Te Anau Highlights & Lord of the Rings Small Group Tour from Te Anau
Overview
See the hidden gems and famous Lord of The Rings sights surrounding Te Anau and experience the best Te Anau has to offer with optional extra activities. The ultimate way to experience stunning Te Anau.
Highlights:
• Mavora Lakes
• Lord of the Rings sites including - Dead Marshes, Fangorn Forest & The River Anduin
• Te Anau Bird Sanctuary
• Fiordland National Park, Rainbow Reach, Kepler Track & Waiau River
While the destinations you will be visiting are truly spectacular, Cheeky Kiwi Travel believe it’s our small groups, guides, the journey and the little details that set our tours well apart. Secret stops, wildlife viewings, specially designed vehicles and many other pleasant surprises ensure our tours are an experience to remember.
Our tours are led by our passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing stories and rich background knowledge, and run in modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras ensuring your comfort and safety.
Highlights:
• Mavora Lakes
• Lord of the Rings sites including - Dead Marshes, Fangorn Forest & The River Anduin
• Te Anau Bird Sanctuary
• Fiordland National Park, Rainbow Reach, Kepler Track & Waiau River
While the destinations you will be visiting are truly spectacular, Cheeky Kiwi Travel believe it’s our small groups, guides, the journey and the little details that set our tours well apart. Secret stops, wildlife viewings, specially designed vehicles and many other pleasant surprises ensure our tours are an experience to remember.
Our tours are led by our passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing stories and rich background knowledge, and run in modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras ensuring your comfort and safety.
Inclusions
- Small Group & Fully Guided Tour
- Snacks
- Bottled water
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Lake Te Anau, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park New Zealand
Your tour starts as we pick you up from your hotel and head to one of our favourite spots for great photos of Lake Te Anau. During your journey and throughout the day our guides will share stories, history and interesting facts of the area with you, setting the scene for the day.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Te Anau Bird Sanctuary, Lakefront Drive, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park 9600 New Zealand
Once you have that perfect shot from the lake we will continue to the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary for a guided tour and to see some of the rarest birds in the country including the Takahe and Kaka. You will learn about these animals and the local environment while exploring this Te Anau asset.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: The Kepler Mire (String Bog), Manapouri 9679, New Zealand
Our journey continues to our first famous Lord of the Rings attraction, a viewpoint looking over The Dead Marshes from an elevated position. From here you can see where Frodo and Sam waded their way through the mud trying to get to Mordor. We will tell you the stories and let your imagination do the rest.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Rainbow Reach Road, Manapouri 9679, New Zealand
Moving on we visit a sight loved by hikers, Lord of the Rings fans and locals alike, Rainbow Reach. A cable bridge over the stunning Waiau River (known as The River Anduin in LOTR) leads us to the start of the Kepler Track and one of the beautiful forests of Fiordland National Park. You will hear some of the LOTR stories as well as learn about the amazing biodiversity we have in the park.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Waiau River, Southland, New Zealand
Cross the stunning Waiau River - The River Anduin in Lord of the Rings
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Kepler Track, Golf Course Road Eastern Fiordland, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park New Zealand
See the start of the Kepler track and learn all about the amazing bio diversity of the National Park.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Lake Manapouri, New Zealand
We follow the river from Rainbow Reach to one of New Zealand’s most famous lakes, Lake Manapouri. The gateway to Doubtful Sound, we will spend some time exploring the shores of this crystal-clear lake and hear about its history including the construction of the Manapouri hydro dam, the largest in the country. Once we have had a look around it is a good time for a quick break at one of the local coffee shops.
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Mavora Lakes Park, Fiordland National Park New Zealand
Departing Manapouri we make our way to one of the most famous LOTR sights and hidden gem of the Mavora Lakes region. Here you will find amazing landscapes but also several famous LOTR filming locations including: two locations of Orc battles, where Pippin & Merry enter Fangorn Forest to escape the Orcs and where Frodo and Sam leave the Fellowship and cross the lake. This spot is paradise for nature lovers and LOTR fans alike so while here you will enjoy some free time to explore, eat lunch (additional extra or self-supplied) or maybe use some of our props and recreate some of the movie scenes.
Duration: 40 minutes
Stop At: Te Anau, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park, Southland Region, South Island
Sadly the highlights section of your tour is coming to an end as we make our way back to the Te Anau township but your adventure should not finish there. Why not add one of the amazing Te Anau activities as an additional optional extra to complete your day.
Duration: 5 minutes
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Lake Te Anau, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park New Zealand
Your tour starts as we pick you up from your hotel and head to one of our favourite spots for great photos of Lake Te Anau. During your journey and throughout the day our guides will share stories, history and interesting facts of the area with you, setting the scene for the day.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Te Anau Bird Sanctuary, Lakefront Drive, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park 9600 New Zealand
Once you have that perfect shot from the lake we will continue to the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary for a guided tour and to see some of the rarest birds in the country including the Takahe and Kaka. You will learn about these animals and the local environment while exploring this Te Anau asset.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: The Kepler Mire (String Bog), Manapouri 9679, New Zealand
Our journey continues to our first famous Lord of the Rings attraction, a viewpoint looking over The Dead Marshes from an elevated position. From here you can see where Frodo and Sam waded their way through the mud trying to get to Mordor. We will tell you the stories and let your imagination do the rest.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Rainbow Reach Road, Manapouri 9679, New Zealand
Moving on we visit a sight loved by hikers, Lord of the Rings fans and locals alike, Rainbow Reach. A cable bridge over the stunning Waiau River (known as The River Anduin in LOTR) leads us to the start of the Kepler Track and one of the beautiful forests of Fiordland National Park. You will hear some of the LOTR stories as well as learn about the amazing biodiversity we have in the park.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Waiau River, Southland, New Zealand
Cross the stunning Waiau River - The River Anduin in Lord of the Rings
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Kepler Track, Golf Course Road Eastern Fiordland, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park New Zealand
See the start of the Kepler track and learn all about the amazing bio diversity of the National Park.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Lake Manapouri, New Zealand
We follow the river from Rainbow Reach to one of New Zealand’s most famous lakes, Lake Manapouri. The gateway to Doubtful Sound, we will spend some time exploring the shores of this crystal-clear lake and hear about its history including the construction of the Manapouri hydro dam, the largest in the country. Once we have had a look around it is a good time for a quick break at one of the local coffee shops.
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Mavora Lakes Park, Fiordland National Park New Zealand
Departing Manapouri we make our way to one of the most famous LOTR sights and hidden gem of the Mavora Lakes region. Here you will find amazing landscapes but also several famous LOTR filming locations including: two locations of Orc battles, where Pippin & Merry enter Fangorn Forest to escape the Orcs and where Frodo and Sam leave the Fellowship and cross the lake. This spot is paradise for nature lovers and LOTR fans alike so while here you will enjoy some free time to explore, eat lunch (additional extra or self-supplied) or maybe use some of our props and recreate some of the movie scenes.
Duration: 40 minutes
Stop At: Te Anau, Te Anau, Fiordland National Park, Southland Region, South Island
Sadly the highlights section of your tour is coming to an end as we make our way back to the Te Anau township but your adventure should not finish there. Why not add one of the amazing Te Anau activities as an additional optional extra to complete your day.
Duration: 5 minutes
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Children aged 7 years and below are required to travel in a child safety car seat. If you don't have a car seat one can be provided (with 24 hours’ notice).
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
skudgy
December 2022
If you prefer intimate, personalised, friendly experiences, then Cheeky Kiwi is the way to go! We had the wonderful Dave as our tour guide for two days while in Te Anau. On day one, we had a private tour with LOTR locations and Te Anau highlights, and on the second day we had six others join us f...
If you prefer intimate, personalised, friendly experiences, then Cheeky Kiwi is the way to go! We had the wonderful Dave as our tour guide for two days while in Te Anau. On day one, we had a private tour with LOTR locations and Te Anau highlights, and on the second day we had six others join us for our day trip to Milford Sound. Aside from being an absolute crack up and a joy to spend time with, Dave is a fantastic guide. He finds the perfect balance between giving information, but never too much, and on the way home when everyone is tired he lets everyone rest or watch a DVD, and only pipes up if there's something really interesting to point out. He's also a pretty great family photographer! As we passed all the other huge buses with their crowds of people on board, I became more and more pleased with choosing Cheeky Kiwi to go to Milford Sound. The bus and the boat were both smaller. The drive in from Te Anau was a very manageable distance. We had heaps of stops at all the interesting places and lookouts, and it just flew by. Even the teenagers were busy taking photos out the window. From the time I booked, the team at Cheeky Kiwi were helpful, friendly and professional, and they honoured my pre -covid price when I had to keep rescheduling, which I really appreciated. Oh, the lunch was also generous and delicious! Highly recommend for both Milford Sound and the LOTR tour (driving into Mavora Lakes is quite a long journey on gravel, and we were SO much more relaxed and comfortable with Dave at the wheel. Plus, he had dress ups!!).Wanderer61877703849
July 2021
What an amazing experience! We did this tour as part of a two day package which included a day visiting Milford Sound. We spent the morning visiting spectacular spots around Te Anau , the highlight being Lake Mavora, which was so calm it was like a mirror! In the afternoon we chose to go on the...
What an amazing experience! We did this tour as part of a two day package which included a day visiting Milford Sound. We spent the morning visiting spectacular spots around Te Anau , the highlight being Lake Mavora, which was so calm it was like a mirror! In the afternoon we chose to go on the Faith of Fiordland, an old restored boat which was a lovely trip out on Lake Te Anau, including drinks and afternoon tea, a history of the boat and area, a stop on one of the islands and a short hike up to see hidden lake. On the hike we found some Manuka bushes which our guide used to make some Manuka tea for us on the way back (must try!). Our guide Mark was excellent and very accommodating. We were the only two people on the tour this day and Mark went out of his way to make our trip extra special and memorable. He has great knowledge of the area and will go out of his way to try and tailor the tour to your interests. The Cheeky Kiwi team have been awesome to travel with, we highly recommend them!Hibicuscoast2
July 2021
An unbelievable drive to Morven Lake through a snow-covered wonderland. Excellent tour driver Kreig took my husband and I on the trip of a lifetime I'll never forget, through a snowy, icy wonderland to places we would never have seen if we hadn't found this tour. We are quite senior people and ...
An unbelievable drive to Morven Lake through a snow-covered wonderland. Excellent tour driver Kreig took my husband and I on the trip of a lifetime I'll never forget, through a snowy, icy wonderland to places we would never have seen if we hadn't found this tour. We are quite senior people and Kreig went out of his way to ensure we were safe. He jumped out of the van to take special snapshots to add to our collection and after the tour, sent multiple images through to us. His knowledge of NZ's ecology and environment was astounding. We aren't LOTR fans but that didn't matter. I highly recommend this amazing tourriordanfoley
July 2021
Highly Recommend !! Kreig our tour guide was amazing. He went above and beyond his roles of a tour guide it was really nice to see how passionate about his job he is. It was also really nice that we did not feel time constrained. The tour - the bird sanctuary was incredible especially coupled ...
Highly Recommend !! Kreig our tour guide was amazing. He went above and beyond his roles of a tour guide it was really nice to see how passionate about his job he is. It was also really nice that we did not feel time constrained. The tour - the bird sanctuary was incredible especially coupled with Kreig's in depth knowledge of all the birds within the sanctuary. Te Anua & lord of the rings highlights - even if you are not a fan of LOTR you will still love this tour as the scenery is absolutely phenomenal with many many amazing photo opportunities which will last a life time, again couple the scenery with kreigs in depth knowledge of the local area, Maori legends and of course love of the LOTR .. Amazing. over all 10/10 we felt like we where on tour with another friend :)Bugzze
May 2021
Mark was an excellent guide. Adapted to our non Lord of the Rings group and showed us the sights with plenty if time at each with photo opportunities whenever we wanted. Good knowledge of the area. Loved everything we saw but Mavora Lakes spectacular. Fully recommend
Mark was an excellent guide. Adapted to our non Lord of the Rings group and showed us the sights with plenty if time at each with photo opportunities whenever we wanted. Good knowledge of the area. Loved everything we saw but Mavora Lakes spectacular. Fully recommendlauramareehay
May 2021
Mark was an excellent tour guide with a lot of local knowledge. The bird sanctuary was eye opening to the number of native bird species and we even saw a morepork which was a first for us! We absolutely love Lord of the rings and we're happy that the tour could be altered to our interests slight...
Mark was an excellent tour guide with a lot of local knowledge. The bird sanctuary was eye opening to the number of native bird species and we even saw a morepork which was a first for us! We absolutely love Lord of the rings and we're happy that the tour could be altered to our interests slightly to incorporate a few more Lord of the rings spots. These additions did not add to much time to the overall travel time which was good! The Mavora lakes area was a highlight and had so many hidden filming spots. We appreciated having exploration time at each point for photos and to soak in the scenery to truely picture what is was like to film in these areas. We were thrilled to get our pictures taken in Amon Hen although it would have been better if we were able to get photos together. Some more in depth knowledge for Lord of the rings super fans would have been awesome like more behind the scenes facts unique to these locations. It was an awesome opportunity to actually walk through Fangorn forest, an activity not usually in the tour. Overall we loved the tour, it introduced us to some areas that we will have to return to!