Covering an area of ​​1260 hectares, Fiordland Park is the largest national park in New Zealand and is located in the southwest of the South Island. This vast area is home to some of the country's most picturesque landmarks, including the Milford Sound Fjord, Sutherland Falls, Manapouri Lakes and Te Anau.

In 1990 Fiordland was included in the UN World Heritage List and was named Te Wahipounamu - "jade site", thanks to the largest deposits of jade in the vicinity.

Fiordland is one of the wettest regions in New Zealand - it rains 200 days a year. Huge masses of water, discolored after flowing through forests and many layers of rotten foliage, flow into the fjords. After acquiring a yellow-brown color, this water forms a layer above the seawater that fills the fjords, and thus only a greenish light penetrates the surface.

The rolling hills, isolation and humid climate have created a natural habitat where many species of plants and animals, which are thousands of years old, have lived here peacefully. Long thought to be extinct, the takahe bird was rediscovered in Fiordland in 1948. Fiordland was also the last refuge of the flightless parrot, the kakapo, a species for which a separate program has been established to restore its population. ()

Takahe

Local Maori tribes hunted them for their plumage. By the time the Europeans appeared on the islands, it was believed that the birds were completely destroyed.
Only in 1948, an amateur naturalist from the small New Zealand town of Jeffrey Orbell, after almost a year of systematic searches in the area of ​​Lake Te Anau, discovered a small colony of birds.
The birds were photographed, ringed and released. The New Zealand government has decided to declare this area a nature reserve.

Fifty takahe healed quietly. But since there was a threat in the form of gluttonous weasels and possums, a nursery was created as a safety net.
The nursery was built on Bruce Mountain, one hundred and thirty kilometers from Wellington. It was decided to get takahe eggs and put them under the bantam chickens.
The most diligent brood hens were specially selected. Trained them like paratroopers. They chose one, but the misfortune happened a box with a chicken and training eggs fell out of the car. However, it was lucky - not a single egg broke. When they opened the box, we saw a ruffled hen, which covered the eggs with its body.
The operation began successfully, two chicks hatched in due time, from which the revival of the tahake began.
Rare takahe birds can be seen in their natural habitat at Lake Te Anau.

Kakapo

This is a representative of the genus of owl parrots or, as they are also called, kakapo. The number of these birds barely reaches 125 individuals, which makes them the rarest birds on the planet.

The only parrot leading a twilight and nocturnal lifestyle. During the day, he hides in holes or crevices in rocks. At night, along well-trodden paths, it goes out to feed on berries or plant sap (it chews leaves and shoots without plucking them). ()

Fiordland National Park is located in New Zealand. It is one of the largest national parks on our planet, with an area of ​​over 12,500 square kilometers. The park was created back in 1952 to preserve the incredible beauty of the southwestern part of the South Island of New Zealand. And in 1990 he entered the number World heritage UNESCO.

National park Fiordland is an amazing place with picturesque landscapes and unique flora and fauna. The flow of tourists here is so great that the government has to limit their number. Walking excursions are arranged here for numerous guests of the country and local residents... It is noteworthy that on the territory of this huge park you will not find animals that could pose a danger to your life.

The western part of the park is decorated with fjords - long bays with steep rocky shores. In the east are located beautiful lakes, among which the famous Lake Manapouri is the most deep lake in New Zealand.

All these beauties dilute mountain ranges, the height of which reaches 2,746 meters here. The western slopes of these mountains are among the wettest corners on our planet. It rains here 200 days a year, but it rains very evenly.

Climate in the territory national park Fiordland is sharply oceanic, the temperature difference is small, the air temperature indicators range from 5 to 23 degrees. The coldest month of the year is July and the hottest is January.

Such weather conditions contribute to the prosperous existence of tropical rainforests on the slopes of the mountains, these forests are considered the most ancient on our planet, and the water level in the fjords remains unchanged, they reach about 40 meters in depth, the water in them is fresh.

Flora and fauna of the national park

The rarest species of plants and animals live in the Fiordland National Park. Here you can find a rare species of wood - silver notofagus, which can be up to 800 years old. Numerous bogs in the park have unique vegetation.

The population of forest birds in the national park is the highest in New Zealand. Here you can find such rare species as the kakapo parrot and takahe. In addition, the park is home to such species of birds as southern kiwi, yellow-fronted jumping parrot, bow-nosed plover, shooter, blue duck, rocky wren, shepherd-hueka. A huge number of seabirds have chosen the rocky shores of the fjords. In addition, New Zealand fur seals and thick-billed penguins live in the fjords.

The reservoirs of Fiordland National Park are famous for the species diversity of plants and animals; subtropical sponges, molluscs and corals live here. It is worth noting that the largest colony of black corals on the planet has found shelter here.

Among other things, about three thousand different species of insects live on the territory of the national park, one tenth of which are found only here. In Fiordland, you can also find representatives of flora and fauna brought from other continents, for example, a rat or wapiti deer.

Fiordland glaciers

The bays in the west of the national park were long ago carved by glaciers. Once a huge glacier covered the entire territory of the present Fiordland, now in this unique corner planet you can see what's left of it. However, the view is simply stunning.

National park lakes

Between mountain peaks there are a huge number of lakes in the park. Against their background, Lake Wakatipu stands out, the length of which is 80 kilometers! People call it “the heart of the South Island”; there are many legends about this lake.

Fiordland waterfalls

After heavy rains in the largest national park in New Zealand, you can see an incredibly beautiful sight - streams of water begin to flow down the steep slopes, forming many waterfalls. Small streams never reach the surface of the earth, falling down, even on the way they are blown up by the wind.

However, there are two permanent waterfalls in the park - Bowen Falls, which is 162 meters high, and Stirling Falls, which are 155 meters high. They both complement the already breathtaking scenery of Fiordland National Park.

Covering an area of ​​1260 hectares, Fiordland Park is the largest national park in New Zealand and is located in the southwest of the South Island. This vast area is home to some of the country's most picturesque landmarks, including the Milford Sound Fjord, Sutherland Falls, Manapouri Lakes and Te Anau.

In 1990 Fiordland was included in the UN World Heritage List and was named Te Wahipounamu - "jade site", thanks to the largest deposits of jade in the vicinity.

Fiordland is one of the wettest regions in New Zealand - it rains 200 days a year. Huge masses of water, discolored after flowing through forests and many layers of rotten foliage, flow into the fjords. After acquiring a yellow-brown color, this water forms a layer above the seawater that fills the fjords, and thus only a greenish light penetrates the surface.

The rolling hills, isolation and humid climate have created a natural habitat where many species of plants and animals, which are thousands of years old, have lived here peacefully. Long thought to be extinct, the takahe bird was rediscovered in Fiordland in 1948. Fiordland was also the last refuge of the flightless parrot, the kakapo, a species for which a separate program has been established to restore its population. ()

Takahe

Local Maori tribes hunted them for their plumage. By the time the Europeans appeared on the islands, it was believed that the birds were completely destroyed.
Only in 1948, an amateur naturalist from the small New Zealand town of Jeffrey Orbell, after almost a year of systematic searches in the area of ​​Lake Te Anau, discovered a small colony of birds.
The birds were photographed, ringed and released. The New Zealand government has decided to declare this area a nature reserve.

Fifty takahe healed quietly. But since there was a threat in the form of gluttonous weasels and possums, a nursery was created as a safety net.
The nursery was built on Bruce Mountain, one hundred and thirty kilometers from Wellington. It was decided to get takahe eggs and put them under the bantam chickens.
The most diligent brood hens were specially selected. Trained them like paratroopers. They chose one, but the misfortune happened a box with a chicken and training eggs fell out of the car. However, it was lucky - not a single egg broke. When they opened the box, we saw a ruffled hen, which covered the eggs with its body.
The operation began successfully, two chicks hatched in due time, from which the revival of the tahake began.
Rare takahe birds can be seen in their natural habitat at Lake Te Anau.

Kakapo

This is a representative of the genus of owl parrots or, as they are also called, kakapo. The number of these birds barely reaches 125 individuals, which makes them the rarest birds on the planet.

The only parrot leading a twilight and nocturnal lifestyle. During the day, he hides in holes or crevices in rocks. At night, along well-trodden paths, it goes out to feed on berries or plant sap (it chews leaves and shoots without plucking them). ()

Country of Fjords or Fiordland (Fiordland) - this has long been called the territory located in the southwest of New Zealand. In 1952, the Fiordland National Park (Fiordland National Park), the largest in New Zealand. Its area is more than 12.5 thousand square kilometers. Here are located such symbols of all New Zealand as Manapouri and Te Anau lakes, Sutherland waterfall, Sound fjord ...

Larger map of Fiordland National Park. (Google maps)

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Fiordland National Park on google map maps

The Land of Fjords is mainly mountains. They are a continuation of the Southern Alps and their height reaches 3000 meters. In the distant past, this territory was covered with a huge glacier, which, melting, cut the slopes of this mountain range deep gorges, forming many picturesque fjord bays and long narrow lakes.
Mother Nature has generously endowed New Zealand with beauty. And the best and most picturesque landscapes of New Zealand are concentrated here - in the Land of the Fjords.

To everyone who comes to these lands for the first time, it seems that even today a person's foot has not stepped on this earth. One of the features of the Fiordland coastline is that the rocks that form the bays drop sharply into the water and it seems that it is simply not possible to find places to land on the shore.
Another feature of these places is the surprisingly close proximity of the forest with glaciers. There is no other place like this, where the southern beech, laurel, myrtle ... would be so closely adjacent to the snow-white crystal layer of ice, perhaps, you will no longer find on earth.

Many are also unique mountain lakes Fjord countries. The lakes here are long and narrow. It seems as if the rocks, steeply rising above their water surface to a height of up to two kilometers, are still squeezing them from both sides. For example, Lake Waikatipu is the deepest and longest in Fiordland. From the northwest to the southeast of the island, it stretches for almost 100 km, and its depth reaches 400 meters. As many as 25 rivers flow into Lake Waikatipu. These rivers have no name. On maps, they are designated using serial numbers. Every five minutes, the water in the lake rises and falls again by 7.5 cm. The lake seems to breathe. Local ancient legend says that this giant's heart is hidden at the bottom of the lake. New Zealanders call the lake the "heart" of this island. Scientists today still do not have an explanation for this. a unique phenomenon nature.
The animals that inhabit Fiordland National Park are another unique feature. Fiordland's forests are inhabited by nearly 700 species of endemic animals and plants. You will not find such exotic animals and plants anywhere other than Fiordland National Park.
In the forests of Fiordland, there is a large, with unusual habits, a parrot-predator kea, an amazingly beautiful emerald parrot, an owl parrot kakapo, singing thuja birds and a yellow crow.

The number of kakapo owl parrots reaches only 125 individuals. Kakapo is the only species of parrots that are nocturnal and hide in their burrows during the day.
From recently, the population of the almost extinct Takahe bird has begun to increase again. Takahe is a goose-sized bird that cannot fly. She has beautiful plumage and a bright red short thick beak.

On the roads, you may come across an interesting sign: a penguin enclosed in a red circle. In this way, road workers mean the crossing points of the little cute penguins living in the Fiordland.

Outwardly, they are similar to their polar relatives, but very different from them in the way of life. They place their nests several kilometers from the coast and every day they make walk to the sea, where they find food for themselves and their young.

Video from Kiwi. Kiwis are small wingless birds found only in New Zealand.

There are simply no roads in most of Fiordland. Therefore, tourists who come on foot travel to most of the remote places of the national park, using the services of tour guides.

It should be noted that these hiking are safe for the life and health of tourists, since there are no large predators and poisonous animals on the island.
For those unprepared for mountain trekking in the fjords, a boat trip is probably more suitable.

Such trips are no less interesting and allow you to fully enjoy all the unique landscapes and fantastic beauties of the Land of Fjords.
Fjordland is a place where many natural wonders come together. A real wonderland!

In 1990 Fiordland National Park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. And together with Westland, Mount Cook and Muant Aspiring National Parks, they constitute the Te Wahipunamu World Heritage Area.

To finish, a little video:

Helicopter flight over beautiful waterfalls, lakes and snow-capped mountain peaks around Milford Sound in New Zealand (northern part of Fiordland National Park).

The most beautiful, most beautiful place in New Zealand is Fiordland. A place that will take your breath away and admire more than any place in New Zealand. Literally Fiordland is translated as "land of fords", and the truth of this name is confirmed by the presence of more than thirty fjords in this reserve. Yes, you were not mistaken, Fiordland - national reserve New Zealand and perhaps the best of all 14 nature reserves.

Fiordland origin

Many thousands of years ago there was a colossal glacier in this area. Then there were no magnificent fjords, no steep, overgrown with green trees, mountain slopes, no long meandering rivers. There was only a huge glacier. Years passed, centuries passed, the ambient temperature rose, and the glacier began to slowly melt and descend. Sinking, the glacier, with its unimaginable titanic mass, carved long and, at times, deep valleys in the rocks on which it was located, which, having filled with water, became in the future numerous fjords and winding rivers.

Fiordland features

One of interesting features Fjordland is that only here and nowhere else on the planet are wild green forests located in extremely close proximity to ancient glaciers. This is a very strange and at the same time exciting and beautiful sight - a combination of lush green forests and dark blue glaciers. The most deep place Fiordland - Lake Wakatipu, its maximum depth is 420 meters.

Another feature of Fiordland is that only these forests are home to the rarest species of parrots on Earth - the kakapo owl parrot. This parrot feeds on worms and snails, and lives in earthen burrows. In addition to him, there are such unusual birds as the yellow crow (the best songbird living in the mountains), thuja and the emerald parrot.

But the main feature is, of course, the majestic and beautiful fjords. Among all their variety, the most famous and beautiful are Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound. Each of them has their own fans and fans, and each of the fans proves that his fjord is the best. Isn't that an indication that both fjords are the best?

Doubtful Sound - Sunset

Mirror Lake in Milford Sound

How to get there

You can get to Milford Sound from Dunedin, both by land and by sea. If you somehow ended up at Lake Wakatipu, then a narrow road along a mountain gorge leads from it to Milford Sound - Milford Road (State Highway 94). If you are not a fan of mountain crossings, then you can ride the Milford Sound on a steamboat that leaves from Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington.