Most people come to Te Anau for Milford or Doubtful sounds, or both, and Te Anau’s line-up of attractions pale in comparison. That said, the quaint lakeside town makes a great stop-off or launching point for the sounds and features a couple of attractive parks, a small museum, and the nearby Glow-worm Caves.

Doubtful Sound
Doubtful Sound is the deepest and biggest of New Zealand’s fiords, dwarfing Milford Sound and featuring ancient rainforest, plunging waterfalls, an abundance of wildlife, and the lofty near 4,000-foot Commander Peak. Despite being fairly close to Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound is much harder to get to with sea access and the Wilmot Pass road from Manapouri Power Station the only options. Its remoteness makes it even more attractive for the more discerning traveller.

Ivon Wilson Park
Located near the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre in Te Anau, Ivon Wilson Park features a pleasant landscape with fine views of the Fiordland mountains and some excellent walking trails. The park has an impressive range of trees and is a great place for families to visit.

Lake Te Anau Stones
The Lake Te Anau Stones takes in the first 30 minutes of the famed Kepler Track, starting at the control gates, passing along the lakeshore through stands of pretty native forest. The views across Lake Te Anau are spectacular and visitors can swim, go on a boat ride or have a picnic at Dock or Brod bays.

Manapouri Power Station
New Zealand’s greatest feat of engineering and the country's largest hydroelectric project is a massive underground power station occupying the western arm of Lake Manapouri. Coach trips take passengers along the eerie mile-long spiral tunnel to reach the impressive machine hall. Trips of the Manapouri Power Station are normally part of Doubtful Sound daytrips. Website: www.meridianenergy.co.nz.

Milford Sound
Milford Sound may be a 10^th of the size of nearby Doubtful Sound, but it is far greater in stature, in large part due to the spectacular mile-high Mitre Peak and the sound’s easy access. Milford Sound doesn’t disappoint in any weather and there are many ways to see it. There are standard hour-long cruises, and day cruises, as well as overnight cruises. Access to Milford Sound is by road, air or water. Those who do the Milford Track will be ferried here at the end of the walk.

Te Anau Visitor Centre
Te Anau’s Visitor Centre has a fine location on the lakefront and boasts current information and historical details of Fiordland National Park. Travellers come here for maps, information on the tracks in the area and weather reports, and the small museum onsite displays a range of photographs chronicling the Maori and European history of the Fiordland area.

Te Anau Wildlife Centre
Just a five-minute walk from the town’s visitor centre, the Wildlife Centre features some of the Fiordland’s rarest and most colourful birds, such as the kaka, kea, takahe, and tui. The takehe in particular is very interesting, as it was thought to be extinct until Dr Orbell rediscovered it in the Murchison mountains. The views of the Fiordland mountains and Lake Te Anau from the park are outstanding.

Underground Trout Observatory
The Underground Trout Observatory allows visitors to see Fiordland’s rainbow and brown trout in an underground observatory, making it quite an unusual attraction. The observatory is at the Rotary Club of Te Anau, opposite the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre, and is best visited at feeding time.

Experience kayaking on a tour of Milford and Doubtful sounds. Tours can last from just a few hours to several days and take in the remarkable landscapes and wildlife of the region. Taking along a waterproof camera is advised.

Go golfing at the Te Anau Golf Course. A surprisingly long 18-hole course with some excellent fairways, greens and superb views, the Te Anau Golf Course is close enough to walk to from the town centre. Facilities here are good, prices are cheap and non-members are welcome.

Go horseback trekking and experience the unique nature of Fiordland National Park. High Ride Adventures are one of the best operations in the area providing horseback rides through local farmland with pick-ups from Te Anau.

Have a picnic at the Ivon Wilson Park. With its fine views of the Fiordland mountains, great walking trails and delightful shady trees, visitors to the park can take time out before embarking on the Kepler Track. Also known as Lake Te Anau Stones, the first 30 minutes of the track will take you to Brod bay where the picnicking and swimming are perfect.

See the glow-worms at the Te Anau Glow Worm Caves via a tour from Te Anau. Tours take visitors across the lake to the launching point for the caves, from where a path leads into the cave proper and a small punt into the grotto.

Take a scenic flight to Milford Sound from either Te Anau or Queenstown. Southern Lakes Helicopters offer 50-minute flights over Doubtful Sound and into Campbell's Kingdom, while Fiordland Helicopters offer cheaper trips of 15 and 90 minutes from Manapouri Airport.

Walk the Milford Track and experience New Zealand’s finest walk. A combination of bus and ferry takes walkers to the start point on the edge of Lake Te Anau, from where walkers follow glaciated valleys, cross alpine passes, trek beside towering waterfalls and eventually cruise Milford Sound - an unforgettable experience.