There are also several world-class walking tracks running out from Glenorchy just along the lake shore, including the Caples, Greenstone Tracks and Routeburn (all four to five days). Only 100km (60 miles) or so away is Te Anau, on the shores of the gorgeous Lake Manapouri, where many more walking trails (from one to six days) wind into the bush, over the saddles and around the fjords, mountains and forests including the famous Milford Walking Track (four to five days).

From Te Anau traveling north, a beautiful scenic road leads to Milford Sound (wrongly named a sound when in fact it is a fjord). Tourist boats carry people out to the sea along the narrow, high-walled, glacially-scooped fjord where Fiordland crested penguins, seals and sometimes whales and dolphins take advantage of the abundance of fish due to the unusual conditions. In the fjord, a layer of freshwater, from the mountains, lays on top of the salt water from the ocean refracting light and creating a mini ecosystem teeming with marine life. For those interested in an even more deserted wilderness experience, there are kayak and boat trips into the adjoining Doubtful Sound.