Fiordland New Zealand

Described by Rudyard Kipling as the 'eighth wonder of the world', Milford Sound was carved by glaciers during successive ice ages. At its deepest point, off Mitre Peak, it plunges to a depth of 265 metres.

Maori attribute the creation of the fiords to a 'titanic mason' by the name of Tu Te Raki Whanoa. With his magical adze, he sculpted Milford Sound's sheer cliffs and towering mountains.

Wet or fine, Milford Sound is breathtaking. The fiord's sides rise vertically from the dark waters, mountain peaks scrape the sky and waterfalls cascade down precipitous cliffs.

Milford Sound the settlement exists solely to look after travellers who come to see Milford Sound the fiord. Facilities and services are limited - you’ll find a café and a tavern. Most activity is centred around the wharf, because cruises on Milford Sound are hugely popular (food is available on board). Flightseeing and sea kayaking are two other ways to immerse yourself in the grandeur of huge peaks, waterfalls and sheer rock faces. At the underwater observatory, you can enjoy the unusual scenery than exists below the water. The Milford Track, which begins at the northern end of Lake Te Anau, finishes with a ferry trip from Sandfly Point to the Milford Sound wharf.

For a look at life below the water's surface, there's an underwater observatory in Harrison Cove. You can see black coral, 11-legged sea stars and delicate anemones, as well as intriguing snakestars that wrap themselves around the black coral.

Perched on the edge of New Zealand’s second largest lake, the township of Te Anau is the main visitor base for Fiordland National Park. There are many places to stay, but you’d be wise to book ahead in the busy season. The museum has a collection relevant to both the Maori and European history of the area. There’s also a wildlife park specialising in native birds.

Lake Te Anau is the largest of the southern glacial lakes, covering an area of 344 square kilometres. The main body of the lake runs north-south and three large fiords reach out from its western side - these arms are called North Fiord, Middle Fiord and South Fiord. Rolling hill country characterises the eastern side of the lake; the western side is a magnificent wilderness of forest and mountains - the Kepler and Murchison Ranges rise to around 1700 metres above sea level. At the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre you can make plans to walk the Milford, Routeburn or Kepler Tracks.

Most of Lake Te Anau is within the boundaries of Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. Of the two settlements on the shores of the lake, the township of Te Anau is the largest. Here you'll find operators who can take you cruising or kayaking on the lake. You can also visit the Te Ana-au glowworm caves, which are still geologically active.

To see some of the endangered bird species that live in Fiordland, visit the local wildlife centre. Takahe, weka, parakeets, tui, kea, kaka and wood pigeons thrive in this Department of Conservation sanctuary.

Sometimes called the 'Sound of Silence' Doubtful Sound is the deepest (420 metres) and second longest (40 kilometres) of the South Island's fiords. It is a powerful place - serene, mysterious and untouched by the modern world.

The fiord was originally named Doubtful Harbour by Captain James Cook, who didn't sail into the inlet because it looked a bit tight for safe manoeuvring. It was later named Doubtful Sound by whalers and sealers.

Like other fiords in the area, Doubtful Sound contains two distinct layers of water that don't mix. The top few meters is fresh water, fed by runoff from the surrounding mountains. Below this is a layer of salt water from the sea. The difference in refractive index between these two layers makes it difficult for light to penetrate. As a result, many deep-sea species - such as black coral - grow in the comparatively shallow depths.

Doubtful Sound has some splendid waterfalls, particularly during the wetter seasons. In the Hall Arm, the Browne Falls cascades 619 metres; Helena Falls at Deep Cove tumbles 220 metres. Wildlife is another reason to visit this fiord - keep an eye out for bottlenose dolphins, fur seals and penguins.

Tours to Doubtful Sound depart from Manapouri and involve a very scenic bus trip across Wilmot Pass. When you reach the fiord, you can explore in a sea kayak or cruise on the resident launch.

Situated at the edge of Fiordland National Park, the lakeside town of Manapouri provides a base for journeys into the glacier-carved wilderness.

Beautiful Lake Manapouri is within the boundaries of Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. The lake is framed by the spectacular Cathedral Mountains. Lake Manapouri is the second deepest lake in New Zealand and has a large hydro power station at the end of its west arm. The creation of the power station in 1959 improved access to Doubtful Sound (a fiord), which you can explore by sea kayak or cruise boat. Some guided tours involve a bit of everything – hiking, kayaking and sailing. Power station tours can be arranged. You can also explore Lake Manapouri by kayak or take to the hiking trails – the Circle Track, Kepler Track and remote Dusky Track are local favourites.

During the last ice age, about 20,000 years ago, glaciers originating in central Fiordland spread out to the east across the present sites of Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri, dumping great quantities of rock and gravel in long ridges. When the ice melted, lakes formed behind the ridges. Lake Manapouri is 440 metres deep in places and has 34 islands.

Several tracks start on the eastern shores of Lake Manapouri. These are ideal for day trips and easy two or three day hikes. From Pearl Harbour, which is adjacent to Manapouri township, you can organise a lake cruise or a tour of the West Arm underground power station.

In 1960, it was proposed to raise Lake Manapouri by up to 30 metres for the power station, but a strong nationwide protest prevented this from happening. The lake levels are instead carefully controlled to mimic natural fluctuations.

This region was chosen as a filming location for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. The Norwest Lakes were used to show the Fellowship travelling south from Rivendell; sections of the Waiau River, which flows between Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri, were used for scenes of the River Anduin.

The seaward edge of Fiordland National Park is a series of fourteen massive knife cuts, carved by the glaciers during successive ice ages. Towering, snow-capped peaks reflect in the midnight blue fingers of ocean that reach into the park's thickly forested interior, where you can find trees that are more than 800 years old. For sheer drama, few places of earth can compete with this remarkable natural environment.

In 1990 Fiordland was listed as a United Nations World Heritage site and given the name Te Wahipounamu - 'the place of greenstone', after the area's most treasured mineral resource.

A fiord is defined as a u-shaped glacier-carved valley which has been flooded by the sea. The fourteen fiords that fringe the southwest corner of the South Island were 100,000 years in the making, with the final details added during the most recent ice age just 10,000 years ago. The Maori attributed the creation of the fiords to a giant stonemason called Tute Rakiwhanoa, who hued out the steep sided valleys with his adzes.

On all sides of the fiords, spectacular waterfalls tumble incessantly as the region's plentiful rainfall finds its way to the sea.

The remaining two thirds of Fiordland National Park are covered by virgin beech and podocarp forest. A 500 kilometre network of walking tracks allows visitors to explore the primeval world of mountain peaks, alpine lakes and moss-carpeted valleys.