I loved the Kepler track even though it was quite a workout. We pretty much went straight from doing the Rakiura track to starting the Kepler the day after. The first day was flat for the first hour then it climbed through many many switchbacks before levelling out after you passed the bushline on the way to Luxmore Hut where we went to explore the caves. I didn't stay long though, I got a bit claustrophobic and turned around. Didn't see my cousin til way later.
The next day it was crazy misty and we were hoping it would clear so we could see the views of Mt Luxmore and such. Unfortunately it hadn't cleared by 12 so we headed off anyway, walking through the mist. At the foot of Mt Luxmore we met some israeli guys who were super funny & we ended up chatting to for a while that day. There were a couple of shelters on the way which was good, then the track descended steeply downhill for ages and then we ended up going over a hill where we could've taken a shortcut (if we'd known about it - gutted) then we found a lookout which was totally worth the detour. Our late start meant we didn't get to the hut til 8pm just as the rangers talk was starting - he was funny, and got the last choice of beds, then had a quick dinner and went to see the Iris Burns Falls (which we couldn't see at all, since it was pitch black). I did see gloworms on the way back to the hut though, only a tiny handful but still cool. We heard a kiwi too, though we never saw one.
On our last day we met a nice belgium boy who was quite homesick so I got talking to him in french (though Naomi talked to him more than I did, I was quite tired from our previous late night). It was a bit uphill but mostly down, gradually to the last hut. We didn't stay there the night though, we walked about an hour and a half past there to our bus pickup point back into Te Anau, and skipped the last days walk for the track. It was brilliant, even though the mist enshrouded mountain was a little bit of a disappointment.
The next day it was crazy misty and we were hoping it would clear so we could see the views of Mt Luxmore and such. Unfortunately it hadn't cleared by 12 so we headed off anyway, walking through the mist. At the foot of Mt Luxmore we met some israeli guys who were super funny & we ended up chatting to for a while that day. There were a couple of shelters on the way which was good, then the track descended steeply downhill for ages and then we ended up going over a hill where we could've taken a shortcut (if we'd known about it - gutted) then we found a lookout which was totally worth the detour. Our late start meant we didn't get to the hut til 8pm just as the rangers talk was starting - he was funny, and got the last choice of beds, then had a quick dinner and went to see the Iris Burns Falls (which we couldn't see at all, since it was pitch black). I did see gloworms on the way back to the hut though, only a tiny handful but still cool. We heard a kiwi too, though we never saw one.
On our last day we met a nice belgium boy who was quite homesick so I got talking to him in french (though Naomi talked to him more than I did, I was quite tired from our previous late night). It was a bit uphill but mostly down, gradually to the last hut. We didn't stay there the night though, we walked about an hour and a half past there to our bus pickup point back into Te Anau, and skipped the last days walk for the track. It was brilliant, even though the mist enshrouded mountain was a little bit of a disappointment.
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