Chatham Islands — Moriori Legacy

Your journey begins at the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre, a facility opened in 1987. This center, the main information hub for Fiordland National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986, is located at 19 Lakefront Drive in Te Anau. Spanning approximately 500 m², interactive exhibits detail local wildlife and geology. Pre-pandemic, it welcomed over 100,000 annual visitors and manages bookings for the famous Great Walks, including the Milford Track. Listen carefully: you might hear the daily bark of the kea (Nestor notabilis), an endemic Fiordland species, right from the center.

Walking along Lake Te Anau, named in 1847 by surveyor Charles Tripp, you discover Fiordland's largest lake. Its 344 km² surface area and maximum depth of 276 m make it a prime study site. The name 'Te Anau' means 'cave of spirits' in Maori, evoking local legends. Primarily fed by the Upukorora River, it drains via the Waiau River into the Pacific Ocean. The lake's waters offer diving visibility up to 30 m, harboring the black teal (Anas superciliosa), another endemic species you might spot.

Your route then takes you to Punanga Manu o Te Anau, the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary, established in 1997 on 3 hectares by Lake Te Anau. This sanctuary, named 'nest of birds' in Maori in 2012, is crucial for conservation. It houses 20 native species, including the takahe (Porphyrio hochstochteri), a species reintroduced in 1986 after nearly going extinct. Over 50,000 visitors annually come to observe these birds for free, and you will see breeding enclosures for the kaka (Nestor meridionalis), contributing to the survival of these populations.

The Te Anau Lakefront pedestrian promenade, developed in the 1970s for tourism, stretches 1.5 km along the lake. With its public lighting installed in 1995 and native wooden benches, it offers views of the Murchison Mountains, a natural habitat for the takahe since 1948. This location is also the starting point for annual festivals and tours to the famous Te Anau Glowworm Caves. En route to the Kepler Track Control Gates, you pass the Te Anau Moose Statue, erected in bronze in 2012. This 2.5 m tall statue commemorates the introduction of 10 moose (Alces alces) by the New Zealand government in 1909-1910, sculpted by Peter Munro. The last moose was observed in 1952 in Fiordland, a reminder of the fragility of species introductions.

Finally, you reach the Kepler Track Control Gates, installed in 1981, 300 m from the Visitor Centre. These gates mark the beginning of the Kepler Track, a 60 km Great Walk, officially opened in 1980 and named after astronomer Johannes Kepler. During peak season, daily capacity is limited to 60 hikers, thus preserving the environment. From here, you have breathtaking views of Lake Te Anau and the Kepler Mountains. Your mission in Te Anau has allowed you to understand the delicate balance between the conservation of the Fiordland National Park UNESCO World Heritage and tourism, a balance that the Department of Conservation strives to maintain for future generations.