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Southern Lakes & Fiordland
ARE YOU READY TO FEEL LIKE A MOUSE AMONG GIANTS? NOWHERE ON EARTH FEELS QUITE AS LOFTY AS THE NATURAL MIGHTINESS THAT DEFINES THIS SPECTACULAR LANDSCAPE.
New Zealand is not a gigantic country, but it does possess a natural talent for making one feel spectacularly small. And nowhere will make you feel more ant-like than the terrain that defines Southern Lakes and Fiordland. Here, the mountains are unfathomably huge and the lakes swallow entire landscapes. Waterfalls emanate from way above the clouds and glaciers roll down from heaven. Stand before any of these wonders and you’ll shudder in awe.
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Arguably the poster girl for New Zealand itself, Queenstown’s unwavering energy is palpable. You may never have thought of yourself as an ‘outdoorsy person’ but step one foot in this neighbourhood and you’ll be hooked on nature’s wild and dramatic playground. From thrashing about in the lake to taking the first step onto a pristine sheet of untouched snow, you’re invited to enjoy every inch of the land.
Nearby Wanaka was evidently first in the queue when Mother Nature dished out plentiful good looks, but its crystal lake and now famous tree only hint at further allure. On the doorstep to Mt Aspiring National Park and Rob Roy Glacier, the beauty only amplifies.
Regarded by many as New Zealand’s most spectacular natural attraction, Milford Sound needs little introduction. Nature somehow intensifies in these parts. Even Doubtful Sound, albeit smaller in scale, exhibits an invincible mightiness that makes visitors feel inexplicably minor. In Fiordland everything is lusty; the mountains are god-like, the water suggests a silent strength, and there is something inspiring about being in the presence of all this power.
Doubtful Sounds Firodland © Getty Images
