Fiordland National Park is located in the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 13 national parks in New Zealand, covering an area of 12,607 km² (4,868 sq mi). The park is part of the Te Wāhipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was established in 1990. The Department of Conservation (DOC) manages the park. The Southern Alps’ southern ranges cover most of Fiordland National Park, along with deep valleys shaped by glaciers.

The park provides a safe place for many native animals that are at risk of disappearing. These animals include dolphins, bats, reptiles, insects, and birds that are only found in New Zealand. Some of these birds are endangered and include the takahē, mōhua, kākāpō, and southern brown kiwi.

History

One of the earliest groups to settle on the South Island was the Waitaha people, who are believed to have arrived directly on the South Island from Hawaiki on the Uruao canoe. Later, people from the North Island called Kāti Māmoe moved to the South Island. Later still, a group called Ngāi Tahu also migrated from the North Island and joined the Kāti Māmoe people. The history of the Māori in Fiordland dates back more than 1000 years, beginning with the formation of Ngāi Tahu. Fiordland’s fiords, which are deep water channels, were created to provide safe places along its rough coastline, which had forests and birds to support travelers. Fiordland also had other resources, such as kākāpō and shellfish, to help groups survive during their journeys.

In Māori stories, the fiords were shaped by a figure named Tū Te Rakiwhanoa, who carved deep areas into the coastline to make it livable. However, Fiordland was never heavily populated. Māori visited the area seasonally to fish, hunt, and collect greenstone from Milford Sound. Some tribal groups found safety here, living near penguins and seals. In one Māori legend, a figure named Hine-nui-te-pō created sandflies to stop people from becoming too comfortable in Fiordland, protecting them from its beauty.

In 1770, Captain James Cook, a British explorer, traveled around the South Island with his crew on the HMS Endeavour. They sailed toward Fiordland’s southwest but left because it was late. Although they did not enter Dusky Sound during their first trip to New Zealand, Cook noted a promising harbor and named it "Dusky Bay." During their second voyage on the HMS Resolution, Cook and his crew found shelter in Dusky Sound and met some Māori families there. In the late 1880s, Andreas Reischek, an Austrian naturalist, explored Fiordland. His collection of bird skins from the area was ruined when the items became waterlogged due to poor storage on the Stella. Though Reischek contributed to studying New Zealand’s nature, he is remembered for stealing taonga from Māori hosts.

In 1904, 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 square miles) of Fiordland were set aside as a public reserve, following suggestions by Thomas Mackenzie, who later became Prime Minister, and John Hay, a Southland land commissioner. The area had already become a destination for trampers after the Milford Track was opened in 1889 by explorers Quintin McKinnon and Donald Sutherland. A 1908 article in the London Spectator described the track as the "Finest Walk in the World," increasing its popularity.

The Fiordland "public reserve" was managed by the Department of Lands and Survey, similar to a national park. At the time, only two officially named national parks in New Zealand—Tongariro and Egmont—were managed by park boards. In 1952, the National Parks Act combined park management, officially making Fiordland National Park the third national park in New Zealand. Fiordland National Park was established in the early 1950s around the same time the Homer Tunnel opened to the public, providing road access to Milford Sound.

Geography

During a colder time in the past, glaciers shaped many deep fiords. The most famous and most visited fiord is Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. Other well-known fiords include Doubtful Sound / Patea and Tamatea / Dusky Sound. When glaciers melted after the ice age, they left behind U-shaped valleys with steep cliffs. This made Fiordland’s coastline very steep and jagged, with some fiords extending as far as 40 kilometres (25 miles) inland.

The southern part of the Southern Alps covers most of Fiordland National Park. Along with the deep valleys carved by glaciers, this creates a landscape that is difficult to reach. At the northern end of the park, the Darran Mountains have several peaks that rise over 2,500 metres (8,200 feet). From there, you can see Mount Aspiring / Tititea in the nearby Mount Aspiring National Park. Further south, the Franklin Mountains, Stuart Mountains, and Murchison Mountains reach about 2,000 metres (6,600 feet), with their peaks becoming shorter as you move south. Even farther south, the Kepler, Dingwall, Kaherekoau, Princess, and Cameron Mountains rise to about 1,500–1,700 metres (4,900–5,600 feet).

Glaciers carved the land so deeply that some islands became separated from the mainland. This left two large, uninhabited islands—Secretary Island and Resolution Island—as well as many smaller islands. Although most glaciers are gone, a few small glaciers and areas of permanent snow still remain, with the southernmost glacier located near Caroline Peak.

Several large lakes are partly or fully inside the park, including Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri on the western side of the park, and Lake Monowai, Lake Hauroko, and Lake Poteriteri to the south. These lakes have shapes typical of valleys carved by glaciers, with Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri having arms that look similar to the fiords on the park’s western coast.

The Sutherland Falls, located near Milford Track southwest of Milford Sound, are among the tallest waterfalls in the world. Other tall waterfalls in the park include Browne Falls, Humboldt Falls, Lady Alice Falls, and Bowen Falls. Many temporary waterfalls also appear in the fiords after heavy rain.

Winds from the west bring moist air from the Tasman Sea to the mountains. As this air rises, it cools and creates very heavy rainfall, sometimes more than seven metres in parts of the park. This rainfall supports the dense temperate rainforests of the Fiordland temperate forests ecoregion.

Ecology

Fiordland National Park has the largest area of vegetation in New Zealand that has not been changed by humans. The thick forests, which grow on steep valley sides, are mostly made up of silver beech and mountain beech, along with podocarps. Many shrubs and ferns, often including crown fern, form a rich layer of plants below the trees. The forest floor is covered with mosses and liverworts. The large amount of plant life is supported by high rainfall, but it is harmed by animals brought to the area, such as red deer and possum.

The park is also a safe place for many native animals that are in danger of disappearing, including dolphins, bats, reptiles, insects, and birds. Some of the birds are endangered and found only in New Zealand, such as the takahē, mōhua (Yellowhead), and the critically endangered kākāpō, which is the only flightless parrot in the world. The Fiordland crested penguin and southern brown kiwi are also mostly found in the park.

The special value of Fiordland for protecting nature was recognized in the late 1890s by Richard Henry, who helped move threatened species like the kākāpō and kiwi to islands in Dusky Sound. Today, the Department of Conservation continues to protect endangered species through many programs. The Takahē Recovery Programme helps keep the last wild group of takahē safe. This bird, the largest living member of the rail family, was once thought to be extinct. After it was found again in the Murchison Mountains in 1948, a special area of 500 square kilometers (190 square miles) in Fiordland National Park was created for its protection. By 2016, the takahē population had grown to 300 birds. Even though Fiordland National Park covers 15% of New Zealand’s protected land, it gets less than 1% of the Department of Conservation’s budget for controlling pests.

Several islands in Fiordland National Park are safe places for threatened native species:

• Anchor Island – kākāpō, little spotted kiwi, tīeke (saddleback), mōhua
• Bauza Island – tīeke
• Breaksea Island – tīeke, mōhua, knobbled weevil, Fiordland skink
• Chalky Island – Te Kakahu skink, tīeke, mōhua, kākāpō, little spotted kiwi, orange-fronted kākāriki
• Coal Island – tokoeka (Haast brown kiwi), mōhua
• Indian Island
• Passage Islands
• Resolution Island – New Zealand rock wren, mōhua, tīeke, knobbled weevil
• Secretary Island – Fiordland crested penguin, kiwi/tokoeka, rock wren, kōkako, takahē, mōhua, endemic mistletoe species

Mōhua and tokoeka (Haast brown kiwi) have also been moved to Pomona Island in Lake Te Anau, and the Eglinton Valley has large groups of long-tailed bats.

In addition to these safe places, there are three large islands in Fiordland National Park that are free of possums: Cooper Island and Long Island in Dusky Sound / Tamatea, and Great Island in Taiari / Chalky Inlet. However, these islands still have stoats, rats, or mice, which makes them less suitable for protecting birds.

Conservation and human interaction

In the 1960s, Fiordland became the focus of an important environmental discussion in New Zealand when people proposed raising the water level of Lake Manapouri to help produce electricity at West Arm. After much debate, the government decided to protect the lake legally in the 1970s due to public support.

In 1986, Fiordland National Park was named a World Heritage Site. In 1990, it was also included in the Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Area along with three other parks to the north.

The park’s protected area includes all islands along its coast, as well as the remote Solander Islands. While the park’s boundary is at the high-water mark, 10 marine reserves protect large areas of water in several fiords. In 1999, the park expanded to include the 482 square kilometers (186 sq mi) Waitutu Forest. Possible future additions include Big Bay, parts of the Livingston/Eglinton Ranges, and the Dean/Rowallan catchment area.

The main road into Fiordland National Park is the Milford Road (SH 94), which starts near Te Anau and enters the park near the Eglinton River. From there, the road travels northwest through the Hollyford Valley, the Homer Tunnel, and ends at Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, where there is a car park, a boat wharf, and a visitor center.

Other roads provide access to parts of the park:
– An unpaved road in the Hollyford Valley leads to the start of the Hollyford Track.
– State Highway 95 runs near the park’s boundary between Te Anau and Manapouri, with side roads to two entry points on the Kepler loop track.
– A narrow gravel road along the Borland and Grebe Valley provides access to three hiking trails and a campsite at Lake Manapouri’s South Arm.
– A short unpaved road leads to a campsite at Lake Monowai and the start of two hiking trails.
– Another unpaved road runs up the Lill Burn Valley to trails near Lake Hauroko, including a path to Lake Poteriteri, the largest lake in New Zealand with no road access.

A gravel road connects Doubtful Sound / Patea with Lake Manapouri via Wilmot Pass. This road is only used by shuttle buses for Doubtful Sound tours, which include a boat ride across Lake Manapouri and a bus transfer over Wilmot Pass to tour boats at Doubtful Sound.

Light aircraft and helicopters connect to Milford Sound, which also has a small boat marina.

Parts of Fiordland National Park are designated as Wilderness Areas, where no aircraft landings are allowed. These areas are protected to preserve natural landscapes without artificial structures. Entry is usually limited to walking, and some areas require special permits, such as certain offshore islands and the Takahē Specially Protected Area in the Murchison Mountains.

Fiordland National Park is the most visited national park in New Zealand for international tourists. More than half a million people visit each year, but most visitors go to the northern and eastern areas near Te Anau and Milford Sound.

Most tourists enjoy easily accessible areas like Milford Sound, where boat tours and kayaking are popular. Some tours include a visit to the Milford Discovery Centre & Underwater Observatory. Along the Milford Road, there are camping grounds and short walks, some of which are wheelchair accessible. Popular stops include Mirror Lakes, the Homer Pass area, and The Chasm.

Te Anau, a town on the shores of Lake Te Anau, is the closest town to the park and offers many accommodations and services. Manapouri is another small settlement near the park.

Doubtful Sound also offers boat tours that start from Manapouri and include a boat ride across Lake Manapouri and a bus transfer over Wilmot Pass to tour boats in Doubtful Sound. From Te Anau, boat trips to the Te Ana-au Caves are available.

Fiordland National Park is a popular destination for hikers and climbers, with multi-day trails like the Milford, Kepler, and Hollyford Tracks, and half of the Routeburn Track. Some trails can be walked as day hikes, while others, like the Milford Track, require boat access and must be booked in advance, especially during busy seasons.

In addition to major trails, the Department of Conservation maintains many lesser-known trails, ranging from intermediate routes like the Hump Ridge Track to advanced multi-day hikes like the Dusky Track. Hiking in Fiordland can be challenging due to rough terrain, flooded river crossings, and poor weather.

Only four fiords—Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, Te Houhou / George Sound, Doubtful Sound / Patea, and Dusky Sound / Tamatea—are accessible via trails. Inland, Lake Monowai and Lake Hauroko have road access to campsites and trails, and Lake Poteriteri can be reached via a hiking trail.

The steep granite peaks of the Darran Mountains are popular with climbers. The park is also known for trout fishing, with rainbow and brown trout found in its rivers and lakes.

Red deer were introduced to New Zealand in the 1850s and later spread to Fiordland. By the 1920s, large deer populations competed with sheep and cattle for food, leading the government to hire hunters to reduce their numbers. Deer hides were sold to cover the costs.

In the early 1960s, a market for wild venison developed, and hunters used pack horses, jetboats, and aircraft to transport deer. Helicopter hunting became common and successful, but by the 1970s, deer numbers had dropped significantly. Today, limited helicopter-based hunting continues, with Germany being a major market.

The Department of Conservation also uses helicopters to drop poison (1080) to control invasive possum populations.

In popular culture

The beautiful and rough landscape is famous for its natural beauty, making it a popular place for tourists and movie filming. Milford Sound and parts of Fiordland National Park were used to show the Misty Mountains in the movie The Lord of the Rings. The area was also used many times in The Hobbit Trilogy. Some scenes from the 2017 movie Alien: Covenant, as well as X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, were filmed in the park.