Long Weekend in Fiordland

Back in early 2018, CJ and I were prepping for the arrival of Trapper, my husky mix, who was making the journey over from the States. After a veterinarian oversight, our planned three months before he came over, turned into nearly a year. We decided to make the most of our dogless days and head to Fiordland for Easter.

The furthest south I had been was Arrowtown, to watch CJ run a marathon. While beautiful, a short weekend with a major spectator event in the middle is hardly a good way to explore an area, so I was excited to head south again.

Before moving to New Zealand, I had feverishly saved many posts on Instagram (#millennial) of beautiful South Island locations, in hopes of making a virtual to-do list of all the places I wanted to go. Naturally, Fiordland featured a lot, so this was a chance to turn some square pics I’d seen into reality.

The drive from Christchurch to Fiordland was about eight hours. Eight hours to a road trippin’ American who thinks a ten hour radius is good enough for a weekend away is nothing, so there was no way in hell we were making the trip in two days. This was the first trip I really experienced what New Zealand driving is like and how South Island Roads are different (thanks NZTA for those ridiculous road signs that provide no insight into how these roads might be different and what you’re supposed to do about it). New Zealand roads are mostly one lane on either side, with very few passing opportunities, and a lot of mountain traversing. If you’re stuck behind a campervan (which happens a lot), you’ll be stuck for miles and no amount of road rage will make their loaded down caravan go faster. Sometimes sheep or cattle are in the middle of the highway and you’ll need to stop for them. How long you ask? Not sure, hours, minutes. Maybe you should just pull over and pop your tent there. Also, one way bridges are on highways. One way. So factor these things into your drive times, my friends from countries with infrastructure built to manage their population.

I’ve never seen Lord of the Rings (I know, shame on me), but I imagine that the drive through Otago and Southland is exciting for folks who have, winding along the bends and curves of misty forests. We stayed at the Cascade Creek DOC campsite, which was chosen for its proximity to our desired walks, gorgeous views (according to the app reviews), and access to water and shelter. This proved to be a great pick and would certainly stay again.

We drove from Te Anau to Milford Sound on the first day, wanting to capitalise on the sunshine while we had it. In Te Anau, we were told of a new boat company that was giving “epic, adventurous, and cheap” tours to a waterfall, so once we got our token shots of Mitre Peak, we wandered down to the dock to find the company. It turned out to be a two man operation - cash only - that sent customers out in a very tiny boat on a two minute journey to the opposite side of the bay. The waterfall was spectacular and we certainly got closer to it than we would have on land, so I suppose it was a decent deal for $20. Would I do it again, no, but I might spring for one of the more established and larger boat tours.

The rest of the trip we meticulously planned our hike to snack ratio each day. We woke early - again anticipating rain - but it never came. Sun greeted us every morning, and rewarded us with mild weather, blue skies, and enough time to relax in the daylight hours after our hike. We tackled a day walk on the Routeburn track (a Great Walk) to Earland Falls. At 7.5km, we enjoyed sweeping valley views, a lunch break at Howden Hut, and enough elevation gain to get our hearts pumping. I highly recommend taking the 1km track up to Key Summit, which looks over the valley onto Lake Marian, an alpine lake nestled in the neighbouring mountains. It was misting when we walked up there, which added to the Fiordland feel and felt like walking through movie set.

We also managed the challenging Lake Marian track the next day. At only 3.1km each way, the first bit is a piece of cake until you start rock scrambling for what feels like eternity. The payoff is certainly worth it once you reach the alpine lake, but be prepared for a leg burner. Perhaps I am the only one that struggled on this, though, because there was a toddler who hiked in behind me wearing gum boots.

For a four day weekend with a nine hour drive on each side, I’d say our trip was a successful small taste to what magic Southland really offers. I look forward to our next trip back, though know this means some time without Trapper.

What is top on your list to see in New Zealand? Drop your NZ must-see along with where you’re from in the comments.

-Ashlyn

> Trip Planner

Getting there - Christchurch to Te Anau driving, about 8 hours

Campsite - Cascade Creek DOC Campsite

Tramps/Walks/Hikes -

Lake Marian track - 3.1km, intermediate

Earland Falls - 7.5km, intermediate

Dog Friendly - Absolutely not.