau's back country. Tours start off steady within a paddock and get progressively more demanding. The climb to the summit of Danby Hill is the highlight, taking in views of the whole region including Lake Manapouri and Lake Te Anau.

Wildlife Parks
A nice family destination, the Te Anau Wildlife Centre along the lakeshore enables visitors to view the rare Takahe bird, which is indigenous to Fiordland, as well as other fine birds. The Ivon Wilson Park is also within reach and is ideal for a picnic. Phone: +64 3 249 7921.

Te Anau doesn’t have the cultural prowess of the likes of Dunedin or Queenstown, but its natural surroundings and walking terrain more than make up for its limited cultural offerings. There is, however, an interesting museum worth seeing as well as the famed glow-worm caves and a wildlife park.

Te Anau Glow-worm Caves
The glow-worm caves are one of the highlights of Te Anau. Cruises regularly leave Te Anau and take passengers across the lake to the starting point of this trip, at Cavern House. Here there are informative displays, and guides who take visitors along a path and small punt through the caves. Visitors will see water gushing over rock formations and then into the silent darkness of the glow-worm grotto. The glow is from the larvae of fungi gnats that light-up to attract prey for food. Silky threads entrap flies and other insects which are then eaten. Visitors are asked to be quiet when entering the 12,000-year-old caves as the glow worms turn off their lighting when disturbed by noise.

Trout Observatory
Te Anau’s Underground Trout Observatory showcases Fiordland’s rainbow and brown trout in a quirky underground observatory on the lake. If you have kids, this is an ideal side attraction and is best visited when the fish are feeding. The underground observatory is part of the Rotary Club of Te Anau and can be found opposite the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre.

Te Anau Wildlife Centre
The Wildlife Centre in Te Anau offers a unique chance to see some of the rarest birds in the Fiordland region. Birds include the takahe, kaka, kea, and tuip, the former being particularly interesting due to its previously being considered as extinct. The bird was subsequently rediscovered in the Murchison mountains by Dr Orbell. The Wildlife Centre is located just a few minutes walk from the town’s visitor centre and has some beautiful views of Lake Te Anau and the Fiordland mountains.

Visitor Centre and Museum
Te Anau’s Visitor Centre is situated on the lakefront and has fine displays of the Fiordland National Park as well as information on local tracks, maps and weather reports. There is also a small museum onsite with photographs and exhibits documenting the Maori and European history of Te Anau and the Fiordland region. Included is an audio visual presentation of the beautiful Fiordland wilderness. Website: www.fiordland.org.nz; phone: +64 3 249 8900.

Te Anau’s dining scene is largely café-based although there are a few up-and-coming eateries and the Te Anau Hotel has a good restaurant. Fish and chips is a New Zealand staple while local Fiordland fare features the freshest venison, lobster and other seafood. If you are here out of season, however, many eateries in town close and service tends to be slow.

One of the best restaurants in town is the Mackinnon Room at the Te Anau Hotel, which has an extensive menu and very good food. On the café front, Pop-In Café on Lakefront drive is a good bet with its excellent meat pies, salads, and sandwiches. Pop-In is also a favourite place for picking up essential supplies before walking the various tracks and is popular with picnickers.

Te Anau also has a selection of cosmopolitan dining choices, with its line-up of good Asian restaurants, of which the excellent Ming Garden Chinese Restaurant on Loop road is the best. La Toscana Pizzeria is another good option. Fiordland reputedly has the best coffee in town as well as perfect smoothies, squeezed juices, and teas which can be found in the town centre.

Unfortunately, the shopping in Te Anau is a little thin on the ground. Most visitors come to this region of New Zealand to enjoy the beautiful scenery rather than shop. It is best to stock up before leaving Queenstown if you plan on going tramping around Te Anau as outdoor equipment for walkers is more abundant there.

Of the shopping that is available in Te Anau, there are many souvenir and gift shops as well as knitwear outlets selling New Zealand wool and sheepskin products. There are also several convenience stores in town and a supermarket along the main street with reasonably priced food and drinks. Good quality rum can also be had along the main shopping street to keep hip-flasks topped up on the Milford Track.

People mainly come to Te Anau to walk the Milford Track and other popular tramps in the region, and the walking here is simply spectacular. The kayaking is also naturally very good with the stark Fiordland land and seascapes as a backdrop, while fishing, horseback trekking and boating are also very popular.

Boat Cruises
Boat cruises regularly ply Lake Te Anau, New Zealand’s second largest lake. Taking one of these cruises is an excellent way to see some nature away from the relative masses. Another good way to take advantage of the water is to take a trip to the Glow-worm Caves across Lake Te Anau. Nearby Lake Manapouri also has boat cruises, and access to the Manapouri Power Station is combined with a trip on the lake. You can also go jet-boating on the Waiau and Wairarahiri rivers in Fiordland and cruise Milford and Doubtful sounds.

Fishing
The Fiordland in general has very good opportunities for wilderness fishing with the best fishing arguably being in the Eglinton Valley. There are a couple of good guided fishing options around Te Anau including Ian Murray’s of Fish 'n' Trips and Fiordland Guides. The latter offers fishing trips with all gear included on hourly, half-day or full-day tours. Fiordland Guides is located on the Te Anau-Milford Highway and also offers equipment and guided fly-fishing trips. Phone: +64 3 249 7832; website: www.fiordlandguides.co.nz/.

Golf
Te Anau Golf Course is situated at the southern end of Lake Te Anau and is a fun 18-hole course. Stretching for over 6,000 yards, the facilities here are excellent, while views of the lake are worth the trek even if you don’t make par. The golf course is just a couple of miles from Te Anau town centre on Waiau road and club and buggy hire are available. Green fees are very reasonable. Phone: +64 3 249 7474.

Horseback Trekking
High Ride Adventures offer great horseback trekking in the region with well-trained animals taking small groups over mountains and through the valleys to take in the beautiful scenery and abundance of flora and fauna. High Ride can arrange pick-ups from Te Anau and also offer quad biking adventures. Website: www.highride.co.nz.

Kayaking
The next big leisure activity to hiking (locally known as ‘tramping’) in Fiordland National Park is kayaking, and this region of New Zealand is perfect for it. Wilderness Experiences offer guided sea-kayaking trips that range in length from one to six days and take in Milford, Dusky, and Doubtful sounds as well as Lake Manapouri. Kayaks can also be hired in Te Anau for short excursions on the lake. Website: www.fiordlandseakayak.co.nz.

Tramping and Walking
The big attraction of Te Anau is the Milford Track, which has been labelled as the ‘world’s finest walk’. The track is a 33-mile, four-day walk with three nights spent in huts along the way, and it can be done as a guided walk or independently. The good thing about the Milford Track is that the amount of walkers is restricted to 90 per day (50 guided and 40 independent) and that the walk can only be done in one direction in season - from Glade Wharf on Lake Te Anau to Sandfly Point near Milford Sound. The walking season is from late October to late April and you need to book your tramp in advance with the Department of Conservation. Other major walks in the region include the Routeburn, Kepler, and Holyford tracks, and there are several short walks within Te Anau.