On a rise above Lake Te Anau with the Murchison Mountains opposite, at the gateway to Milford Sound.
01 / 06
Overview
Ten Rooms, Two Cabins
A maximum of twenty-seven guests, on the edge of Fiordland National Park.
Fiordland Lodge sits on a hill at the edge of Te Anau, looking over the lake to Mount Luxmore and the Murchison Mountains, which is about as good a position as anyone has managed on this side of the park. It is deliberately small: ten rooms in the main lodge, two self-contained log cabins behind it, and a four-bedroom owner’s residence — twenty-seven guests at absolute capacity. The lodge rooms are generously sized, with timber, muted tones and a patio each. The Hidden Lakes cabin suits couples; the Karearea cabin sleeps four across a downstairs queen and a king on the mezzanine. Milford and the Kepler track both start from here.
This is the base for Milford. Te Anau is the last real town before the road into Milford Sound. Staying here means starting the drive before the coaches do.
27
Guests at Capacity
10
Lodge Rooms
2
Log Cabins
1
National Park at the Door
Rooms
Timber, and Lake Light
Lodge rooms with patios over the water, and two cabins behind them.
Lodge Room — Fiordland Lodge
01
Lake-Facing PatiosThe lodge rooms are generously sized, full of light, and each has a patio over the lake.
02
Hidden Lakes CabinA studio log cabin with a queen bed and kitchenette, suited to couples.
03
Karearea CabinSleeps four, with a queen downstairs and a king on the mezzanine floor.
04
Deliberately SmallTwenty-seven guests maximum, which is why the lodge reads as a house.
Experiences
Fiordland, from Te Anau
The largest national park in the country, and the best-known fiord in it.
Fiord
Milford Sound
Two hours up the Milford Road, and the cruise out to the Tasman Sea.
Fiord
Doubtful Sound
Larger, quieter and harder to reach, across Lake Manapouri.
Walk
The Kepler Track
One of the Great Walks, starting at the edge of Te Anau itself.
Walk
The Milford Track
Once called the finest walk in the world, and still booked a year ahead.
Water
Lake Te Anau
The largest lake in the South Island, and the glowworm caves on its western shore.
Air
Scenic Flight
Over the fiords and the Sutherland Falls, which is the only way to see the scale.
Dining
One Room, Facing the Lake
A single dining room over the water, cooking what the region grows.
01The main lodge dining room, overlooking Lake Te Anau
02Breakfast each morning, and set lunch and dinner menus
03The bar and lounge beneath the high timber roof
04Locally sourced produce, cooked to a daily menu
The Dining Room — Fiordland Lodge
Location
Above Lake Te Anau
On a rise at the edge of Fiordland National Park.
On a hill above Lake Te Anau, facing Mount Luxmore and the Murchison Mountains.
At the edge of Fiordland National Park, the largest in New Zealand.
Two hours by road to Milford Sound, on the road the coaches use later.
Roughly two hours from Queenstown by road.
Fly
Arrive at Queenstown.
Drive
Two hours south and west through Southland to Te Anau.
Arrive
Check in, then the lake from the patio before dinner.
Te Anau
The Last Town Before Milford
Ten rooms above the lake, twenty-seven guests, and a national park at the door.