Kepler Track, Fiordland NP
Type: Circuit Time: 3–4 days Grade: Moderate Independent/Guided: Independent only
TAKE ONE SOUTH ISLAND adventure town – in this case, Te Anau – and add a fantastic three- to four-day amble through spectacular Fiordland NP, and you have one of NZ’s foot-borne success stories: the Kepler Track.
Originally created to take the pressure off neighbouring South Island Great Walks, the Milford and Routeburn tracks, the Kepler has proved just as popular. This 60km circuit offers the quintessential Fiordland walking experience of majestic landscapes, DOC Great Walk huts, a wellmaintained track that is never ‘too hard’, and the chance to spend a full day walking above the tree line, with views of the Southern Alps and nearby lakes.
The Kepler can be walked in either direction. If kicking off from the Lake Te Anau Control Gates you can walk to this start point from town. If you opt to walk clockwise from Rainbow Reach (my preferred option), you’ll need to jump on a pre-booked shuttle bus. For most, the Kepler can be walked in three days.
Starting from Rainbow Reach, the first few hours are flat as you wind through beech and fern forests on your way to Moturau Hut, located on the shores of Lake Manapouri. If you’re keen to take four days to walk the Kepler, this is where you’d stay. Walk a few more hours, gradually ascending, and you’ll reach Iris Burn Hut. Here, you may hear the elusive kiwi calling out during the night in the surrounding valley.
The ‘middle’ day – from Iris Burn to Luxmore Hut – is amazing. After an easy ascent of about 800m you reach the
Hanging Valley Emergency Shelter. At 1390m, and with a vista of the snow-capped Southern Alps, it’s an ideal place for a lunch stop.
You’ll traverse this ridge over the course of the day before dropping down slightly to Luxmore Hut (the side-track to Mt Luxmore, just before the hut, is worth the half-hour diversion). This hut is usually packed but the atmosphere is jovial and the views of Lake Te Anau below are fantastic.
It is a fitting setting in which to (nearly) finish your Kepler experience, with only a few hours descent to the shores of Lake Te Anau and either a pre-booked water taxi across to town, or an additional 1.5-hour walk around the lake back to civilisation.