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Photo: MSeses, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A boat trip and guided tour into the Aurora Caves system by walking path and small boats within the cave itself where you will see thousands of glow worms. The caves are only accessible by boat, and Real Journeys operates a quality catamaran for a 30-minute cruise each way. You'll spend approximately 35 min underground, where you will see some spectacular underground waterfalls, some high ceilings, and many other interesting things with a professional guide. It is not suitable for everyone. You will have to bend over considerably at the entrance, which is only 1 m high for 3-4 m. Promotions often apply.
The Te Ana-au caves are a culturally and ecologically important system of limestone caves on the western shore of Lake Te Anau, in the southwest of New Zealand. They were re-discovered in 1948 by Lawson Burrows, who found the upper entry after three years of searching, following clues in old Māori legends. It later became a major tourist attraction for the area, as the part of the caverns close to the lake shore is home to glowworms. The unofficial name used by the national caving association is Aurora. The caves are geologically young and hence there is only one tiny stalactite.
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A short walk from downtown, the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary provides the unique opportunity to view some of New Zealand's rarest endangered birds. Be sure to see the takahē, a large flightless bird with beautiful blue plumage and an enormous red beak. With only about 500 takahē left in the world, this is perhaps your only opportunity to see this majestic bird.