Hugged grandeur of the fiords

Press, 16 July 1980, Page 30

Hugged grandeur of the fiords

Fiordland’s natural scenic grandeur has drawn people from all corners of the world to visit such places as Milford Sound, Hollyford Valley, -Doubtful Sound, and Lake Hauroko. Much of this natural beauty is preserved within the boundaries of Fiordland National Park, the headquarters of which are in Te Anau, ,' Information, on all aspects of the park is readily available through the headquarters and also through the ranger station at Clifdeh. . : ; ‘ . From Te Anau; State Highway 94 winds up the Eglinton Valley, into, the Hollyford Valley, through the Homer Tunnel and down ■ Milford Sound. This makes a popular day trip. If. you do not .wish to go all the way there are many scenic spots which make the journey well worth while. '

• The Eglinton Valley boasts many very attractive spots and provides a camera enthusiast with, endless material. Mirror Lakes, 56 km from Te Anau, provides just one such' example. ’’ Over the Divide, the Hollyford Valley continues to provider, breathtaking scenery, and' giyes access tc the Hollyford Track, and. from the Divide, the Routehurn Track, two of Fiordland’s more popular tramping tracks.

The historic Homer Tunnel, carved through the Homer Saddle, gives road access to Milford Sound. The tunnel was started in 1935 during the Depression, but because of many setbacks including avalanches, the tunnel was not open to traffic until 1952.

Milford can also be reached by aih, or via the Milford Track from the top of Lake Te Anau to Milford, another very popular tramping track in Fiordland National Park. Milford Sound. is dominated by the sheer rock walls of Mitre Peak tower-

ing 1695 m above - the water, just another aspect of the park’s natural beauty which is recognised around the world. x T , Many walks, into the park are available .within a short distance from Te Anau itself. From the parking area at the outle.t to Lake Te Anau an easy track crosses the control structure and follows the lake- , shore through a pleasant beech forest and tree fern setting to Dock- Bay. One of the most sheltered bays on the lake, it is popular for swimming and picnicking. The walk takes half an hour.

This is a popular area of seeing birdlife; : and long-tailed bats have, also been reported quite freauently in this area.

Another hour’s . walk takes you further around the lakeshore to Brod Bay, another? popular area - for swimming and picnicking.

The Brod Bay nature walk, taking three quarters of an hour, follows a well signposted track and provides, information about the Forest, insects, history?and .land forms. It comes out on the far end of the beach. From the Brod Bay picnic, area,' the track goes to the back of the.-Jake terrace and then climbs steeply in places to the bushline. About two-thirds of the way up, the track follows' around a. bluff for some distance providing good views of the lake. ' From the bushline, it is about half'an hour across the tops to Luxrhore Hut. Good- ■ views cf the South Arm of. the lake and Te, Anau township and basin are available from anywhere above bushline. From the hut it is a fairly easy climb along an unmarked ridge to the lower summit- of Mount Liixmore (1472 m which is the peak seen from' Te Anau township; ' - While the., trips to Dock

and Brod Bays and' the nature walk are suitable for. light footwear, the higher level track on Mount Luxmore is a.tramper’s track, requiring sturdier boots. • X. • From the control gates on Lake Te Anau, it is also possible to head in the other direction and follow the track along the Waiau River (three hours and a half) to. Rainbow Reach, or another one hour and a half further to Shallow Bay • on Lake Manapouri.A popular family outing is simply . to drive to Rainbow Reach on the Te Anau-Manapouri highway, about 10 minutes drive from Te Anau, and walk from that point to Shallow Bay and return. This section of track winds.' through some very attractive and ? varying bush, and is ..also popular with bird watchers. The area also gives' access to the Waiau: River, a popular area during the trout fishing season. ' ’ 1 : Lakes Te Anau, , Mana-:

pouri, Monowai, and-Haur-oko are all popular with hoatics, and the boats give access to many out of the . way spots and -areas of quietness. The southern end of Fiordland also holds many scenic picnic and camping areas, and many who visit the area to explore it return again and again. Guided trips are available in the park by boat, raft, bus, or aircraft at any time during the year, or on foot mainly during the summer season As well as its scenic beauty, Fiordland is well known for its rare bird life. Probably the best known of New Zealand's - endangered species are the takahe and kakapo, and both these ate found in ! the park. Thought extinct until 1948, the takahe is found only in the Murchison Mountains of Fiordland. There are now more than 200 of these . birds known in the area which is set aside as a special area for . their protection. Kakapo, a large flightless parrot-like- bird, is found in the Sinbad Gully, Transit Valley, Tutoko Valley, Poseidon Valley, and near Doubtful Sound. Only 15 bird-; are known in these areas. A subspecies of kakapo has been found on Stewart Island. . ... Research into the birds’ feeding habits and reasons for the declines-in population has, been going on for some years now.’and’ is continuing.— Supplied by' the Fiordland National Park Board.