Question 1

True or false: The park's most famous fjord, Milford Sound, was carved by rivers, not glaciers.

Accepted Answer

False. Milford Sound was carved by glaciers during the ice age, not rivers. Its steep cliffs and U-shape are classic glacial features.

Question 2

True or false: Fiordland was named after the Norse god of the sea, Fjord.

Accepted Answer

False. The name comes from the word 'fjord,' a Norwegian term for a glacially carved inlet. There is no Norse god named Fjord.

Question 3

True or false: Fiordland National Park is larger than the entire country of Luxembourg.

Accepted Answer

True. Fiordland covers about 12,600 square kilometers, while Luxembourg is about 2,586 square kilometers. It's nearly five times larger.

Question 4

True or false: Swimming in Fiordland's waters is popular because they are always warm due to volcanic activity.

Accepted Answer

False. The water in Fiordland's fjords is very cold (around 10-15°C year-round) due to runoff from mountains and deep ocean currents, not volcanic warmth.

Question 5

True or false: The park is home to the only flightless parrot in the world, the kakapo.

Accepted Answer

True. The kakapo is a nocturnal, flightless parrot endemic to New Zealand, with a small population surviving in Fiordland and other sanctuaries.

Question 6

True or false: Fiordland National Park has more rainfall than any other place in New Zealand.

Accepted Answer

True. Milford Sound in Fiordland receives over 6,400 mm of rain annually, making it one of the wettest inhabited places in the country.

Question 7

True or false: Fiordland is the only place on Earth where you can find the endangered takahe bird in the wild.

Accepted Answer

True. The takahe, a large flightless bird once thought extinct, survives naturally only in Fiordland's remote Murchison Mountains.

Question 8

True or false: You can see active glaciers inside Fiordland National Park year-round.

Accepted Answer

False. Fiordland has no permanent glaciers today; its famous glaciers retreated after the last ice age. Active glaciers are found farther south in Mount Cook region.

Fiordland National Park Trivia Questions