Te Anau

Te Anau (pronounced Tie- ah - nau ) is a small town on the edge of the fjord country on the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on the shores of Lake Te Anau, the second largest lake in the country and 344 km ² the largest in the South Island. The name of the lake, and thus also of the place probably goes back to the caves Te Anau Caves.

Because Te Anau lies directly on the border to the Fiordland National Park, the resort is all set to tourism: There are accommodations for about 3,000 visitors; it start here buses and sightseeing flights to 120 km northerly Milford Sound as well as many walks in Fiordland. Far from the village, the trail begins and ends Kepler Track, one of the so-called Great Walks. In a visitor center at the entrance you can find information about it. By boat you can go to the Te Anau Caves, a cave system with an underground waterfall and Glowworms ( Arachnocampa luminosa not identical with the German fireflies ).

Apart from tourism, agriculture is mainly operated.

Te Anau offers a number of hotels and restaurants as well as shops and petrol stations.

The place is connected by three highways with the nearest settlements: In the south, there is a road link to Manapouri, in the southeast and east to Invercargill to Gore. Te Anau is part of the Southern Scenic Route.