In January 2020, we spent a week on the Southern island of New Zealand in and around Te Wahipounamu. When people say the Southern island is the more beautiful of the two, Te Wahipounamu is the main reason. It offers fjords, forests, glaciers and mountains in abundance that are very little touched by humans.

We started around Te Anau with a half day hike along the western shore of Lake Te Anau. It takes you directly into a massive fern forest. The next day we did the mandatory Milford cruise. It's takes you out to the ocean along the high cliffs of the fjord. You pass plenty of waterfalls and if you are lucky, you get to see some dolphins. The weirdest part is that the surrounding mountains seem so small, when in reality they climb above 1600m.

Personally, I enjoyed our stops along the way to Milford better than the actual cruise. You get several view points, most notably the Mirror Lake and the Eglinton Valley view point. If you are into rough hiking, you can hike to Lake Marian. We tried. But we got lost along the way. And due to time pressure from having to catch the ferry, we had to return before reaching the lake.

Two days later, we drove in a single day from Wanaka to Greymouth with stops at Fox and Franz Josef Glacier. This is the second mandatory component of any visit as the west coast is just stunning. First, you pass magical azure lakes (outside of the core zone) when you leave Wanaka. Then, you enter Mount Aspiring National Park with ample hiking opportunities. After you crossed the mountains, you reach Haast (4h or so). I wish I had known how stunning and different the scenery is around Haast. There are long white beaches, cliffs and river deltas to explore.

We drove past and stopped first at Fox and then Franz Josef Glacier. Fox offers the better nature. Franz Josef the more accessible glacier. You should visit both. For both glaciers, it has to be pointed out that climate change has taken it's heavy toll with the glaciers shrinking every year.

When we left, it felt too early. This is a great national park and there was so much more to explore. So, why isn't it 5* for me? Partly, because the site is too large too fully grasp. You probably have to spend weeks hiking to fully appreciate the scenery. But when I compare it to Los Glaciares, it just doesn't have as iconic locations as the Perrito Moreno Glacier or the Fitz Roy mountain range.

In the forum, me and Solivagant  had a discussion regarding his rating. I pointed out that Fjordland (which is just one of the components of the site) is very similar to the Norwegian Fjords and should at least receive the same rating. His point was that his rating was tainted by bad memories (has happened to me, too), the weather and the crowds. To me, the crowds are a misunderstanding. It's more a function of how little of the site is accessible by car. Most tourists concentrate around the same hot spots (Milford, Fox, Franz Josef) and I guess that's intentional by the authorities to protect the wilderness. With some hiking or deviating a bit from the standard route (Haast), you should be able to get away from the crowds quite quickly.

Getting There

That's a more difficult one than normally as the "there" is pretty big. The inscribed area covers most of the South-Western part of New Zealand's South Island. It's more than 400km beeline, with significantly longer travel distances as some areas are not passable at all. In total, the inscribed area is 26000 km2, roughly the size of Ruanda. Keep in mind, though, that the fjords and lakes and Fjordland were originally excluded. They are now proposed as an extension to the site on New Zealand's tentative List.

Generally, you are best served with your own car. There are buses, but I did not investigate this option. When driving, you cannot plan trips the way you would elsewhere. Roads are constantly being repaired, so plan buffer and be able to adapt your plan. In 2019/2020, there were repeated incidents where tourists were locked between Greymouth and Wanaka as the single road going in and out of this huge area was closed. See my comments in the forum on general recommendations re travel in New Zealand.

The biggest city of the area and the central hub is Queenstown. It offers all the tourist infrastructure you would expect including a small international airport and a LVHM store. We flew in from Sydney. Queenstown prides itself the adventure capital of the world. Bungee jumping was invented here. As were jet boat rides in canyons. And there are many more options nowadays. All of them are rather pricey, though, and they attract a special crowd.

If you plan to explore the Fiordland NP some more, I would recommend basing yourself in and around Te Anau. From Te Anau, you can explore Milford Sound on your own and do plenty of the stops along the road to Milford as a day trip. You can also do the Doubtful Sound cruise from Manapouri which is pricier than Milford, but probably less crowded.

Further North of Queenstown, is Wanaka. To me, it's the way more pleasant alternative to Queenstown. From there, you have access to Mount Aspiring National Park and the west coast road.

Along the west coast road, coming from Wanaka, the first town after you passed the mountains (which takes 3-4h) is Haast. We didn't have time for a proper stop in Haast, but the little I saw was intriguing. It's a completely different scenery with long white beaches (see picture).

The last stops on the west road are the Franz-Josef and Fox Glaciers. Around Franz-Josef and Fox Glacier small tourist towns have sprung up. We didn't stay there for the night, but continued the same day to Greymouth. Greymouth is the next major town on the west coast. It has a certain abandoned charm to it. It's also home to a brewery and the end point of the (tourist) railway from Christchurch.

For Mount Cook, Twizel seems to be the base. However, the recommended itinerary is to take the stunning west coast ride, so not sure how you would squeeze this in without a detour.

Cruises

The default cruise is the Milford Sound cruise. Plenty of operators compete for your attention, but at the end most offer the same trip, taking you once out to the sea and back with some stops at (or below) different waterfalls. Most guidebooks will recommend doing the cruise in the evening as it's less crowded. Having done so, I would disagree. The boats were still lining up like on a parade in the fjord and we were time pressed all day due to having to be in Milford by 15:00h. I am not sure you need to prebook as we came in high season and all operators were offering tickets for immediate departure. There are day trips including bus and cruise from Queenstown.

As an alternative or an addition, you can do the Doubtful Sound cruise. It departs from Manapouri, but you can also take a shuttle from Te Anau. You cannot do this from Queenstown. Doubtful Sound is harder to reach as you have to take a ferry first, then a bus across a mountain pass, before you reach it. As a consequence, it's likely less touristy and the more intimate experience. We had booked a kayaking tour, but it got cancelled due to heavy winds, so I can't compare.

Hiking

To get away from the road and see some of the nature, you will have to hike. To see the Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier there are friendly walking trails. To get on the glacier requires a tour. In Mount Aspiring, the Rob Roy Track is renown. Technically not part of the core zone, but with great views of the Southern Alps, is Roys Peak. You have probably seen the view before as the viewpoint on Roys Peak is the selfie place for any NZ tourist.

If you want to go all in and do a multi day hike, the area boasts three great walks:

• Milford Track takes you from Te Anau Downs to Milford Sound.
• Kepler Track takes you from Te Anau in a circle. We hiked the first bit of it in an afternoon. Very nice. If you plan to hike, either park at the hydro power station or take the morning/afternoon ferry from Te Anau across Lake Te Anau. The eastern shore is not very memorable.
• The Routeburn trail will take from Glenorchy (North of Queenstown) to Milford Sound.

There are many more options, so investigate. You should be aware, that you are leaving civilization quickly, so come prepared. In high season, the tracks, specifically the Milford Track, require a reservation.

Two things to keep in mind when hiking:

• The rivers carry some dangerous bacteria. Clean your shoes and stay away from the water.
• There is very dangerous poison nearly everywhere to eradicate non native species. Watch your kids.

Flying

For several sites you can book a helicopter ride. E.g. you can be flown on a glacier (Fox, Franz Josef). Or you can cross the Southern Alps by plane with views of Mount Cook. It's a pricey option, though, and I also would feel guilty re CO2; flying to NZ is already bad enough on its own.