Walking around the “Nature Walk” trail of Lake Gunn, I totally get Sir Peter Jackson’s vision for the Lord of the Rings trilogy (or, more accurately, quadrilogy when you count The Hobbit). This nature walk was totally unique. It was as different a forrest experience as the first time my parents took me to the Redwood Forrest in Northern California. It’s totally unlike anything I’d experienced before.

*Lake Gunn Nature Walk in New Zealand — totally unique*

I think it’s the moss. I’ve never seen anything like it. Sure, I’ve seen some moss grow on trees, but I’ve never seen moss takeover a forrest before. Everywhere you look was moss. I see why, if the mythical Hobbits lived here, they wouldn’t need any shoes. I was tempted to remove mine and work on deeply rooting myself in this forrest. (But I was walking with Elena and thought better of it).

The hike was flat and easy. While I tend to enjoy adventure hikes that challenge my endurance and abilities, Elena has been minding her knees and I didn’t want to take her on anything too stressful physically. Besides, we’re here for the beauty. Sure, it’s great to get a bit of exercise in too, but this is more about taking in the epic views of which there are many here.

We took a loop trail that was a combination of forest and lake views. It was a beautiful balance between the cool shaded forest bathing, sweeping mountains as far as the eye could see and then this bright blue lake separating the forest from the mountains. It was nature at its finest.

I should mention that the drive to this walk was equally beautiful. Several times, Elena and I decided to pull over to take pictures of the mountains and large fields that felt like we were driving around inside of a painting. We weren’t the only ones either. The RV that pulled up behind us was a couple from Brooklyn, NY. Yes, they were practically our neighbors being the very next county over from where we live. What are the odds?

*Drive up to the Lake Gunn Nature Walk (side of the road view)*

And the SHEEP. My goodness there are so many sheep here in New Zealand – five times as many sheep has humans according to Google. And you can see as we were driving around. Field after field of so many sheep, it almost looked like snow in the dead of summer. Elena noted that there seemed to be a vanishing point where there were so many sheep, it was like looking out at the ocean and seeing it dip beyond the curve of the earth. Sound like an exaggeration, check out this image and see what I mean.

*So … many … SHEEP! The sheep to residents in NZ is 5:1!*

Other than that, it’s been a relaxing day. Violet took the full day off opting to hang back. Elena and I did laundry and cooked a bit to regain a feeling of being settled in this area. Tomorrow we will take a boat ride to Milford Sound and, weather permitting, take in even more of the scenery from the lake. Can’t get enough of these views!

Lake Gunn Nature Walk (February 4, 2026)

Glow Worms, Te Anau, NZ (February 3, 2026)