About

• Features

  The Kepler Track is a 60km course that starts and ends at Lake Te Anau in Fiordland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand. This track is designed and maintained to reduce the burden on the Routeburn Track, which straddles part of Fiordland National Park, and the Milford Track, popularly known as "the finest walk in the world.” The Kepler Track allows visitors to fully enjoy the natural beauty of Fiordland, including panoramic views from the ridges, virgin forests, waterfalls, and glacier-carved valleys. There are three huts and two campsites on the course, and advance reservations are required during the trekking season.

• History

  As a project to celebrate the centennial anniversary of New Zealand National Parks in 1988, Alf Excell and Les Henderson of the Fiordland National Park Board proposed a “Round the Mountain Track.” The proposal was accepted and the track opened in 1988, becoming one of New Zealand's most iconic Great Walks. Participants in Operation Raleigh, an organization involved in youth-oriented projects, came together to build many of the trails and the Iris Barn and Luxmore huts.

• Nature

  This course was thoughtfully designed to allow visitors to enjoy the pristine nature that remains on the South Island. Trekkers see a wide variety of birds, huge beech and fern forests, plateaus of native tussock, majestic mountains, and limestone formations. If luck would have it, you may even hear the kiwi, New Zealand's national bird, singing along the course. When spending the night in the Irisburn Hut, listen carefully and wait quietly. While respecting nature, the track is well maintained and easy to walk on, with wooden paths along the muddy areas.

• The Kepler Track was created in 1988 as a new route among New Zealand's iconic Great Walks. The name "Kepler" comes from the astronomer Johannes Kepler, known for Kepler's Laws. The track was named by James McKerrow, a New Zealand astronomer who served as the Surveyor-General of New Zealand, among other positions. Located in the southwest of the South Island, the trail's starting point is about an hour's walk or five minutes by car from the Fiordland National Park Visitor Center. This is the starting point and the end point of the trail, as it is a circular. Many trekkers take a counterclockwise course and walk the 15 km to the Luxmore Hut. This allows them to finish the large undulating section on the first day when they are strong enough. Stairs are provided on the steeper inclines for safety. The trail leading to Mt. Luxmore (elevation 1,472 m) is a section cut for the Kepler Track. Many other trekking routes are based on Maori trails or pioneer exploration routes, but not this one. The new route was developed as part of a project to celebrate the 100th anniversary of New Zealand's national parks. It is a pure route created for the enjoyment of trekkers and is beautifully maintained by the Department of Conservation (DOC), making it a pleasant place to walk. The maintenance is intended to ease the burden on the popular Milford and Routeburn Tracks. The road to Mt. Luxmore is full of highlights: moss-covered beech forests and spectacular views on the ridges above the forest limit. There are magnificent panoramic views of the Te Anau Basin and the Takitimu, Snowdon, and Earl Mountains. Here, visitors may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a kea, a large, intelligent parrot. The latter half of the route has few elevation differences, and there are many sections where trekkers can walk at a leisurely pace. The forest offers many opportunities to observe a variety of birds. At night, listen for the native owl, the ruru, and the national bird of New Zealand, the kiwi, around the hut where you are staying. The weather in Fiordland is highly variable, and trekkers may encounter bad weather, snow-covered trails, and freezing temperatures. Check the weather frequently and be prepared. Huts and campgrounds along the route must be reserved in advance during the trekking season. By the time you finish the big 60-km loop, you most likely will have enjoyed the natural beauty of the South Island to your heart's content. *Please check local websites for the latest information.