Fiordland and Southland: Milford Sound, Te Anau and the Catlins

Southland New Zealand covers the bottom of the South Island, from Fiordland National Park in the southwest across to the Catlins coast in the southeast. Fiordland is the largest national park in the country at over 1.2 million hectares, and so much of it is inaccessible that significant portions remain unexplored. In 1948, the Takahē was rediscovered here after being considered extinct for around fifty years.

Milford Sound is the reason most people come, and it deserves the attention, but the drive to reach it matters just as much as the fiord itself. The road from Te Anau passes Mirror Lakes, climbs to the Homer Tunnel, and descends through a glacial valley on the other side, and it is one of the great mountain drives anywhere in the world. Many visitors do this as a long day trip from Queenstown, which means four hours of driving in each direction before the interesting part begins.

East of Fiordland, the Catlins is one of the least visited parts of New Zealand and one of the most rewarding for wildlife. Sea lions, yellow-eyed penguins, and fur seals are all reliably seen along this coast, and the waterfalls, petrified forest, and lighthouse at Nugget Point are spread along a scenic route between Invercargill and Dunedin.

Below is how many days this region needs, why staying in Te Anau changes the trip entirely, and what to know about fuel and road conditions before you drive in.