Is Spring Coming to Te Anau???

Today is Saturday 17 July and look at what I have found in my garden! I guess this must mean that spring is coming or maybe its here!

Because today is Saturday and the weather was fantastic, everyone was out in their gardens pruning the roses, mulching the ground and having a general tidy up.

Everyone I have spoken to on my walk today remarked on how little snow was on the tops because of the warmth of the sun in the last few weeks (which is a shame for Queenstown but great news for us!)

The school holidays have just finished and everyone will be going home to great memories of Te Anau and our delicious spring weather!

Please note the soil in my garden - it is DRY! It has been many weeks since we have seen the rain. We just need a bit of rain for the garden, the lake and the waterfalls in Fiordland - then everyone will be happy!

The town of Te Anau is situated on the south east shore of Lake Te Anau and is 210 metres above sea level. The 2006 census recorded the population of Te Anau at 1899, however this increases dramatically in size during the summer months with over 3,000 accommodation beds at this time.

Tourism and farming are the predominant economic activities in this area.

Bordering the Fiordland National Park it is the gateway to a wilderness area famed for tramping and spectacular scenery. Many species of bird life are also found locally, notably the endangered Takahe which was rediscovered in 1948 by Dr Orbell. Today, you can see these famous birds at our wildlife park on the Te Anau - Manapouri highway.

Lake Te Anau was originally named by the Maori Te Ana-au which means 'the cave of swirling water.'

The lake covers 344km in area (65km long) which gives it the status of the largest lake in the South Island and the second largest in New Zealand. Since its maximum depth is 417m and the lake sits at 210 metres above sea level, this means that much of its bed lies beneath sea level.

Luxmore Jet - TE ANAU

Luxmore Jet is based in Te Anau, the gateway to both Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound.
Luxmore Jet operates jet boat tours on the Upper Waiau River which flows between Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri. These excursions explore the untouched wilderness of the Fiordland National Park, a World Heritage area. This tour allows you to view 3 Lord of the Rings sites of River Anduin before heading to Lake Manapouri to view the lake and the magnificent snow-capped mountains.

This is the most scenic jet boat tour I have ever done, with even spotting trout in the clear pristine waters of the Waiau River. Anyone can join this tour summer or winter (even the handrails are heated!)

Take an added bonus of a helicopter or floatplane flight to make your journey even more spectacular!

About Te Anau

Welcome to Te Anau - the gateway to Fiordland!

Fiordland is the largest national park in New Zealand at 1.2 million hectares and Te Anau is right on the doorstep of nature's wonderland!

Both Te Anau and Manapouri are the closest towns to base yourselves before exploring our paradise.............

Let me guide you through some of my special areas of Fiordland, specialising in smaller, personalised tours for the independant traveller.

My personalised advice will provide you with a unique and memorable Fiordland experience. My speciality is the smaller operators based in Te Anau who will give you the best of Fiordland but I can also help you plan the tour of your choice, advising you of my experiences that you cannot get travelling with a guide book or on a packaged tour.

I have lived in Fiordland all my life and have worked in the Te Anau tourism industry since 1980. Please feel free to contact me!

Sue Chartres