A Great Walk: The Kepler Track - Part One

 

Fiordland Park HQ

The Kepler Track

New Zealand has a series of hiking trails designated as Great Walks, epic routes that traverse some incredibly diverse geography of the island nation. Many of them are alpine tracks, although a few encompass lower elevation environments along the shores of both islands.

The most well known of these is the Milford Track, a multiday hike that takes participants to the eponymous fiord along the southwestern coast of South Island.  Because of its popularity I decided I'd skip it in favor of a different path, choosing one called the Kepler Track located in the same general area within Fiordland National Park.

In selecting which hikes I wanted to try my preferences are treks that encompass higher elevation environments.  The Kepler Track met all my criteria for time constraints, landscapes, and accessibility.  At roughly 37 miles in length, the loop can be comfortably completed in 3-4 days, beginning and ending in the community of Te Anau.

As a Great Walk in one of the most scenic parts of New Zealand the Kepler is also popular, so reserving space beforehand is a necessity.  The most sought after accommodation is Luxemore Hut, near the apex of the alpine section.  Even though I planned this trip well in advance, that hut was already fully booked, meaning I would be staying at Brod Bay Campsite for the first night.

Te Anau

The scenic town of Te Anau is situated on the shores of Lake Te Anau, the largest inland body of water on South Island.  This is the starting point for three of the Great Walks: Milford, Kepler, and Routeburn Tracks, and is also on the road to Milford Sound.  Like Queenstown, Te Anau offers a wide variety of outdoor activities for visitors.

The trip from Queenstown took just over two hours, and once I arrived I was able to spend the rest of the day just walking around and getting the lay of the land.  The community is relatively small, and everything I needed was within walking distance, including the beginning of the Kepler.  After a relaxing afternoon, I settled into my lodging and made final preparations for the next day's hike.

Lake Te Anau

Te Anau to Brod Bay

I awoke to overcast skies and low clouds the next morning.  Although there was a small chance of precipitation, the forecast for the next several days held the promise of clear skies.  I kept rain gear close at hand just in case.

The walk formally starts about a kilometer out of town, with an easy gravel path around the lakeshore delivering me to the official beginning.  An interesting and worthwhile feature of the route is passing by Te Anau Bird Sanctuary, home to several rare and endangered New Zealand birds.  

These include takahe, kaka, antipodes island parakeets, and whio (blue ducks).  I didn't spend a lot of time looking through the different enclosures as I wanted to reach the campsite early, but I did spot a couple of takahe pecking through the grass for something to eat. 

Takahe

Like many birds native to New Zealand takahe are flightless, having evolved in the absence of mammalian predators.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, efforts are underway to eliminate introduced species like rats, ferrets, and stoats while breeding and reintroducing threatened birds to their original ranges.

The section from town to Brod Bay follows the shoreline with little to no elevation gain.  At an altitude of around 1800 feet, the climate here is mild, with relatively high humidity due to proximity to the lake as well the southern coast.  The bush is verdant and lush, testament to significant rainfall the region experiences - average for the year is around 47 inches.

No shortage of water

Mosses and ferns

Easy trail...for now

The hike is super easy, and the distance is short, only about 3.5 miles.  I had of course hoped to stay at Luxmore the first night making for a longer first day, but things being what they were I accepted the situation.  And since most of my overnights in the bush were spent in huts I figured I'd give my tent a reason for making the trip.

The camp area is right on the lake at the edge of the forest.  Unsurprisingly there wasn't anyone there when I arrived early in the afternoon, so I had my choice of sites.  I set up camp and took my chair to the shore where I sat for a couple of hours just enjoying the day.

While sitting there I saw a boat approach the shore near my position, and watched as a small raft ferried a group of trekkers to the beach.  Apparently there is a water taxi that will bring hikers from town to the campsite, which I guess would be useful if you were arriving later in the day, or if you just couldn't be bothered to hike the first few miles.

The new group consisted of a few separate parties who then proceeded to set up their tents and settle in for the night.  I decided I wanted to preview the next day's hike so I left them to it and headed up the trail.

Almost immediately the path turned away from the lake and plunged into the bush, with a steady increase in grade. This made sense because I knew from my research that much of the track followed a higher elevation profile along the spine of the mountains.  I probably walked a couple of miles before turning back.  Despite the uphill climb it felt almost effortless because I wasn't wearing my 40+ pound pack - something I would definitely notice the next morning.

I got back to camp and made dinner, while the skies gradually cleared and the sun began to set.  There had been a fairly consistent breeze for much of the day, but the wind died down and the water on the lake began to calm.  For only the second time on the trip I was able to witness a beautiful sunset.

All in all a simple yet rewarding introduction to my first Great Walk.  That's my idea of a good time.

Next: Up and Over