Fiordland National Park

About Fiordland National Park

One of the most stunning places to visit in New Zealand has to be the Fiordland National Park, a park so wide and varied that whatever the interests of the individual tourist there will be something of note to see or do on any given visit. 

Fiordland National Park was established in 1952 and is the largest of New Zealand’s 14 national parks. It has since been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site thanks to its unique environment and varied wildlife. The park has a huge range of different habitats and vistas, including mountains, rainforest, lakes and fiords, allowing visitors to explore a number of nature’s most thrilling sites all in one place. Although the park covers over 12,600 km2 (4,864.9 sq mi), it is well managed so that visitors can choose what they want to see and do.

Flora and Fauna

One of the most fascinating things about the park is its flora and fauna. There are with thousands of different wildlife species, as well as many rare plants within its widely varied habitats. Some animals have even evolved over time in the park to become completely unique to the area. The Takahe bird, for example, was thought to be extinct for 40 years before being rediscovered, and at Fiordland has evolved to be much larger and flightless in its park habitat.

Activities

There are many things visitors can choose to experience in the park, with hiking, boating, climbing, fishing and even hunting listed as activities to enjoy at the park. It’s a popular destination for alpine climbers, with parts of the Southern Alps range and other peaks rising to over 2,000 m (6,561.7 ft). There are few tracks within the park and hikers often follow deer trails on their wanderings.