A short walk on the Te Anau-Milford Highway...
I have been up and down the Te Anau-Milford Highway about a dozen times now and have always wanted to do some tramping off the route. There are a number of short and longer walks along the highway ranging from 10 minutes to several days.
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| Start of the Lake Mistletoe Walk on the Te Anau-Milford Highway |
One that I have noticed before and wanted to walk was the 45 minute short walk to Mistletoe Lake near Boat Harbor. Every time I have driven past here I have thought how much I would like to visit the lake so this trip I actually went and walked to it.
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| Lake Mistletoe Walk carpark near Te Anau Downs |
It was a nice stroll through some old Beech forest to a moderately sized kettle lake left over from ancient glacial action on the Te Anau Downs.
Walking to Lake Mistletoe:
Lake Mistletoe is about a kilometer away from Boat Harbor which is where you catch the water taxi service to the Milford Track. It is well sign posted and there is a carpark at the start of the track large enough for about 20 cars. It would be about 20 odd kilometers down the Te Anau to Milford Road.
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| Start of the Lake Mistletoe Walk...Fiordland |
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| Setting out to walk the Lake Mistletoe Walk |
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| You walk through typical Beech forest on the Lake Mistletoe Walk |
The track is mostly flat and winds down to the side of Lake Mistletoe through some beech forest typical of this region. It would be about a kilometer to the lake and then another two odd kilometers back to the carpark at the start of the track.
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| Lake Mistletoe can just be seen through the forest |
The track quality is excellent and this would be an all weather walk for all members of the family with the majority of the track either flat or on a slight incline/decline. It is very easy walking and the forest was pretty and filled with a surprising amount of birdlife...
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| First view of Lake Mistletoe from the track |
The Lake is surrounded by a mix of Beech forest and marshland with access to the water from the middle of the lake just off the track. There are a series of lakes both small and large along the edge of the road...remnants of old glacial ice deposits which have melted and collapsed in on themselves.
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| Lake Mistletoe is on the outskirts of Fiordland NP |
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| Lake Mistletoe Walk to left, picnic area to right |
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| Boardwalk leading to the picnic area at Lake Mistletoe |
There is a nice picnic area on a knob overlooking the lake...there is a flat grassy area, a picnic table and some trees nearby for shade and as a wind break. It might be a decent spot to sit and watch the waterfowl on the lake provided the sandflies don't carry you off...
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| Picnic area on the Lake Mistletoe Walk |
You can see right along to both ends of the lake from the picnic area and the swamp along the shore is backed by thick Beech forest. It is very picturesque...
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| Northern end of Lake Mistletoe |
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| Southern edge of Lake Mistletoe |
From the picnic area you retrace your steps and head off along the left side of the Lake on a track along the shoreline. You are heading for a outlet stream at the northern end of the lake which flows out to Lake Te Anau....
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| The Lake Mistletoe Walk heads to the northern end of the lake |
The beech forest here is thin and open...there are big gaps between the trees and you can see down to the lake edge in a number of places...
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| Beech forest along the Lake Mistletoe Walk |
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| ...a mix of Beech species at the Lake Mistletoe Walk |
About 200 meters down the track you will come to a view point where you can see out towards the lake. It is swampy wetlands at this end of the lake with rushes, flax and other aquatic plants rising up out of the green waters. I could hear and see different Ducks, Scaups, Geese and Swans in the water.
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| View from the northern end of Lake Mistletoe |
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| There is a thin forest screen around the lake edge... |
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| On the Lake Mistletoe Walk past the lake |
There is a small footbridge over the outlet stream at this northern end of the lake and what looks like a man made canal linking Mistletoe Lake and the main lake. The sides of the channel are very sharp and straight so I don't think it was formed by natural erosive action but it is hard to know for sure...
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| Bridge over outlet stream of Lake Mistletoe |
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| Outlet flowing from Lake Mistletoe to Lake Te Anau |
There were a number of Piwakawaka/Fantails flying around the stream bed and I managed to capture one on the wing in the photo below...
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| In flight photo of a Fantail/Piwakawaka, Lake Mistletoe Walk |
From the outlet stream you climb up onto an old glacial terrace and continue walking out towards SH 94 the Te Anau to Milford Highway. This part of the track is very flat and well formed and is well shaded by a thick beech forest canopy.
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| Lake Mistletoe Walk continues past the outlet stream |
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| The Lake Mistletoe outlet drains the northern swamp of the lake |
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| On the Lake Mistletoe Walk heading for SH94 |
Eventually the Highway comes into view at the end of a forest tunnel...it was not very busy the day I was there as most of the traffic travelling the road is heading to or from Milford Sound. Pre-Covid there would have been a solid stream of tour buses and private vehicles heading for the Sound as it is the tourism jewel of Fiordland...at the moment not so much!!!
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| Coming to the end of Lake Mistletoe Walk on SH 94 |
The last section of the walk is along the road side back up SH 94 to the carpark at the start of the track. Exercise caution along the road as it is often busy and by the time you visit the tourism numbers will be booming once again.
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| ...SH 94 the TeAnau-Milford Road... |
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| Looking up the road to the start of the Lake Mistletoe Walk |
You could walk this track either direction but you will still need to park your car at the southern end of the track off the road...there is nowhere to park at the northern end of the track as it comes out right next to the highway.
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| Northern end of the Lake Mistletoe Walk |
Boat Harbor is 200 meters further along the road heading towards Milford Sound. This is the point where you jump on the water taxi which takes you to the start of the Milford Track at Glade Wharfe. They also run tourism trips to the head of Lake Te Anau and over to the West Arm from this point.
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| The Milford Track watertaxi at Boat Harbor |
You can walk to the start of the Milford Track but it is a difficult and potentially dangerous trip over the Dore Pass Route. It is a long, steep and very remote track over Dore Pass and is not to taken lightly...
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| ...Lake Mistletoe Walk...road walking for 500 meters on SH94... |
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| SH 94 was quiet the day I visited Lake Mistletoe |
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| Fiordland Lodge Te Anau is to the right of SH94 |
There is also a boat launching ramp at Boat Harbor so this is one of several access points to Lake Te Anau along the road. You get a better view of the dock and boat ramp at Boat Harbor from just up SH94 near the Fiordland Lodge Te Anau.
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| Boat Harbor on Lake Te Anau....gateway to the Milford Track |
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| ...you can walk off the shoulder from this point... |
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| Better view of Boat Harbor at Lake Te Anau |
Directly opposite Fiordland Lodge Te Anau is the entrance to the southern end of the Lake Mistletoe Track. The track skirts the edge of the forest for a couple of hundred meters before arriving back at your starting place at the carpark.
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| The carpark at the start of Lake Mistletoe Walk |
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| Lake Mistletoe carpark...mostly empty!!! |
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| Back at the start of the Lake Mistletoe Walk |
The walk to Lake Mistletoe is very nice and would make a great stop/resting point on the way to or return from Milford Sound. It is just one of many similar short walks between Te Anau and Milford and it is very pleasant to walk amongst the beech trees. If you have the time think about stopping for a look the next time you are down in these parts...
Access: From Te Anau head along SH 94 the Te Anau to Milford Highway for approximately 20 kilometers. The carpark for the sign posted Lake Mistletoe Walk is 500 meters short of Boat Harbor.
Track Times: From SH 94 the Lake Mistleoe Walk is approximately 3 kilometers or 45 minutes walking.
YouTube link: Lake Mistletoe Walk
Miscellaneous: There is a carpark with about 20 spaces at the start of the track. There is a long drop toilet at the carpark but not facilities along the route of the walk. A picnic table and flat grassy area overlooks Lake Mistletoe. The track is easy walking, mostly flat with only slight inclines/declines...
