Milford and Doubtful Sounds are the marine destinations. Both hold resident bottlenose dolphin pods and New Zealand fur seals hauled out on the rocks, and both are worked by day cruises and overnight boats — Doubtful is longer to reach, quieter, and generally the better wildlife option.

The fiord walls are where tawaki, the Fiordland crested penguin, comes ashore to breed, roughly July to November. It is one of the world's rarest penguins and the only one that nests in temperate rainforest; seeing one from a boat is a matter of luck and timing.

The alpine passes and car parks, notably around the Homer Tunnel on the Milford road, are kea country. The world's only alpine parrot is intelligent, fearless and destructive — do not feed them, and check your car's rubber trim before driving off.

The beech forest along the Great Walks holds the forest birds: bellbird and tui song, South Island robin that will land beside you, rifleman, and kaka. Takahe, the flightless rail once thought extinct, survives in the restricted Murchison Mountains and cannot be visited — the reliable place to see one is the sanctuary at Te Anau.

Practicalities

Te Anau is the base for the park, with Queenstown a couple of hours further. The Milford road is spectacular and closes for avalanche risk in winter; carry chains when required.

The Great Walks — Milford, Kepler and Routeburn tracks — require hut bookings that open months ahead and sell out within minutes for the summer season. This is one of the wettest inhabited places on Earth: expect rain, and know that the waterfalls are at their best because of it. Sandflies are relentless; bring repellent.