Kepler Track Great Walk Fiordland National Park New Zealand

Kepler Track In 2 Days | Great Walk In Fiordland National Park

Kepler Track is one of the top 3 most popular great walks in New Zealand. The track features spectacular tussock-covered alpine views and the lush green forest of Fiordland National Park. The Kepler Track great walk season opens from mid Spring to Autumn (late October to April). During winter and early spring, there are high risks of avalanches and floods, and only experienced and well-equipped alpine hikers should attempt it during these periods. Watch the following video to get to know Kepler Track:

Kepler Track Great Walk Booking

All Great Walks in New Zealand require booking in advance for the huts and campsites. Off-site camping is not allowed on the Great Walk tracks. Here is the online booking site for all Great Walk accommodations. Lookout for the opening dates of bookings for each season as the popular great walks tend to get fully booked pretty fast, Kepler Track is one of the most popular ones.

If the slots are fully booked and you are flexible with your dates, you can run through the site’s booking calendar regularly to lookout for any new slots, as people often cancel their booking days/weeks/months before the trip. Don’t simply book and cancel though, here are the cancellation fees in detail.

Things I packed for Kepler Track

  • 40L Hiking Backpack from Decathlon with rain cover and a large strong rubbish bag lined inside as additional water protection (plus a separate sackpack to carry my tent)
  • Forclaz Trek 100 三季圆顶帐篷 (比大多数帐篷重,但抗风性和防水性非常好)
  • PTT Outdoor 的 HIGH PEAK 便捷旅行睡袋 (首次购买最低 RM100 即可优惠 RM10,优惠码“MEOW”,仅限马来西亚境内)
  • TOMSHOO sleeping bag liner
  • 充气床垫和枕头
  • Quechua 登山雨衣
  • This time I wore a warm ski base layer instead of my usual Sun Protect 长袖跑步 T 恤, but it turned out to be too hot on a calm, cloudless summer day. However, it can be very different on a cloudy or windy day.
  • 速干跑步短裤 + Kiprun 跑步袜 (for the day)
  • Quechua 登山抓绒夹克
  • Ski base layers top + pants + warm hiking socks + gloves from Decathlon (as sleepwear)
  • Extra 羽绒服 (didn’t use but important to bring, just in case)
  • Adidas Kampung (not from Adidas, Malaysia’s trusty rubber hiking shoes)
  • Flip flops (for walking around campsites / huts)
  • Sun hat (Kepler Track is very exposed most part of the track, so sun protection is necessary)
  • 急救箱,指南针和哨子
  • 充电头灯 (red light recommended for kiwi bird spotting)
  • Phone (with booking confirmation pdf file), powerbank & charging cables
  • Food and snacks (chicken ciabatta rolls, muesli, trail mix, energy bars), paper towels, rubbish bags
  • Water bottles (2-3L)
  • HydroBlu 轻型滤水器
  • CuloClean 便携式射水头, some toilet paper
  • Toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, soap, hairbrush
  • Fire lighter (just for emergency, not needed if staying on campsite as you can’t light a fire. Useful for lighting fire wood if staying in a hut)
  • 折叠剪刀

Before you go, check the weather forecast for Kepler Track. Located in the ‘roaring forties’, the alpine terrain is very exposed to the strong Westerlies, and the freezing Southerlies coming from Antarctica. Weather on Kepler Track can be extreme when these winds occur.

Kepler Track Day 1

Most hikers complete the full 60km loop of Kepler Track (around 1200m of elevation). Due to the limited availability, I managed to book only the Iris Burn Campsite situated right at the middle of the whole journey, hence I completed Kepler Track in two long days.

P.s. The first and last huts, Luxmore Hut and Moturau Hut, are often fully booked as many hikers do an overnight hike to the hut and back to the exit without doing the full Kepler Track.

Kepler Track Elevation Map

The Kepler Track loop typically starts and ends at Kepler Car Park, but other options such as via Rainbow Reach car parkBrod Bay (by water taxi) are possible. If you don’t have a car, Fiordland OutdoorsTracknet provide transportation services to Kepler Track.

Kepler Track Car Park to Brod Bay Campsite - 5.6km

Kepler Track Car Park

8.37am: Checking out from Parklands Motel after a good night’s rest (just one day of rest after my Stewart Island journey) and dropping my valuables at the motel office, I drove to Kepler Track Car Park and started my great walk journey.

Lake Te Anau

(+7)8.44am: Walking along Lake Te Anau shore.

Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park red mushroom

(+2)8.46am: The walk starts with a pleasant flat walk in the beech forest of Fiordland National Park.

Kepler Track Brod Bay Campsite
Kepler Track Brod Bay Campsite Lake Te Anau Beach

(+63)9.49am: Arrived at Brod Bay Campsite. The campsite is by the shore and it is also accessible by water taxi for those who want to cut some distance off their walk.

Brod Bay to Luxmore Hut - 8.2km

(+2)9.51am

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+22)10.13am: The track goes uphill and gets steeper as you leave Brod Bay.

Fiordland National Park limestone bluff

(+63)11.16am: Walking under the impressive limestone bluffs.

Luxmore Hut signboard

(+34)11.50am: Two hours after leaving Brod Bay, I climb over the bushline where the bush opens up to the panoramic views along the track. The uphill track here gets less steeper compared to the forest section.

Kepler Track Lake Te Anau view

(+5)11.55am: The first wide shot view from the track, overlooking Lake Te Anau, Australasia’s largest body of freshwater.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park
Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+20)12.15pm: A long boardwalk section.

Kepler Track Mountan Range
Kepler Track Te Anau Basin

(+8)12.23pm: The neighboring mountain range including Mount Lyall and Te Anau basin.

Kepler Track Luxmore Hut

(+3)12.26pm: Arrived at Luxmore Hut.

Luxmore Cave sign

The side trip to Luxmore Cave, 10 minutes away from the main track.

Side Trip: Luxmore Cave

Kepler Track Luxmore Cave
Kepler Track Luxmore Cave

Luxmore Cave entrance. Make sure you bring your light.

Kepler Track Luxmore Cave
Kepler Track Luxmore Cave

Cave softly: The cave is a sensitive environment where the impacts of your passing may last for centuries. Keep to obvious routes, avoid spreading mud into clean areas, and refrain from touching cave formations.

Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut / Campsite - 14.6km

Kepler Track Luxmore Hut

1.30pm: Leaving Luxmore Hut after lunch break to Iris Burn Hut. (Refill your water at the hut before moving on, as there is no reliable water source until the lower forest near Iris Burn Hut)

Kepler Track Luxmore Hut

A further view of Luxmore Hut with the amazing backdrop.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+17)1.47pm

Kepler Track Fiordland Mountain Range

(+4)1.51pm

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+9)2.01pm

Kepler Track Lake Te Anau

(+25)2.26pm: Lake Te Anau

Fiordland National Park Mountains

Mountains beyond mountains!

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park Wide Shot Lake Murchison Mountains

The stunning views from Lake Te Anau to the Murchison Mountains.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+11)2.37pm: You’ll be climbing along the ridge line below Mount Luxmore. The exposed terrain means you’ll be facing the full force of any weather conditions that come your way, with very few shelters and no alternative routes. Look at the horizon far ahead to check for any oncoming weather. If it looks pretty bad, it’s better to turn around and try again another day. The alpine slopes pose a high risk of avalanche, so if snow is present, do not push forward if you do not have experience in off-track navigation, avalanche awareness and winter climbing, plus the proper equipment for traveling on snow. You may also consult the warden in Luxmore Hut before starting your journey.

Kepler Track Murchison Mountain Range

The same mountains just get better views the further you go!

Side Trip: Mount Luxmore Summit

Mount Luxmore Summit signboard

(+10)2.47pm: The junction to Mount Luxmore summit, the highest point on the track.

Kepler Track Mount Luxmore Summit
Kepler Track Mount Luxmore Summit

(+1)2.48pm: A steep but short rock scrambling to the summit.

Kepler Track Mount Luxmore Summit
Kepler Track Mount Luxmore Summit

(+13)3.01pm: Arrived at the summit of Mount Luxmore with the best panoramic views on the track!

Kepler Track Mount Luxmore Summit

(+5)3.06pm: On the way back down from Mt Luxmore summit, you could see the tiny lines of Kepler Track, extended far beyond the mountain slopes and ridges.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+26)3.28pm: Back on the main track.

Fiordland National Park
Kepler Track

(+2)3.30pm

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+2)3.32pm

Fiordland National Park

(+8)3.40pm

Forest Burn Shelter

Kepler Track Forest Burn Shelter
Kepler Track Kea on Forest Burn Shelter

(+13)3.53pm: Arrived at Forest Burn Emergency Shelter, with a kea hanging out on the roof.

Kepler Track Kea on Forest Burn Shelter

The featherly shelter warden.

Kepler Track Kea on Forest Burn Shelter
Kepler Track Kea at Forest Burn Shelter

The endangered keas are the only alpine parrot species and they are found only in New Zealand. They are curious and intelligent. Please do not feed the keas, even if they ask.

Kepler Track Kea orange under wings
Kepler Track colorful Kea
Kepler Track colorful Kea

Look at the green hued wings with bright orange underwings! They sound really cute too!

Kepler Track Forest Burn Shelter Emergency avalache rescue probes and shovel

Emergency avalanche rescue equipment in the shelter.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+29)4.21pm: Views along the track as I continued on.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park
Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+6)4.26pm

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+16)4.42pm

Kepler Track

(+7)4.49pm: Weaving up and down along the ridge lines towards Hanging Valley Shelter.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park mountain ridges

(+7)4.56pm

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park mountain ridge

(+2)4.58pm

Fiordland National Park

(+3)5.01pm

Fiordland National Park mountain ridge
Fiordland National Park mountain ridge

(+2)5.03pm: There was an unmarked junction with one that goes up to a small peak, then goes down from the other side and rejoins the main track. I recommend skipping this extra uphill track to save energy, as the views on this peak are not better than the ones from the main track.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park
Kepler Track Fiordland National Park bird life

(+5)5.08pm

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+11)5.19pm

Kepler Track mountain ridge

(+7)5.26pm

(+14)5.41pm

Hanging Valley Shelter

Kepler Track Hanging Valley Shelter

(+2)5.43pm: Arrived at Hanging Valley Emergency Shelter.

Kepler Track stairs

(+13)5.56pm: Some series of stairs after the shelter. The track goes downhill steeply all the way to Iris Burn Hut and Campsite.

Kepler Track stairs

(+18)6.14pm

Kepler Track lookout
Kepler Track lookout rock

(+6)6.20pm: A short side trip to a lookout rock.

Kepler Track lookout

(+3)6.23pm: The view from the lookout.

(+9)6.32pm: Once you descend below the bushline, the track endlessly zig-zags steeply down into the forest.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park stream

(+46)7.18pm: After a series of zigzagging, you’ll arrive at the bottom with some cool water spots.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park river stream
Kepler Track Fiordland National Park stream fall

(+9)7.27pm

Fiordland National Park mountains

(+5)7.32pm

Iris Burn Hut / Campsite

Kepler Track Iris Burn Hut

(+28)8.10pm: Finally, I arrived at Iris Burn Hut after a long hike of almost 12 hours! Luckily it is summer with longer daylight hours, or else I would be arriving after dark.

Kepler Track Iris Burn Campsite

Iris Burn Campsite is a couple minutes away from the hut.

Kepler Track Iris Burn Campsite

The campsite was pretty full with other tents already, so I picked a quiet spot slightly further away from the facilities. Beware of cheeky keas, they can rip your tent when you’re not looking.

Iris Burn waterholes

The chilly Iris Burn river by the camping ground. There are also some cool swimming holes nearby, as long as you don’t mind the cold.

Kepler Track Iris Burn campsite sandflies

Of all the locations I’ve been in New Zealand, I would say Iris Burn campsite had the most vicious swamp of sandflies. Somehow, their bites were more painful than the others and they were super aggressive in getting every hikers’ blood. I had to keep moving around and sweeping them off my legs and face while being outside my tent. Too scary to leave my tent before dark as I could see a swamp landing outside my tent, waiting for the taste of blood.

Kepler Track Iris Burn Campsite kiwi bird encounter

Luckily, sandflies stop hunting as soon as it gets dark. During the night, I listened to the calls of Kiwi birds and when I heard a call, I headed out quietly on the track towards the sound. And here was my first wild kiwi encounter! It was a male kiwi doing a series of loud mating calls (listen to my sound recording of this kiwi here). I used a low powered red light to avoid hurting their eyes or scarring the kiwi away (they are less sensitive to red light).

Kepler Track Day 2

Side Trip: Iris Burn Falls

9.27am: A well rested (with a bit of sore feet) morning started with a side trip to Iris Burn Waterfall, 20 minutes away from Iris Burn Hut.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park South Island Robin

A curious South Island Robin.

Kepler Track Iris Burn Waterfall
Iris Burn Fall

(+23)9.50: Iris Burn Waterfall

Iris Burn Hut / Campsite to Moturau Hut - 16.2km

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+25)10.15am: Back to Iris Burn Hut and continued on to the main track through the low saddle.

Kepler Track Big Slip

(+32)10.47am: Passing through the Big Slip area, caused by heavy rain in 1984.

Kepler Track Big Slip

(+1)10.48am: You could still see the scars left by the big slip even after 40 years since the event.

(+9)10.57am

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+4)11.01am

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+8)11.09am: Gentle descent along Iris Burn Valley, with Iris Burn River to the right.

Kepler Track Kea

A kea in the forest.

Rocky Point Shelter

Rocky Point Workcamp

(+78)12.27pm: Rocky Point Workcamp (staff only)

Kepler Track Rocky Point Shelter

(+1)12.28pm: Rocky Point Shelter, a midpoint between Iris Burn Hut and Moturau Hut. Also a popular spot for lunch break.

(+36)1.04pm: Some zigzaggy downhill tracks and more gentle downhill tracks.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park Crown Fern

(+27)1.31pm: Crown Fern galore as you descend to the sea level, walking along the shore of Lake Manapouri. These are an endemic species of fern in New Zealand.

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park Crown Fern

(+13)1.44pm

Fiordland National Park

(+19)2.03pm

Fiordland National Park mushroom
Fiordland National Park mushroom

Shroom!

Moturau Hut

Kepler Track Moturau Hut

(+39)2.42pm: Arrived at Moturau Hut.

Kepler Track Moturau Hut lake beach

Right in front of Moturau Hut is a stunning lake beach with mountainous surroundings. It is a popular swimming spot for hikers who stay in the hut.

Moturau Hut to Rainbow Reach - 6km

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park

(+30)3.12pm: The rest of the track is relatively flat but long.

Kepler Track Waiau River viewpoint

(+79)4.31pm: Waiau River viewpoint

(+18)4.49pm: Rainbow Reach car park junction point. Some hikers start and/or end their Kepler Track great walk here.

Rainbow Reach Bridge

(+3)4.52pm: Side trip to Rainbow Reach Bridge.

Anduin River Lord of the Rings film location Waiau River

The Lord of the Rings fans will love to visit this place as this part of Waiau River is the filming location for Anduin River, where the Fellowship paddled south from Lothlórien, passing between the two enormous statues.

Rainbow Reach to Kepler Track Car Park (Control Gates) - 9.5km

Kepler Track Fiordland National Park
Kepler Track

(+25)5.17pm: The well maintained track between Rainbow Reach and Te Anau Control Gate is pleasantly flat and effortless. However, it felt like a long hard journey with my sore feet that had walked for two long days.

Kepler Track bird

(+31)5.48pm

Lake Te Anau Control Gate

(+2h3m)7.51pm: Finally arrived at Lake Te Anau control gate. These gates are used for the dam to generate electricity. What I find special about these dams is the power company helps migrating eels to move past these structures that are blocking their paths, allowing them to continue their migration.

Kepler Track car park trailhead

(+6)7.57pm: Ended my Kepler Track great walk at the car park. I drove to Camp Taringatura Backpackers to have a nice couple days of rest in a relaxing stay (free use of washing machine and dryer!) far from the urban towns before my onward journey to Queenstown region.

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