NZ's top tramping destination

South-west New Zealand has within it one of the most magnificent wilderness areas of the Southern Hemisphere: Fiordland, New Zealand's largest national park. It is 80 kilometres across at its broadest extent and makes up 15 per cent of all public conservation land in New Zealand - an enormous 1.26 million hectares. Fiordland's tourism contributes a significant amount to our national economy - an estimated $219 million (net) a year.
Despite its familiarity as the subject of postcards, biscuit tins, book jackets and Edwardian paintings, a first-hand view of Fiordland National Park is an awe-inspiring thing. Entering this tapestry of snow-capped peaks and icy rivers, cascade-lined fiords, unbroken forests, and tussock fields connects many people to a primeval world seemingly untouched by humankind. This connection is more than philosophical: some of the best examples of ancient Gondwanan animals and plants still exist in this rich, temperate landscape.
Much of the park's landscape remains in its original state, unchanged save for the small areas where development has occurred. Although predators and hunting have reduced the number of native species, the intricate Fiordland coastline is one of the few places in the country that has not been altered by agriculture or fire.
In 2005 there were about 560 000 day visitors to Fiordland National Park with about 33 000 overnight visitors. With the only road access directly to a fiord environment, via the scenic Milford Road, Milford Sound/Piopiotahi has the largest number of visitors of any area within Fiordland National Park, with over 470 000 in 2005; the majority of visitors arriving between October and April.

History
Humans have been active in Fiordland since the early occupation by Maori. The first inhabitants of this area hunted birds here and caught fish from the sea and gathered takiwai, a type of pounamu found at the mouth of Milford Sound. For the first 60-80 years of European settlement transport to and around New Zealand was largely by sailing ship and coastal steamer and Milford was the first place travellers reached when travelling from Australia. However, after the establishment of infrastructure such as road and rail in other regions, the area became isolated by comparison. European settlement was long hampered by the steepness of the terrain, isolation and the wet climate. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the area was in use by European sealers setting down first at Luncheon Cove in 1792, and by whalers from a base at Cuttle Cove in Preservation Inlet operating from 1829 until 1836. In the late 19th century, some of the bays in what is now the park were the site of a brief gold rush. In the 1890s, Cromarty, a thriving gold mining town, became established at the head of Kisbee Bay in Preservation Inlet.
In 1904 Fiordland was declared a forest park. That same year, the idea of building a power station at Lake Manapouri's West Arm was first suggested by private developers, setting the stage for what would become of one of New Zealand's earliest and most important conservation battles. The proposal did not find its way into legislation until 1960, due to the public backlash. Although the hydro-electricity industry was prevented from raising the level of Lake Manapouri, which remains one of the park's scenic highlights, the hydro power station was built without raising the lake, and is the largest station of its kind in New Zealand.
The outstanding natural values of the region were recognised internationally in 1990 with the formation by UNESCO of the South-west New Zealand World Heritage Area, known to Ngai Tahu as Te Wahipounamu (the place of greenstone). Fiordland National Park sits in the heart of this 2.6 million hectare area.

Wildlife
The variety of habitats in Fiordland National Park allows a diverse flora and fauna to thrive and its isolation has encouraged a high level of endemism (species being unique to the region), with over 700 plants found only in Fiordland. The inaccessibility of the region has meant that species had refuges, when elsewhere they were being killed off by predators or displaced by habitat modification. Although difficult to see on a casual visit, persistence and luck can provide views of blue duck, yellowhead, and other rare species. Even a casual visit through the beech forests is likely to provide a good look at more common birds such as tomtits, brown creepers, grey warblers, fantails, tui, bellbirds and New Zealand pigeons.

Takahe Porphyrio mantelli hochstetteri
The isolation of Fiordland National Park allowed the takahe, the world's heaviest living rail, to survive here long after it had been hunted by early Maori and Polynesian dogs elsewhere. It is related to the pukeko or purple swamphen, the common Australasian species that self-introduced in the 19th Century. Both have gaudy red beaks and feet, are similar looking with blue/green or blue/black feathers. However, they are morphologically quite distinct. Weighing in at three kilograms, the takahe is too heavy to fly; its short wings can create some lift, but are mostly used for threat and courtship displays.

Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus
The bottlenose is easily recognisable in the wild, even if you've never seen reruns of Flipper. These two- to four-metre dolphins have relatively short beaks, high, curved dorsal fins, and are uniformly dark grey above, with lighter undersides. They are distributed over much of the world in tropical to cool temperate waters. New Zealand is at the southernmost extent of their range, and three major coastal groups exist here - as opposed to the ranging population, of which there are an unknown number. A northern group ranges from Doubtless Bay in Northland to Tauranga; a central group stays between Marlborough Sounds and Westport; and three groups occur in Fiordland (one of the northern fiords, including Milford Sound, one in the Doubtful Sound complex and one in the Dusky Sound complex, and commercial cruises frequently encounter them, especially in summer).
Interaction with vessels can impact on the bottlenose dolphin in Milford, Doubful or Dusky Sound. Being so popular with visitors, the roving pods of dolphins are a regular focus of attention for cruises through the sounds.

Sandfly Austrosimulium spp.
It is doubtful that anybody spending time in Fiordland National Park more than two metres away from the protection of the car will miss the experience of the sandfly or namu. For better or worse, they are a feature of the park, and it is best to keep insect repellent handy to ensure an enjoyable visit.

Yellowhead or Mohua Mohoua ochrocephala
The rare yellowhead or mohua is a small, brown insectivorous bird with a bright-yellow head that inhabits the forests of the South Island and on UIva and Codfish islands near Stewart Island. As late as the 19th century, it was one of the most abundant and conspicuous species in this habitat, but it has now been largely wiped out through most of its range. Like most birds in New Zealand, the decline of the yellowhead was principally due to habitat destruction a hundred years ago, combined today with damage done by introduced predators, especially rats and stoats, through degradation of existing habitat by browsing possums and deer and through competition with introduced European birds.

WALKING TRACKS
Tramping tracks
While most people know about the famous Milford Track (dubbed 'the Finest walk in the World') there are many other options for longer trips into the backcountry: the Kepler and the Hollyford tracks for example, or the Routeburn, which crosses the boundary between Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks. In summer, most of these walks can be undertaken by people with average fitness and experience. In winter, tracks into alpine areas become more difficult and even impassable, and are recommended only for experienced trampers and climbers. It is possible to take a guided walk on the Milford, Hollyford, Routeburn and Hump Ridge Tracks.

Hollyford Track
Track category: Tramping track
Distance: 56 km
Time: 4 days (one way)
Getting there: The Hollyford Track is the only major track in Fiordland at low altitude that can be walked in any season and also connects to the Fiordland coastline. It starts from the Lower Hollyford Roadend to the old port of Martins Bay. Beginning among the sheer rock walls of the Darran Mountains, the track follows the Hollyford River/Whakatipu Ka Tuka on its journey to the sea.
Track description: Features of the track are the two lakes Alabaster/Waiwahuika and McKerrow/Whakatipu Waitai. The latter is the site of the now abandoned Jamestown, which was established in 1870. The forest is a mix of native lowland species and there are views of the Darran Mountains. The remote and often wild coastline is inhabited by seals and penguins.

Dusky track
Track category: Tramping track
Time: 8-9 days
Distance: 84 km
Getting there: The Dusky Track can be reached from the south by a scheduled boat service on Lake Hauroko, which is 64 kilometres west of Tuatapere. From the north, a launch operates daily across Lake Manapouri. It is also possible to fly into or out of Supper Cove or Lake Hauroko by float plane or helicopter. This track links Lake Hauroko with Lake Manapouri and offers a two-day detour to Supper Cove in Dusky Sound, traversing three major valley systems and crosses two mountain ranges.

Milford Track
Track category: Great Walk/Easy Tramping Track
Time: 4 days
Distance: 53.5 km
Getting there: The Milford Track requires boat transport at both ends of the track. Bus or private transport is required to Te Anau Downs and also from Milford Sound. During the summer there are regular transport services to and from the track.
Track description: Located in the south-west of the South Island, the track starts at the head of Lake Te Anau and finishes at Milford Sound. You can walk the track independently or as part of a guided group. The track is marked with 'Mile Posts'. Te Anau, the nearest township has a full range of services.

Routeburn Track
Track category: Great Walk/Easy Tramping Track
Time: 3 days
Distance: 32 km
Getting there: The Routeburn Track extends between the head of Lake Wakatipu and State Highway 94, the Te Anau-Milford road. The nearest townships are Queenstown, Te Anau and Glenorchy. Shops in Queenstown and Te Anau can cater for all your tramping needs, including equipment hire. The Routeburn Track can be accessed by road at either the Routeburn Shelter (the starting or finishing point at the Mount Aspiring National Park end of the track), or at the Divide (the starting or finishing point at the Fiordland National Park end of the track). The Routeburn Track can be walked in either direction (the following description is from east to west).
forest. The Divide (532 metres) is the lowest east/west crossing in the Southern Alps. A shelter, car park and toilets are located at The Divide.

Short walks and day walks
There are many short walks in the park. In addition, the first parts of some of the more extensive track systems (such as the Manapouri end of the Kepler Track) make enjoyable short walks or day trips.

Mirror Lakes
Time: 5 minutes
A good place to stretch your legs during the drive to Milford Sound. Small lakes provide outstanding reflective views of the Earl Mountains. Waterfowl and wetland plants can be seen against a backdrop of beech forest.

The Chasm
Time: 20 minutes return
Track description: Two foot bridges over the Cleddau River offer spectacular views of a series of waterfalls. Thousands of years of swirling water have sculpted round shapes and basins in the rock.

Other things to do

Fishing
Most anglers fish for brown and rainbow trout in the Eglinton, Hollyford and Cleddau valleys, and Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri, which are easy to reach and boast fish over four kilograms. To fish away from these sheltered areas requires tramping skill and preparedness for heavy rainfall in remote areas. Flash floods are common.

Hunting
Autumn offers opportunities to hunt the widespread red deer, the highly prized wapiti, and, on a smaller scale, pigs and chamois. Red deer are common throughout the park, but wet conditions can make them difficult to track. The Hollyford Valley and around Lakes Monowai and Hauroko are the most popular areas for hunters. Moose were released in Dusky Sound in 1910 and survived at least until the 1950s. They are believed to have been unable to compete with the large deer populations, but rumours of their existence still abound. Commercial hunting guides are available, mostly based in Te Anau.

Kayaking
The sounds are magical places no matter how you experience them, but streaming along quietly by kayak, beneath the jutting cliffs, past seals and penguins, truly cannot be surpassed. There are many opportunities for kayakers in the park. Dusky and Milford Sounds are excellent destinations, and Lake Te Anau offers some surprises. For those interested in white-water trips, be aware that conditions can change quickly, and flash-flooding is common. Sea-kayaking is also available. The closest boat-hire companies in Te Anau and Milford, and they also offer tour packages.

Scuba diving
Milford Sound has unusual current patterns that cause deep-sea organisms to live extremely close to the surface. As a result, it is one of the best places in the world to see deep-sea creatures - like red and black coral, and snake stars - living next to shallow-water species of fish. Dive tours can be arranged through one of the private companies based in Te Anau.

Extreme sports
Take advantage of the range of high-energy sports such as paragliding and power boating. These can be arranged from Te Anau.

Te Anau
Te Anau also caters well for tourists, with plenty of shops and caf'es. Take a walk along the shores of Lake Te Anau, visit the DOC information centre, and, if you like birds, keep an eye out for great-crested grebes and other waterbirds on the lake nearby.

Milford Sound boat trips
Cruises are an important tourist attraction in the park, and one of the best ways to enjoy the fiords and their spectacular scenery of waterfalls, steep cliffs and aquatic wildlife: dolphins, seals, penguins and occasionally even killer whales. Cruises will take you by Mitre Peak and out to sea, and an added option is stopping by the Milford Deep Underwater Observatory. Have a coffee at the caf'e at Milford while you're waiting for the boat to leave.

Horse trekking
Take a horse trek along the Dart River into the park from Queenstown. A number of stables in the region offer excursions, either part-way in a day or as a multi-day trip.

GETTING THERE
The 116-kilometre drive from Te Anau to Milford is one of the most pleasant stretches of road in the country. The drive provides spectacular mountain and forest scenery with some very good short walks and camping areas if you're of a mind to stop. The drive to Te Anau from Queenstown takes about three hours. Take State Highway 6 along the southern arm of Lake Wakatipu, past Kingston to Five Rivers, and turn off towards Mossburn. Here State Highway 94 leads you to Te Anau. The drive around Lake Wakatipu is very scenic, providing views of the Eyre Mountains. There is a good picnic stop along the lake edge in the Kingston vicinity.
State Highway 94 to Te Anau branches off the main Invercargill to Queenstown Road, and regular bus services go to Te Anau and Milford Sound. Transport services are also available in the summer season to the start of the Milford, Kepler and Routeburn tracks. Arrangements can also be made on request in advance to access other track systems, and the DOC Visitor Centre can provide details.
Water is a fundamental part of the Fiordland National Park experience. Numerous water taxi services on the larger lakes and rivers provide access to the Great Walk tracks, favourite hunting and fishing spots, and access to many of the remote backcountry tracks. Seeing Milford Sound by tour boat is a popular activity.

This article is an extract from Eric Dorfman's book: Tramping in New Zealand, available at all good bookstores nationwide.