Kepler Track - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
This 60 km loop walk is moderately difficult and is usually walked in 3 to 4 days.
Map Data: Google, Digital Globe, Department of Conservation (DOC).

Click on the arrow button
below to explore this walk.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The first hour and a half (5.6 km) is an easy and mostly flat stroll along the lakefront of Lake Te Anau - the largest body of fresh water in Australasia. The next 3.5 to 4.5 hours (8.2 km) is spent climbing up to the bushline and then across to Luxmore Hut.
Map Data: Google, Digital Globe, Department of Conservation (DOC).

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The walk begins here at the Control Gates Carpark and Info Shelter - a 45 minute 2 km walk from Te Anau.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The Outlet. The Control Gates regulate the flow of water from Lake Te Anau as it flows to the Power Station at Lake Manapouri.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Control Gates.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The Kepler Track is a loop walk. We take the track to the right. In a few days we will be returning to this spot via the track on the left.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Beautiful clear water.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Dock Bay.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
BROD BAY CAMPSITE.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
BROD BAY CAMPSITE - Cooking Shelter.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
BROD BAY CAMPSITE.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Brod Bay is a very beautiful place - but it is sandfly hell and that makes it a lot easier to leave here and go climb a hill for half a day...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The climb begins...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Two hours of climbing brings us to these impressive limestone bluffs.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
This walkway and some stairs bring us to the top of the bluffs.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Now it feels like we are near the top.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Yes! We've reached the bushline. Now it's a very exposed 45 minute walk to Luxmore Hut.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Wow... The wind is incredibly strong.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
View back over Lake Te Anau.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE HUT.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE HUT - 54 bunk beds, gas cooking (during Great Walks Season), woodburner for heating hut, lighting, mattresses.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE HUT - Entrance Deck.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE HUT - Small Raised Entrance Deck.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE HUT - Kitchen / Dining Room.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE HUT - Hallway between Bunkrooms and stairs down to Kitchen / Dining Room.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE HUT - The nice Small Bunkroom at the top of the stairs.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE HUT - View from top bunk in the Small Bunkroom.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE HUT - Deck outside the Small Bunkroom.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE HUT - The Big Bunkroom.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Walking to Luxmore Caves takes 10 minutes each way.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Nice views from up here - but it is insanely windy. Gusts of about 90 km/h and forecast to increase in strength. It's going to be a wild night and we might have to change our plans in the morning.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Luxmore Cave entrance.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Luxmore Cave.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE CAVE - Due to the lack of a tripod (I'd torn a leg off my tripod crossing a narrow swingbridge on the Routeburn Track the day before), I wasn't able to photograph further into the cave.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Heading back to the warmth and shelter of Luxmore Hut.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The challenging 14.6 km walk "above the clouds" from Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut takes 5 to 6 hours. On a clear day it is spectacular. On the day before we did it and on the day after, the weather was bad and the people saw nothing.
Map Data: Google, Digital Globe, Department of Conservation (DOC).

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
LUXMORE HUT - We begin this epic day by walking along the path behind the hut.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Here we go...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
This is the place to fill our water bottles. Pure Fiordland water... It doesn't get much better than this.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
This is the other place we can fill our water bottles.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Looking back at where we've been.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Up and up...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
...until we reach Luxmore Saddle. Here we have the option of taking the 30 minutes return detour to the summit of Mount Luxmore. I get vertigo from heights - so I tend not to do summits if I don't really have to...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Wow...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The track follows the ridgelines. We are lucky to have excellent weather. Being up here on a bad day would be a different story.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
FOREST BURN SHELTER.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
FOREST BURN SHELTER - It smells and it's cold. Not a great place to spend the night.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
FOREST BURN SHELTER.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Contemplating the next bit...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
HANGING VALLEY SHELTER - Lunchtime.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
HANGING VALLEY SHELTER - Even worse than Forest Burn Shelter. One under-prepared hiker spent a cold night here the night before we did this walk. He had turned up at Luxmore Hut and then realised he was supposed to be walking the track in the other direction and should have been at Iris Burn Hut. Rather than say anything to the Ranger at Luxmore, he set out in the dark to make his way across the tops in attrocious weather with the hope of getting to Iris Burn Hut. He only got this far.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
HANGING VALLEY SHELTER.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Heading down towards Iris Burn.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
More walking on ridgelines...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
...but now the going is more steeply downhill and there are stairs with no handrails. These would be very dangerous in high winds.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
A lookout. By this time I have endured so much vertigo, I can't be bothered going up anything to have a look. Especially now that the track is about to zig-zag down into the comparative comfort of the forest.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Down we go...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
And we are into the forest! That was epic on the tops - but it is really calming to be surrounded by trees and shelter. Still a long way to go though....

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
It feels like we're almost there. In fact, I think I've seen the hut through the trees... (I often do that.)

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Still 30 minutes to go..? Oh no. We are buggered. Oh well. Only 30 minutes to go...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Heading steeply downhill on seriously tired legs.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Down to flat ground. Can't be far now...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - 50 bunk beds, gas cooking (during Great Walks Season), Woodburner for heating hut, lighting, mattresses.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - Kitchen / Dining Room on the left. Bunkrooms upstairs and on the right..

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - showing outside staircase to Upstairs Bunkroom.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - Corridor between Kitchen / Dining Room and Main Downstairs Bunkroom. We hang our boots up here or the Kea (NZ native mountain parrots) will get our boots and destroy them or at the very least, hide them.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - Kitchen / Dining Room.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - Kitchen / Dining Room and Woodburner by Exit Door.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - The Exit Door leads from the Kitchen / Dining Room into this little hallway, off which there are two Small Bunkrooms - each with 8 bunks. Straight ahead is the hallway which leads to the Toilets.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - The Small Bunkroom on the left.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - The Hallway with Toilets on the left and the large Downstairs Bunkroom at the far end.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - The Large Downstairs Bunkroom.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - The Upstairs Bunkroom.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN HUT - The track to Iris Burn Campsite.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN CAMPSITE.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN CAMPSITE - Cooking Shelter. It is mayhem here this morning. The Kea (NZ native mountain parrots) have been stealing people's boots.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN CAMPSITE - Kea are such cheeky birds. While I was taking this photo, a Kea walked up to a hiker's freshly-brewed cup of coffee on the picnic table, thought about it for a while - then just casually knocked it over.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN CAMPSITE - Kea with the insole from someone's boot.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Iris Burn (river).

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
IRIS BURN CAMPSITE.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The fairly easy 16.2 km walk from Iris Burn Hut to Moturau Hut takes about 6 hours.
Map Data: Google, Digital Globe, Department of Conservation (DOC).

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The going is flat and easy...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Wow... The track is so well-maintained here. This is luxury hiking.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
A faint rainbow. Incredibly, in a place where it supposedly rains on average 4 out of 5 days, this light rain was the only rain we saw the whole time we were in Fiordland.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
ROCKY POINT SHELTER - Halfway. Time for lunch - for us and for the sandflies.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Three hours to go...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
At last... Lake Manapouri.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
It's all super easy going now, strolling along the lakeshore.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
There's Moturau Hut through the trees...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
MOTURAU HUT - 40 bunk beds, gas cooking (during Great Walks Season), Woodburner for heating hut, lighting, mattresses.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
MOTURAU HUT - Kitchen / Dining Room.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
MOTURAU HUT - Small Downstairs Bunkroom.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
MOTURAU HUT - Large Upstairs Bunkroom.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
MOTURAU HUT - Lakefront lawn.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
MOTURAU HUT - Lake Manapouri.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The easy 6 km walk from Moturau Hut to Rainbow Reach takes 2 hours and passes through iconically beautiful Fiordland forest.
Map Data: Google, Digital Globe, Department of Conservation (DOC).

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The going is mostly flattish and easy.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The turnoff to the right leads to Shallow Bay Hut. We carry on around to the left.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Now we cross a wetland.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Back into the gorgeous forest.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
View of the Waiau River flowing from the Control Gates to Lake Manapouri Power Station.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
A small hill... Just when we'd forgotten all about hills.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Now the track heads fairly steeply down to Rainbow Reach.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
RAINBOW REACH - Rainbow Reach Swingbridge.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
RAINBOW REACH - Crossing the Waiau River.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
RAINBOW REACH - Shelter and Picnic Area.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The easy 9.5 km walk from Rainbow Reach to the Control Gates takes 3 hours 30 minutes.
Map Data: Google, Digital Globe, Department of Conservation (DOC).

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
RAINBOW REACH - Crossing the Waiau River.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
The fungi on this stretch of the Kepler are amazing.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Gorgeous mosses...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Aaaahh... So, THAT's why the tracks are so perfectly maintained here... They have tiny earth-moving equipment. Probably operated by elves.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
And here we are back at the start of the loop track...

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
...Just a few more metres and we've completed the Kepler Track.

KEPLER TRACK - Fiordland National Park
Back at the Info Shelter. Done. That was absolutely epic. Definitely the most epic Great Walk so far. (Just Rakiura, Milford and Whanganui River Journey to go...)

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
Now, let's fly over the Kepler by Helicopter...

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
Starting low over Te Anau township.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
Crossing Lake Te Anau.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
Brod Bay.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
The tops before Luxmore Hut.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
Luxmore Hut.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
The track above Luxmore Hut.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
Coming up to Luxmore Saddle.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
The summit of Mount Luxmore.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
Following the Kepler track along the ridgelines to Forest Burn Shelter.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
Continuing to follow the ridgeline to Hanging Valley Shelter.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
Hanging Valley Shelter.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
Following the ridgeline from Hanging Valley Shelter towards Iris Burn Hut.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
Here we can clearly see where the Kepler Track leaves the ridgeline and zig-zags down towards Iris Burn.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
The Wetland between Moturau Hut and Rainbow Reach.

KEPLER TRACK BY HELICOPTER - Fiordland National Park
The Control Gates.