Fiordland
The drive from Queenstown to Te Anau is quite different from most of the South Island. The red tussock land is beautiful but desolate looking. It's a conservation area important for breeding takahe, explained at the DOC Wildlife Centre at Te Anau where you can see all kinds of rare and not-so-rare NZ birds.
Manapouri is one street along the lake front. It's pretty and seems to mainly attract Kiwi holidaymakers so has a small scale Skegness feel with a lone pie-and-chips café/shop and a couple of jet skis whizzing about. Tourists come here to access Doubtful Sound via a cruise across the lake and a bus drive past the power station and over the dirt pass. This does restrict the number of visitors - something DOC seems to be taking quite an interest in - and there's less motorised traffic here than Milford Sound.
Highlights
Kayaking Doubtful Sound
Guided trips are pretty much the only way to get on the water - good for keeping down numbers but frustrating for being herded around at the pace of the slowest paddler. Nevertheless, this was an excellent trip. The fiord is stunning, pristine and lined with tall rimu trees. A pod of bottlenose dolphins entertained us, little blue penguins darted away and a rain shower turned on all the waterfalls. The sandflies are voracious but unlike Captain Cook at least we have insect repellent.
Eating
Lakeview Motor Inn, Manapouri
Has a surprisingly good pub/restaurant, but get there early as the captive audience is large and the queuing system a bit of a nightmare.
Sleeping
Manapouri
Has a small selection of typical Kiwi motor inns and B&Bs. We stayed here due to an early start to Doubtful Sound, but
Te Anau probably has more to offer.
