Kepler Track 1

I recently had the opportunity to complete the Kepler Great Walk with my fellow tramper Ian. We were lucky that we picked a fine weather window and get hut bookings. (The lack of overseas tourists and COVID restrictions helping in us being able to choose a time that suited us.)

DOC map.

The walk begins at the control gates on Lake Te Anau with a lakeside walk of 5.6 km through beech forest to Brod Bay. This takes about 90 minutes.

The shelter at Brod Bay.

Starting at an altitude of 210m, the track climbs steadily through the bush. The first highlight has to be the limestone cliffs reached after around 2 ½ hours. Apart from the bush, there were few openings to the surrounding mountains.

Ian at the limestone cliffs

There is a steep climb to the top of the cliffs, on ladder like steps, to a convenient area for a welcome lunch stop and to put the billy on. The bush line is not far above here where we were to spend some time admiring the vast expanse of the countryside. The following photos taken here, and those subsequently, justified lugging my camera along for the trip

Above the bush line for our first glimpse of Lake Manapouri.
(The white on the mountain is rock, not snow.)

Lake Te Anau. The South Arm going off to the left.

To the north of the lake is relatively flat farmlands. The lake was formed by glaciations going back several million years with vast fiord like branches to the south.

Tussocks grasslands above the bush line.

The township of Te Anau.

Looking in the other direction.

Mt Luxmore, 1472m

The track to the hut goes around to the right where views of the South Arm of the lake become more prominent. The Luxmore Hut being an easy walk from where these photos were taken.

Luxmore Hut. A helipad to its left with a small bridge below.

Luxmore Hut with the Murchison Mountains across the lake.

A hanging valley in the Murchison Mountains across from Luxmore Hut.
(Takahe, thought to be extinct were discovered here in 1948.)

Having claimed our bunks in the hut and unpacked, rested and put the billy on it was time to think about what next? 

There are caves near the hut which are worth a visit but they are nothing to get me to want to try to photograph.

With cave visit over it was time to relax, talk to our fellow trampers and get dinner on.

Day 2 here now.