We enjoyed a few, much needed, extra hours of sleep this morning. The last several days were packed with picturesque drives and adventures so we appreciated this low-key day. Our day started by grabbing coffee and meat pies from a local eatery.

With food in our bellies we headed out. As we mentioned yesterday, the town of Te Anau itself is very small so a quick drive through the residential streets and walk down main street and the lakefront park provided a good overview. From town we made a short drive over to the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary which is home to several endangered species native to New Zealand. These specific birds have been rescued and are unable to survive in the wild for a variety of reasons but they have been provided loving homes by the local community. They are also used for educational purposes among the local primary schools. Among the birds cared for at this sanctuary include the flightless Takahe and the inquisitive Island Parakeet.

Following a gentle stroll through the sanctuary we explored a near-by beach park and riverside trail which quickly took us away from town and into the sights and sounds of nature. Along this walk we came across a hydro-electric dam. The most striking thing about this dam was the lack of security as we were able to walk right up to the equipment. New Zealand is a high trust society which has been wonderful to experience.

Our only timed activity today was a visit to the nearby glowworm cave. After a ferry ride across Lake Te Anau (the second largest lake in New Zealand, behind Lake Taupo, which we visited earlier in our trip), we arrived in Fiordland National Park. Glowworms are well known for their bioluminescent tails which they use to lure in their prey. The worms, which are actually a form of maggot / gnat, attach themselves to the roofs of cave systems and create silky webs, which are not too dissimilar from spider webs, to catch their prey. When found in great numbers the glowworms create awe-inspiring displays of light in these dark spaces. We were not allowed to take photographs inside the cave so as not to disturb the delicate ecosystem but we have included this representative picture from the tour company’s website.

We had a wonderful series of guides and naturalists who walked us through the cave system and surrounding environment. Unfortunately there were a lot of sandflies in this area. These pests are ever present along on the West Coast and Southland so they have been a persistent menace. These pests have bit us countless times but we were glad to learn that they are the primary source of food for glowworms. We are definitely on team glow maggot!

Our evening concluded with dinner at a local restaurant which highlights local ingredients and boasts live music. Tomorrow we begin our trip north which in a couple of days will terminate in Christchurch.