About This Route
The Kepler Track, a 60-kilometer loop Great Walk from Lake Te Anau in Fiordland, suits three to four-day backpacking. Starting at Brod Bay, it climbs to Luxmore Hut with cave views, traverses alpine tops to Iris Burn, and follows the river back. Panoramas of Kepler Mire and Mounds Flat impress, but wet bogs and climbs test endurance. DOC notes Fiordland's 8,000mm rainfall creates muddy tracks; book huts early.
Safety Considerations
Boggy sections risk deep mud entrapment. Lightning on exposed Kepler Ridge during storms. Forest fires rare but possible in dry spells. Wasps aggressive in beech forests. DOC mandates intention forms; cell blackspots everywhere. Follow REI's navigation rules with topographic maps.
Essential Gear
55L pack (Gregory Zulu). Rain pants (REI Co-op Sahara). Down quilt ( Enlightened Equipment Revelation). Insect head net for wasps. Multi-tool (Leatherman). Emergency bivvy (SOL). Stove fuel for hut cooking.