The Kepler Track

New Zealand has 9 Great Walks that consist of spectacular scenery and well maintained campgrounds/huts. Perhaps this is why the 9 Great Walk are so popular. There is a ton of information on these walks, so it’s a great option for people of all levels who are looking to get outside. As much as I wanted to do every one of them there was simply not enough time. 3 of the 9 Great Walks are in Fiordland and I opted for the 60km Kepler Track because it is a loop. Milford and Routeburn are supposed to be wonderful, but finding transportation from one end to the other made my head spin. There is no need to worry though because Kepler Track is full of excitement, weather, and views.

Bruce flew in from San Diego to join me for the hike. My partner in crime, we discussed different things we wanted to test out on the trail. He wanted to try the “no rain gear” method, and I wanted to adopt cheese and salami for lunch. Like many dedicated hikers we were trying out new things we had seen others do on the trail. Let’s see how they worked out!

Carpark to Luxmore Hut

The first 5 kilometers is flat and easy, meandering through a pretty beech forest around Lake Te Anau. After that be prepared to get your heart rate up because the turn-off from Brod Bay Campground gets steep. With an increase in incline came an increase in rain but thankfully the forest kept us from the worst of it. By the time Bruce and I got to the limestone bluffs we were decently wet, even though I had a rain jacket. The limestone bluffs are about half-way to Luxmore Hut and are a great place to take a break out of the rain.

The trail keeps going up and up, and between the rain and incline we got into a “let’s get this over with” pace. After 6ish kilometers of steep uphill the trail suddenly breaks off into a large field of tussock grassland. Bruce and I looked at each other and then out into the field. The rain was coming down incredibly hard. With an encouraging glance at one other we walked out.

The rain and wind hurt my face. I had long stopped stepping around puddles and now walked through them. The water in my shoes sloshed back and forth with my steps. We couldn’t say much to each other because of the wind, but at some point made some snarky comments to motivate one another. There was no way to tell what was around us and after a half hour of trudging we finally got to the hut.

The hut was large but filled to the max with other hikers. It was warm and cozy but the floor plan wasn’t well thought out. The entrance where everyone puts their wet clothes and muddy boots was in between the kitchen and the bunk rooms. This meant one had to walk through a wet mess to get from one room to the other. Still, we were glad to be out of the rain. Bruce’s rain gear experiment had worked. Even though I was wearing a rain jacket I was just as soaked as he was.

We spent the afternoon playing cards and drinking soup. Later that evening there was a hut talk from the ranger. He informed us that there had been a record amount of rain that day. I just laughed. During my entire Australia/New Zealand trip my hikes had been greeted with terrible weather. This was just the cherry on top.

Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut

The next morning we woke up with the sun. It cast beautiful pink colors across the sky and when I went outside I was floored. The views were incredible! The visibility had hardly been 20 feet the day before and now Lake Te Anau stood clearly below. Bruce and I got a quick start and were on the trail by 8am. This was ridge line day. People often say this is the best day of any of the 9 Great Walks.

The ridge line ended up being a nice meander of ups and downs with consistently gorgeous views. A few kilometers in there was an option to hike up Mount Luxmore at 1472 meters high. It’s only a 10 minute scramble to the top and Bruce and I left our packs at the junction to hike to the peak. After taking in the gorgeous views we headed back. About half way down we heard birds screeching and suddenly started running. The ranger had warned everyone that packs left at the junction could be found by keas. There had been no keas earlier but they had obviously found us.

Thankfully someone was guarding our packs because there were 5 keas mischievously roaming around. Keas are the world’s only alpine parrot and are incredibly smart. They have been aptly named the “Inquisitive Kea” because of their love to cause trouble. They will steal snacks, rip apart packs, and even sneak outside huts and steal people’s shoes (hahahaha!). As much as people think they are pests I was intrigued by their squawking and wondered exactly what they were saying to each other.

Our walk along the ridge was a mix of rain and sun, with occasional stunning views into the fiord. The wind was strong and I tried to cover up against windburn (but I still had a bright red face that night). There were two shelters along the way with enough space to get out of the rain. At each one the keas were trying to squawk their way into getting some snacks. I laughed as an inquisitive kea tried to bite off the end of my trekking pole and I got into a sword fight with him.

The trail eventually turns onto another ridge and begins to descend. Once the trail leaves the ridge completely it leads into a picture-perfect forest. Bruce said this was how he imagined the forest in a Disney movie to be. With the birds chirping and the sun shining through I think he was right.

Towards the end of the day we were getting antsy to finish. At 14.6 km it’s not the longest day, but the amount of downhill began to remind us we had knees. We began to wonder if the kilometer markers were wrong. In fact, people must have complained to the rangers because there was suddenly a dingy little sign that said “Almost There!” Almost there meant two more kilometers, but eventually the hut came into view.

After we hung our clothes to dry Bruce and I lied in the grass to relax. We didn’t stay long because it was our first experience with New Zealand’s infamous sandflies.

“Ouch, something just bit me!”

“What are you talking abou…Ow!”

We retreated into the hut and broke out the cheese and salami. It was a hit and will be a new addition to my trail food from now on. After a nap and a hearty dinner there was another hut talk by the ranger. He explained that we would likely hear kiwis that night, and we certainly did. I woke up when they started booming. It was an incredible noise!

Iris Burn Hut to Moturau Hut

It’s 16.2 kilometers, but apart from a small hill, a very flat day. It begins with a rotation through forest and exposed trail with mountains and waterfalls. The trail passes the “Big Slip,” a giant section of mountain that fell down during heavy rainfall in 1984. I wouldn’t have noticed it if the ranger hadn’t told us to look for it. By now it’s well overgrown.

The second half of the day is entirely through beech forest. We got a mixture of rain and sunshine but the forest protected us from both. I’ll admit that by the end of the day the forest got a bit monotonous, but between the chirping birds and interesting foliage Bruce and I found things to keep ourselves entertained.

We got to Moturau Hut by 1:00 pm and had an afternoon to relax. Between our boredom and the slight warmth of the day Bruce and I decided to take a swim. Lake Manapouri looks simply appetizing right next to the hut. We found a nice secluded spot, took off our knickers, and jumped in the water. It was so incredibly cold that our “swim” became a “splash.” After doing some necessary housekeeping we quickly jumped back out of the water. Hikers will tell you that on a regular day they would never swim in most of the water they swim in on the trail. But after 3 stinky days it doesn’t matter what kind of water it is – it feels good to freshen up.

Moturau Hut to Carpark

The last day was 15.5 kilometers through the same beech forest as the day before. There is an option of taking the shuttle at Rainbow Reach to cut off a couple hours of walking. We left early enough to catch it and weighed our options as we walked. Bruce and I came to an agreement that as nice as the forest was, two straight days of walking through it was boring. This combined with our busy schedule made us save a couple hours and take the shuttle.

Even though we skipped the last day, the Kepler Track is well worth doing. The ridge line day gives to-die-for views and there is a ton of bird life. Other than the last day there is plenty of variation in terrain which gives you something to look forward to each day. Be sure to say hi to the inquisitive keas for me!

Interested in the Kepler Track?

Because this is part of the 9 Great Walks system, it’s easy to find information about the track. This is the main brochure with everything you need to do the walk yourself. They supply gas at the huts so don’t bother bringing any (unless you’re camping). There are mattresses on the bunks as well, so leave your bulky sleeping pad behind.

Huts are $54/night and tent sites are $18/night. Make sure to check into the visitor’s center before starting the track. Each evening the ranger will come around and ask for your track tickets. If you do not have them he will charge you twice so make sure you pick them up. While you’re at the visitor’s center double check the weather. It can change in a second and the forecast you saw yesterday could be different.

The walk can be done from either direction. I was pretty happy with the counter-clockwise way. It gets all of the uphill out of the way the first day, and it’s all downhill from there (snicker). The other direction would make Day 3 pretty difficult, with a lot of uphill plus the entire ridgeline.

Carpark to Luxmore Hut 13.8km

Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut 14.6km

Iris Burn Hut to Moturau Hut 16.2km

Moturau Hut to Carpark 15.5km

There is a bulletin board at Rainbow Reach with the shuttle information. You can either reserve ahead of time or call them from the pickup spot. Even if people say the shuttle is full give them a call; sometimes they make two trips if they have enough people call in. The shuttle takes about 20 minutes. I know some people consider not having “finished” the trail if they take the shuttle, but I don’t regret it. Everything worth seeing is on the first three days.