Kepler Track

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Kepler Track
An alpine section of the Kepler Track
An alpine section of the Kepler Track
Length 60 km (37 mi)[1][2][3][4]
Location Fiordland National Park, Southland, New Zealand
Designation New Zealand Great Walk
Trailheads Lake Te Anau control gates, Rainbow Reach, Brod Bay
Use Hiking
Highest Point Luxmore Saddle 1,400 m (4,593 ft)[2]
Lowest Point Lake Manapouri 180 m (591 ft)
Trail Difficulty medium
Season Summer to Autumn
Months Late October to mid April[4]
Sights Ridgetop Alpine views, Lakes
Hazards Hypothermia, sunburn, high winds

The Kepler Track is a 60 kilometres (37 mi) circular tramping track which travels through some of the spectacular scenery on the South Island of New Zealand. The track passes through many landscapes of the Fiordland National Park ranging from rocky mountain ridges to tall mossy forests, from lake shores to deep gorges. Like the mountains it traverses, the track is named after Johannes Kepler. The track is administered by New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC).

Compared with other tracks in New Zealand, this walking track is constructed to a very high standard. Most streams are bridged, boardwalks cover boggy areas and the very steep sections have steps. It is a moderate walking track that takes three to four days to complete.

The Kepler Track is also home to The Kepler Challenge, an annual running race that traverses the whole 60 kilometres in less than five hours.

Contents

[edit] Tramping

The track is usually recommended to be walked in this route from the Lake Te Anau Control Gates. It can be walked in either direction. If time is short, the track can be shortened to three days by exiting or entering at the Rainbow Reach swing bridge using a car or bus.

Kepler Track Typical 3 and 4 Day Walks[2][4][1]
Place Day (Full) Day (Short) Distance Time Description
Lake Te Anau Control Gates 1   5.6 km (3 mi) 1.5 hours The track follows the shores of Lake Te Anau in beech forest to sandy Brod Bay where camping is permitted, and where it is possible to enter or exit the track by an arranged shuttle boat.
Brod Bay
1 8.2 km (5 mi) 3.5 - 4.5 hours From Brod Bay, the track climbs up past limestone bluffs (at 747 metres (2,451 ft)) to Luxmore Hut ( 1,085 m (3,560 ft)) on Mt Luxmore. A short walk from the hut leads to a cave, one of about 30 in the area, of which many are still unexplored.
Luxmore Hut
2 2 14.6 km (9 mi) 5 - 6 hours A gradual climb from the hut to Luxmore Saddle (1400m) which is the highest point on the main trail, offering extensive views of the park. There is an opportunity to climb to the peak of Mount Luxmore (1,472 metres (4,829 ft)) for a 360 degree view including Lake Te Anau. The path then follows a long, open ridge toward the Iris Burn and descends via a series of zigzags into a hanging valley. The track descends through forest, and provides a view of a large natural landslide. The Iris Burn Hut (497 metres (1,631 ft)) is sited in a large tussock clearing 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) from Iris Burn waterfall.
Iris Burn Hut
3 3 16.2 km (10 mi) 5 - 6 hours The track climbs over a low saddle and wanders through mixed forest to the large slip formed during heavy rain in January 1984. The track sidles through a gorge to come out on river flats near the mouth of the Iris Burn. It follows the lakeshore around Shallow Bay to Moturau Hut, situated beside a beautiful beach with panoramic views of Lake Manapouri.
Moturau Hut
4 6 km (4 mi) 1.5 – 2 hours This short section crosses many small streams, before running next to the Waiau River until it reaches the Rainbow Reach swing bridge, where there is a carpark, and tramper bus services.
Rainbow Reach Swing Bridge
  9.5 km (6 mi) 2.5 - 3.5 hours The undulating track here traverses mixed forest and crosses many small streams, arriving back at the Control Gates.
Lake Te Anau Control Gates

The Lake Te Anau Control Gates are approximately 4.6 kilometres (2.9 mi)[2] from the DOC visitors centre in Te Anau.

The DOC provides very conservative estimates on the hiking time from point to point on the track, and experienced hikers may cover quoted distances in half of the recommended time.

Luxmore Hut and Lake Te Anau from the Kepler Track (by Nigel Wilson)
Luxmore Hut and Lake Te Anau from the Kepler Track (by Nigel Wilson)

[edit] Location

The Kepler Track is located in the south west of the South Island. The nearest townships of Te Anau (4.6 kilometres (2.9 mi)[2] away) and Manapouri have a full range of accommodation and shops catering to all tramping needs.

The Kepler Track is accessed from the Lake Te Anau Control Gates, either by road or a 50 minute walk from the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre in Te Anau, or over the swingbridge across the Waiau River at Rainbow Reach, a ten minute (12 kilometres (7 mi)) drive from Te Anau.

Shuttle buses also operate during the summer months to entry and exit points on the track and a scheduled boat service provides access to Brod Bay.

[edit] History

Many tracks in New Zealand have evolved from Māori trails or pioneer exploration routes. The Kepler track however was established in 1988 and opened in February of that year as a Great Walk as part of the Fiordland National Park Centennial celebrations. Funding came from New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department. It was designed to ease the strain on the popular Milford Track and Routeburn Track.[4][2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Hosking, Gordon; Hosking, Michele; Kamp, Peter; Kamp, John (2002). Kiwi Footpaths Track Guide No.2 The Kepler. Kiwi Footpaths Limited. ISBN 0-473-08820-7. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f New Zealand Department of Conservation. Kepker Track [map], 3rd edition, 1 : 60,000, Parkmap. Cartography by GeoSmart (NZ) Ltd. (2003)
  3. ^ DuFresne, Jim (November 2006). Tramping in New Zealand, 6th Edition, Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet Publications Ply Ltd, p. 302. ISBN 1740597885. 
  4. ^ a b c d Kepler Track. New Zealand Department of Conservation (2006/2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-18.

[edit] External links

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New Zealand Great Walks