South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷
Animal Attractions
The Bird That Came Back from the Dead
The standout animal attraction in Fiordland is completely free and most people walk straight past it. In Te Anau there's a bird sanctuary where you can see the Takahe - basically NZ's dodo that refused to go extinct. They were thought to be gone until they were rediscovered in the nearby Murchison mountains last century. They look impossibly chill for a bird with that kind of comeback story.
Glow Worms on the Lake
The glow worm caves near Te Anau are genuinely special. You cross the lake by boat to get there, so it's just your group and the cave - no coach tour chaos. The promo code RANKERS gets you a saving on entry, which is a nice bonus on something already worth doing. It's a different kind of wildlife encounter but one of the better ones in the region.
Fiordland Animal Attractions
2 items with the highest ranking score first
Seal Watching
Penguin Watching
Bird Watching