Hiking the Kepler Track in New Zealand

Welcome to this post about the Kepler Track which I hiked three times over the past decade. The original post dates back to 2014 but after my recent visit to New Zealand, when I spent six months traveling and hiking around the country, I experienced the Kepler Track twice. In this article I will tell you all about this amazing hike as well as explain to you how to do it in lesser time than Department of Conservation tells you and why this is an amazing alternative to the Routeburn Track.

Note this article was first published in 2014 and updated and reposted in 2024.

Located in Fiordland National Park, this Great Walk of New Zealand has in the past proven to be a good alternative for hikers who were unable to get a spot on the huts for the Routeburn Track. However if you ask me, it may even be the better one of the two.
 
The Kepler Track, which is also famous for the annual Kepler Marathon, is a four day hike that I would describe as medium difficult, as does the Department of Conservation, who are in charge of this trail. The start and end of the tramp are in the town of Te Anau, located on the shores of the same name lake. The 60 kilometer long Kepler Track takes the you deep into the Kepler Mountains, where you will be treated to some 360 degree panorama’s, at least if it’s a nice day.

The great thing about the Kepler Track is that it was made as an alternative for the busy Milford and Routeburn Tracks and that they made it a circular track, so that you don’t need expensive transport either to and/or from the trailhead.

In 2023 I ended up spending a couple of months in Te Anau and I hiked the trail twice. Down below you will find my description of the regular four day hike, however I have also done the three and two day options, which I will describe further down.

Day 1 Te Anau – Luxmore Hut (13.8 km)

The Kepler Track starts at the the Lake Te Anau Control Gates, just outside of town. The first part of the tramp takes you along the southern shores of the lake and skirts through fern forests. After about an hour you reach Broad Bay which I were told is a great place for a first stop. However, the sandflies were horrible there so maybe not the best place to linger for a while. If you are somewhat in a hurry, you may choose to catch a water taxi to Broad Bay from central Te Anau instead, which shaves off about an hour to one and a half hour of your hike.

From Broad Bay, the long climb up the mountain begins. The trail is very well maintained and it’s easy to follow. It zig zags up into the mountains and after about two hours you will meet some impressive limestone bluffs, a great place for a stop.

After that, it’s a bit further up and slowly the forest is getting less dense and you will reach the tree line. From here it really starts to get amazing. Way below you is Lake Te Anau and Mount Luxmore comes into view. The trail remains easy and going up from the bush line. You should reach Luxmore Hut no later than 45 minutes after coming to the tree line.

Luxmore Hut is probably the most scenic hut of all huts in this part of New Zealand. You have simply amazing views over Lake Te Anau and the Kepler Mountains. Luxmore Hut is also a popular tramp for day hikers so you will have to spend your time with plenty of them here.

Be aware: kea linger around the hut and you wouldn’t be the first to lose your stuff. They will aim for anything, from medication to food to shoe laces.

Tip: if the weather is awesome and you feel you have some energy left, you may want to consider pushing onto the summit of Mt Luxmore along the way. You will pass by it tomorrow as well, but experience taught me that it may end up being horrible weather.

Day 2 Luxmore Hut – Iris Burn Hut (14.6 km)

Luxmore Hut is large and usually everyone is eager to leave in time. The view down into the valley from the hut is incredible, so high up in the mountains and so far away from the rest of the world, yet only one day of walking.
 
The second day the Kepler Track is a ridge hike, taking you all the way to the next valley. The first couple of hours are all about climbing higher and higher, until you reach 1.472 meter high Mount Luxmore. It can easily be climbed in about 15 minutes from the main track. Here you will have the most amazing views you can have ever imagined. The next couple of hours takes you across ridges, it’s a simple hike but sometimes you just have to watch your footing as to not stumble while taking plenty of photos.

Hanging Valley Shelter is the best place for lunch. Be aware of the kea again. Here the mobile phone connection also drops and by now, you have had the most amazing section of the trail. Shortly after the lunch you will reach the end of the ridge and you will start the undulating way down to Iris Burn Hut. It’s a long way down and quite hard on the knees, but the trail is always well paved and if you’re an experience hiker you should have no issues with this.

At Iris Burn Hut you will find plenty of sandflies so staying inside is recommended, unless you want to be eaten alive.

Day 3 Iris Burn Hut – Moturau Hut (16.2 km)

An easy one for today, which is quite good after the intense last days. In the morning you can easily to the side track to Iris Burn waterfall, just a short walk from the hut. Today you will mostly hike on flat ground, with little altitude changes. Most of the walk is through the bush and easygoing. Moturau Hut is located right on the shores of Lake Manapouri.

If you wish, you can shorten your hike to a three day tramp by skipping the last night in this hut. Rainbow Reach carpark is just a 1.5 hr (6 km) hike onwards from this hut. There are shuttles available or you may try to hitch a ride back to town. Alternatively, you can make it a 30+ km day all the way back to Te Anau.

Day 4 Moturau Hut – The Anau Control Gates (15.5 km)

Today it’s a matter of hours only. Many choose to just walk to Rainbow Reach, skipping the last part. The Amoeboid Mire is a bog that was used for filming Lord of the Rings as the Dead Marshes. It’s another easy tramping day, with sometimes a bit of wet feet and amazing views across the Waiau River at some spots where the bush opens up. You can walk either to Rainbow Reach or onwards to the Kepler Carpark.

Although the Kepler Track is a four day walk, you can do it in three days, depending on the amount of time you have available. The easiest way to shorten the Kepler Track into a three day walk is to skip the night in Moturau Hut and head straight onto Rainbow Reach from there. See the Fiordland Outdoors website for options, schedules and prices.

Let’s be honest, the most amazing part of the Kepler Track is the second day, when you’ll walk from Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut. This is the day you’ll want to have amazing weather. And on my first attempt in 2023 I did not. The mountains were covered in a thick layer of clouds all day long and I never got to see the amazing views. And therefor I decided to give it another try later in the season. However, since Luxmore Hut was fully booked, my only option was to hike to Iris Burn Hut in one day. This is a 28.5 km hike and extremely hard to cover in one day. But if you’re a fit hiker and have hiked these distances is the mountains before, it’s certainly do-able.

I have walked to Iris Burn Hut in a day and back to the car park the next, meaning I did the ridge walk twice. The reason was simple: it wasn’t great weather on my first attempt so I decided to head back over the ridge as well. This proved to be a great option, as you can see the difference below.

Only do this if you’re an experienced hiker and have experience in the mountains. Just saying!

Some useful tips and tricks when hiking the Kepler Track

Having spent more than two months in Te Anau and having done the track three times in total, I can give you some tips which makes planning the Kepler Track more fun and easy:

• Luggage can be stored for a fee at Lake Te Anau Holiday Park, just across from the Department of Conservation office.
• All huts must be booked in advance. I booked last minute being just one person it was quite easy to fill up a cancellation, however I recommend to book once you can since especially Luxmore Hut can be a challenge to reserve. There is no camping at Luxmore Hut so if you are camping you will have to make it a big day to Iris Burn Hut.
• If you want to shave off an hour and a half from the first day, catch the water taxi from Te Anau to Broad Bay. Prices and schedules are on the Fiordland Outdoor website.
• You must carry your own gear as well as food. Below you will find my packing list for the Kepler Track.
• Bring insect repellent and a Bite Away in case you are being harrassed by the sandflies. There will be plenty!
• Be prepared for all kinds of weather. The Kepler Track is located in Fiordland National Park, the wettest part of New Zealand, so proper rain gear is a must.

Below you will find my packing list for the Great Walks of New Zealand. I have done all of them over the past decade and below is my personal selection of items that you should carry:

• A 35-50 liter backpack, I have the Osprey Aura AG 50.
• A sleeping bag for the huts, I have this one.
• A liner if you wish, I carry a silk one that almost weighs nothing but adds warmth.
• An inflatable pillow.
• Cooking gear. I brought my own stove (to avoid waiting) but stoves and gas are at the huts.
• A lightweight mug, pocket knife, spork and pan.
• Dry bags for my clothes and valuables.
• Water filter. I have the Sawyer Squeeze.
• Food and at least two liters of water per day.
• A powerbank.
• My Kobo Clara for evening reading.
• Headlight.
• Quick dry towel.
• Clothes: hiking shoes (I hiked on the HOKA Challenger), hiking pants, a woolen shirt, long johns, socks, underwear, hat, mittens, a buff.
• Raingear: I have a Fjällräven rain jacket plus a rainpants.
• Hut shoes, I usually bring my Crocs.
• First aid kit
• Sunscreen, sunglasses.
• Emergency blanket.
• Ziplocks for waste.
• Toilet paper.
• Garmin inReach Mini 2 (there is no mobile coverage on most of the track)
• Insect repellent and a Bite Away.

I’m ending my article with some options for transport and overnights. Te Anau is located in the south of the South Island. There are daily busses from Queenstown, check availability and schedules here. Before and after my hike I stayed at Te Anau Lakeside Holiday Park, a great value option. Find prices and availability here. Alternatively, find your accommodation in Te Anau here.

If you’ve found this article useful, I hope you make use of the following links to book your trip to New Zealand:

• Planetickets can be booked via Skyscanner.
• Rental car rates and availability can be found here.
• Buy your New Zealand guidebook here.
• Book your accommodations on Booking.
• Find tours and excursions here.
• Search for group tours here.
• Book your bus tickets here.
• Find prices and book your ferry here.

New Zealand for beginners

I hope you found this article about the Kepler Track useful. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or add ons! If you wish to continue reading, make sure to check the following posts:

• Hiking the Routeburn Track
• Hiking the Tongariro Northern Circuit
• Hiking the Abel Tasman Coast Track
• The best hikes in Fiordland National Park

Alternatively, check my New Zealand page which has more than 50 blogs about active travel in New Zealand.

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