Te Anau is a town in the Southland

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

of the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

of New Zealand. In

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, Te-Anau means the Place of the Swirling Waters. It is on the eastern shore of Lake Te Anau in

Fiordland Fiordland (, "The Pit of Tattooing", and also translated as "the Shadowlands"), is a non-administrative geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western third of Southland. Most of F ...

. Te Anau is 155 kilometres north of

Invercargill Invercargill ( , ) is the southernmost and westernmost list of cities in New Zealand, city in New Zealand, and one of the Southernmost settlements, southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland Region, Southlan ...

and 171 kilometres to the southwest of Queenstown (via state highway 6).

Manapouri Manapouri is a small town in Southland / Fiordland, in the southwest corner of the South Island, in New Zealand. The township is the westernmost municipality in New Zealand. Located at the edge of the Fiordland National Park, on the eastern ...

lies 21 kilometres to the south. Te Anau lies at the southern end of the Milford Road, ( State Highway 94) 117 kilometres to the south of Milford Sound.

History

The first Europeans (C.J. Nairn and W.J. Stephen) to visit the lake were led by Māori guides in 1852. The lake was formally surveyed first in 1863. The township was surveyed in 1893. This was soon after the Milford Track opened. The town only really started to grow after the opening of the Homer Tunnel and road route to Milford in 1953.

Demographics

Te Anau covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Before the 2023 census, Te Anau had a smaller boundary, covering . Using that boundary, Te Anau had a population of 2,538 at the

2018 New Zealand census The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census. Resu ...

, an increase of 537 people (26.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 603 people (31.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 987 households, comprising 1,263 males and 1,278 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.99 males per female. The median age was 39.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 441 people (17.4%) aged under 15 years, 453 (17.8%) aged 15 to 29, 1,221 (48.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 423 (16.7%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 82.9% European/

Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...

, 8.4%

, 1.1% Pasifika, 11.8% Asian, and 3.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 25.2, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 58.9% had no religion, 30.6% were

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, 0.1% had

Māori religious beliefs Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, 1.4% were

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

, 0.5% were

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, 0.7% were

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and 2.0% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 387 (18.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 354 (16.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $33,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 249 people (11.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,287 (61.4%) people were employed full-time, 345 (16.5%) were part-time, and 18 (0.9%) were unemployed.

Whitestone

Whitestone is a statistical area which surrounds Te Anau and covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Before the 2023 census, Whitestone had a larger boundary, covering . Using that boundary, Whitestone had a population of 618 at the

, an increase of 78 people (14.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 240 people (63.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 231 households, comprising 315 males and 303 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.04 males per female. The median age was 48.9 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 108 people (17.5%) aged under 15 years, 81 (13.1%) aged 15 to 29, 309 (50.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 120 (19.4%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 96.1% European/

, 10.2%

, 1.9% Asian, and 1.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.1, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 60.7% had no religion, 33.5% were

, 0.5% were

and 0.0% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 111 (21.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 90 (17.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $43,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 132 people (25.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 318 (62.4%) people were employed full-time, and 99 (19.4%) were part-time.

Economy

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

and

farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

are the predominant economic activities in the area. Lying as it does at the borders of

Fiordland National Park Fiordland National Park is a national park in the south-west corner of South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 13 National parks of New Zealand, national parks in New Zealand, with an area covering , and a major part of the Te W� ...

, it is the gateway to a wilderness area famed for tramping and spectacular scenery. Many tourists come to Te Anau to visit the famous nearby fiords

Milford Sound / Piopiotahi Milford Sound (, officially gazetted as Milford Sound / Piopiotahi) is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island within Fiordland National Park, Fiordland's marine reserves, Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) Marine Reserve, and the Te ...

and

Doubtful Sound / Patea Doubtful Sound / Patea is a fiord in Fiordland, in the far south west of New Zealand. It is located in the same region as the smaller but more famous and accessible Milford Sound / Piopiotahi. It took second place after Milford Sound as New Ze ...

. Visitors to the area also partake in activities such as kayaking, cycling, jet boat riding, fishing and hunting, farm tours and seaplane/helicopter sightseeing. In 2014, readers of New Zealand's Wilderness magazine voted Te Anau as the best location in New Zealand for tramping (hiking) opportunities. The town has a wide range of accommodation, with over 4,000 beds available in summer.

Geography

Lake Te Anau is the largest lake in the South Island and within New Zealand second only to

Lake Taupō Lake Taupō (also spelled Taupo; or ) is a large crater lake in New Zealand's North Island, located in the caldera of Taupō Volcano. The lake is the namesake of the town of Taupō, which sits on a bay in the lake's northeastern shore. With ...

. Rising on the west side of Lake Te Anau, the Kepler and Murchison mountain ranges are evident from most of Te Anau. Many species of bird life are also found locally. The Department of Conservation office in Te Anau is active in protecting endangered native birds

Climate

Attractions

Fiordland vintage machinery museum

The Fiordland vintage machinery museum has, in its collection, displays of Te Anau's early history, a blacksmith shop, 60 working tractors, road graders, motor bikes and Te Anau's first school building.

Tramping

The town is often used as a base for trampers undertaking the Milford Track and the Kepler Track, the latter being a 4-day loop from Te Anau.

Kepler Challenge

Te Anau hosts the Kepler Challenge in early December each year.

Glow worm caves

A local attraction is the Te Ana-au Caves across Lake Te Anau from the town. The caves include an underground

glowworm Glowworm or glow-worm is the common name for various groups of insect larvae and adult larviform females that glow through bioluminescence. They include the European common glow-worm and other members of the Lampyridae, but bioluminescence al ...

grotto A grotto or grot is a natural or artificial cave or covered recess. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high tide. Sometimes, artificial grottoes are used as garden fea ...

, which can be viewed from a punt during daily guided tours.

Te Anau bird sanctuary

The Te Anau bird sanctuary or Punanga Manu o Te Anau is located on the southern shore of Lake Te Anau. it is possible to see

takahē The South Island takahē (''Porphyrio hochstetteri'') is a Flightless bird, flightless swamphen indigenous to New Zealand and the largest living member of the Rail (bird), rail family. It is often known by the abbreviated name takahē, whic ...

kākā The New Zealand kākā (''Nestor meridionalis'') is a large species of parrot of the family New Zealand parrot, Strigopidae found in New Zealand, New Zealand's native forests across the three main Islands of New Zealand. The species is often kn ...

, Antipodes Island parakeets,

blue duck The blue duck (''Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos'') or whio is a member of the duck, goose and swan family (biology), family Anatidae endemic to New Zealand. It is the only member of the genus ''Hymenolaimus''. Its exact taxonomic status is still ...

(whio) and other native birds.

Lake2Lake trail

The Lake2Lake trail is a cycle trail that starts at Te Anau and follows the Waiau River to Lake Manapouri. The trail is 28.5 kilometres long.

Amenities

Fiordland Community Events Centre

The RealNZ Fiordland Community Events Centre has a 300 square metre climbing wall, bouldering wall, indoor courts for sports such as netball, basketball, volleyball, badminton. It also has a stage and meeting rooms.

Te Anau golf club

The Te Anau golf club is located at 169 Golf Course Road and the 18 hole golf course overlooks Lake Te Anau.

Perenuka mountain bike park

The mountain bike park has a range of trails. It is located at 2 Sinclair road.

Fiordland community swimming pool

The Fiordland community swimming pool is a 25 metre heated indoor pool. It is located on Howden Street.

Te Anau Disc Golf

The Te Anau disc golf course is located within the Ivon Wilson Recreational Reserve.

Education

Fiordland College is a co-educational secondary school for years 7 to 13 with a roll of students as of . The college was established in 1976. Te Anau School – Te Kura o Te Anau is a co-educational contributing primary school for years 1 to 6 with a roll of students as of . The school first opened in 1937.

Transport

Te Anau is served by Te Anau Airport which is south of the town on State Highway 95. It was proposed in 2016 to develop the airport in order to enable commercial flights in from Christchurch in order to boost tourism. State Highway 94 approaches the town from the east and is the most important corridor connecting Te Anau and its surrounds to the rest of the South Island highway network. SH94 also connects through to Milford sound. There are a number of private bus operators that connect Te Anau to; Invercargill, Queenstown, smaller nearby towns, and various trailheads or tourist attractions in the area. Timetables are often seasonal with more in summer and less in winter. There are also a large number of buses that travel through Te Anau while going between Queenstown and Milford Sound as a part of one-day package experiences. The

Southern Scenic Route The Southern Scenic Route is a scenic route, tourist highway in New Zealand linking Queenstown, New Zealand, Queenstown, Fiordland, Te Anau and the iconic Milford Road to Dunedin via Riverton, New Zealand, Riverton, Invercargill and The Catli ...

, a signposted route travelling on a number of different State Highways and local roads travels through Te Anau.

Daylight savings

Te Anau once (in 2021) proposed to make daylight savings permanent in the town. This would have given visitors an extra hour in the afternoon to enjoy the various tourist attractions. Some locals wanted to call this "Te Anau Time".

References

External links

Visit Fiordland
the Regional Tourism Organisation for the Fiordland region
Historic images of Te Anau from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
{{Authority control Fiordland Populated places in the Southland Region Southern Scenic Route Populated lakeshore places in New Zealand