Thread: Diving & Fishing - Bottom of the South

Hey all, my family and I are heading down to Te Anau next week to spend Christmas & New Years with family. We are towing our Surtees 5.5 Hardtop down and intend to do some watersports and general adventuring around the lake etc.

Im pretty keen to get in the salt and go for a dive and/or a fish too if the weather presents an opportunity. Does anyone have any advice on the best places to put the boat in the water and where to check out in general?

Much appreciated.
Dylan

If you're going to Te Anau you're really limited to heading out of Milford unless you make the trek down to Bluff and head out around the point or across to Ruapuke, pick your day though if heading out of bluff as it can get real rough real quick, have had a few bum clenching trips back from Ruapuke in mates 7m mclay and that was on a good forecast. There is great whites around but I have dived at Ruapuke heaps and never seen one. I'd say safe bet stuff especially if you're taking the family out would be tonhead over to Milford you can still find plenty of good spots for a dive inside the fiord and head outside if the forecast is good. I've only ever fished off there for Bluefin out wide but I know there's good spots to drop for Hapuka inside the fiord. Be worth taking the boat for a blat up through the narrows to the glaisnock if you've never been up there although again be careful on that lake, many people underestimate it as "just a lake" but it can get real nasty, I've generally found if looking at YR weather for Te Anau if there is more than about 4m/s wind forecast from the south it will get rough and being a lake it's a special kind of rough, you don't get a swell you just get 2m of nasty washing machine chop that you can't get any rhythm on in any direction. The beach at the Delta burn up top of the south arm is a cool spot to park up for a day away from the crowds, good spot for a wee bush stalk too if you're that way inclined.

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

If you're going to Te Anau you're really limited to heading out of Milford unless you make the trek down to Bluff and head out around the point or across to Ruapuke, pick your day though if heading out of bluff as it can get real rough real quick, have had a few bum clenching trips back from Ruapuke in mates 7m mclay and that was on a good forecast. There is great whites around but I have dived at Ruapuke heaps and never seen one. I'd say safe bet stuff especially if you're taking the family out would be tonhead over to Milford you can still find plenty of good spots for a dive inside the fiord and head outside if the forecast is good. I've only ever fished off there for Bluefin out wide but I know there's good spots to drop for Hapuka inside the fiord. Be worth taking the boat for a blat up through the narrows to the glaisnock if you've never been up there although again be careful on that lake, many people underestimate it as "just a lake" but it can get real nasty, I've generally found if looking at YR weather for Te Anau if there is more than about 4m/s wind forecast from the south it will get rough and being a lake it's a special kind of rough, you don't get a swell you just get 2m of nasty washing machine chop that you can't get any rhythm on in any direction. The beach at the Delta burn up top of the south arm is a cool spot to park up for a day away from the crowds, good spot for a wee bush stalk too if you're that way inclined.

Cheers man, very keen to check out the glaisnock and milford. Hopefully we get some good windows on the forecast.

Heading out to milford today diving.
Let me know if you need any info on camp spots etc