Kepler Track – hiking in the mountains of Fiordland National Park

Wet weather is almost a given when hiking in the mountains of Fiordland National Park and certainly makes for fantastic vistas of roaring rivers and waterfalls plunging over the edges of hanging valleys – all that rain has to come down somewhere. What we weren’t expecting on the Kepler Track that first weekend of summer, was snow!

It’s hard to imagine needing so many warm clothes for a hiking trip south to Te Anau when the Bay of Plenty basked in a glorious start to the summer season. But, thank goodness I threw in my balaclava at the last minute, in addition to my woolly hat – our group of four needed all those layers, as well as gloves, as we walked over the Kepler Mountains with the snow falling softly around us. It was freezing, but wonderful, with the only downside being the lack of views.

Unfortunately the weather also forced a route change to the annual Kepler Challenge race, which happened to fall on the second day of our tramp. Beginning in 1988, the iconic race now attracts around 400 entrants to run the 60km circuit – a trip which normally takes hikers four days – and another 150 or so take on the short, steep Luxmore Grunt – up to Luxmore Hut (1085m) and back. With frigid conditions going over the tops, the ‘B route’ altered the course to cut out
the middle section and runners had to run there and back to Luxmore and Moturau huts – still a 59km route. The fastest time was a little over 4 hours!

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ESTEEMED MOUNTAINS

The Kepler Track and Kepler Mountains were named after 17th Century German astronomer Johannes Kepler, who asserted the idea that planets orbited the sun elliptically rather than in perfect circles. In 2010, two other previously unnamed mountains in the Kepler range west of Te Anau were named after prominent New Zealand scientists: cosmologist Beatrice Tinsley and NASA scientist Sir William Pickering.

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Not only is the Kepler Challenge an awesome mountain race that sells out within minutes of opening online, since 2006 a percentage of the entry fees help fund the considerable trapping programme in place throughout the circuit. Stoats continue to be a huge threat to our indigenous birds, especially kiwi and the blue duck/ whio. It was sad to notice a distinct lack of birdsong on the first day of hiking through the forest, but reassuring to see traps – maintained by an army of volunteers including students from local schools – every 200 metres or so along the track. Although we didn’t see the cautious kiwi, we did hear one calling late one evening near Iris Burn hut on our second night, and a more vibrant bird chorus followed us on days 3 and 4 through the beautiful beech forest.

Kea, on the other hand, are not afraid to make your acquaintance, and on race day several of these curious alpine parrots were checking out the Luxmore Hut offers stunning views to Lake Te Anau runners from the veranda of Luxmore Hut as they hit the turn-around point. Actually, the kea were probably eyeing up the oranges and bananas laid out for competitors! We saw more kea as we headed off from Luxmore, and they swooped down to check up on us every now and then as we plodded on through the falling snow.

The hike over the mountains on day 2 was definitely the most challenging part of the trip, but tough days are usually remembered as the most rewarding as well. Perhaps it’s because of the numerous scenery changes – from snowy tops and steep rocky drops-offs, then back to the bush line, where sunlight pierces through the trees and raging rivers plunge down the valley beside us. It was a feast for the senses, even though the incredibly steep downhill section to Iris Burn Hut caused a few sore knees and tired leg muscles – uphill is hard work, but downhill is definitely harder on the body. We slept well that night, after a dunk in the freezing Iris Burn to wash and refresh.

Coming off the ridgeline is almost a disappointment as you leave the mountain air and fantastic views – when it’s not clagged in – but the lush beech forest through the Iris Burn valley on the final two days was spectacular, with sunlight dripping through the trees, and ferns in every shade of green. The reward at the end of day 3 was arriving at New Zealand’s second deepest lake, Lake Manapouri (444m) – shrouded in cloud and mist and surrounded by mountains. Frigid waters once again, but perfect for washing the body and cleansing the spirit.

Many hikers end their journey at Rainbow Reach, just a 90-minute walk from Moturau Hut, however we continued on to the main Kepler Track carpark, another 9.5km walk, but well worth the extra forest amble to complete the entire 60km circuit.

While we may not be travelling overseas anytime soon, New Zealand offers so much physical diversity you sometimes feel you‘ve just holidayed in a different country. The Kepler was a fabulous example of that diversity – from rugging up in woollies to cross the snowy mountains one day, to swimming in the lake and enjoying the sun-dappled forest the next. Back home in the Bay of Plenty we were then shedding clothes to cope with the high humidity. What a glorious country we live in! 

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KEPLER TRACK DETAILS