Kepler Great Walk Track: Day 3-4, March 24-25

...completing the Kepler Track.... 

The last two days of the Kepler Track are a lot easier than the fist couple...it is roughly 23 km's of mostly flat travel with a stay at Moturau Hut after 16 km's. I was hampered by the fact that my knee was knackered but even I made reasonable progress down the valley of the Iris Burn. 

Day three: Iris Burn Hut to Moturau Hut, 16.2 Km's (6 hours)

My knee was still knackered as I set out on the third day of my Kepler Track walk. I applied a liberal amount of Voltaren Gel to my lower legs and chomped on a handful of Ibuprofen. It was hard going as my knee was still trying to hyper extend and I had some pain in my calves. 

Start of day three at Iris Burn Hut, Kepler Track

I was much better off after I cut myself a walking pole from a stand of young Kahikatea trees next to the track. This made my passage a lot faster and eased some of the pain in my leg. Have a look at the end of this post to see a photo of 'the Kepler Pole'...

The first of over twenty bridges crossed on day three of the Kepler Track

Day three is almost all flat travel except for a section climbing above a gorge after Rocky Point Shelter. I was the third person out of the hut that day and was walking by myself for most of the day...just as well as I was damn slow hobbling down that track. 

Kepler Track: Standard track gradient for most of day three

Large Totora Tree along the Kepler Track

After 30 minutes I came to the famous 'Big Slip' an area where a landslide occurred during a big storm in 1984. It came down the side of the mountains and flattened the whole bottom of the valley. The clearing is still visible and would be a kilometer wide by two kilometers long. It must have made one hell of a noise slipping down that hill side...

Kepler Track: Start of the infamous "Big Slip"

Crossing the debris field from the Big Slip, Kepler Track

Western end of the Big Slip, Kepler Track

Bridge number ten near Pt. 1222 Iris Burn Valley

Just past the Big Slip is a lovely view of the mid reaches of the Iris Burn...the track follows along its edge for a short distance. It was very picturesque...almost like a photo out of some coffee table tramping book...

The middle reaches of the Iris Burn River, Kepler Track

There are over twenty bridges on the third day of the Kepler Track...mostly side stream coming down the hillsides and into the Iris Burn. They are a variety of designs but most are either wooden footbridge sections, boardwalk or removable steel bridges. Almost all the watercourses were dry but they would be needed in heavy rain which is quite common up here.

One of three bridges between Pt. 122 and Pt. 917  on the Kepler Track

...bridge two is a wooden foot bridge...

Bridge three of three between Pt. 122 and Pt. 917 on the Kepler Track

For most of the day you are walking across old river terraces on various levels with a flat well formed track to use. For those with their full walking faculties it was probably lovely fast tramping...

There are many old windfallen trees across the Kepler Track

View of the Iris Burn river bed from the Kepler Track

On the terraces near Pt. 1101, Kepler Track

After a couple of hours you arrive at Rocky Point which is the location of a DOC track workers hut and a day shelter for trampers to get out of the weather. The shelter is open sided but has a water point, toilets and picnic tables so this is a good spot for a water resupply and a spot of food. It is sandfly heaven so don't dally too long...we all had to apply DEET to stop the bastids biting us....

Climbing a rise to Rock Point, Kepler Track

Rocky Point Workman's Hut, Kepler Track

Rocky Point Shelter, Kepler Track

Past Rocky Point the track heads away from the river for a while to get up and around a gorge in the Iris Burn. The climb is not all that savage and this is the only significant hill you need to climb over the whole day. The forest is thicker along this section of track and you still get the occasional view down to the river from time to time.

Climbing around the river near Pt. 329, Kepler Track

...you are climbing around a gorge near Pt. 329....

Bridge number 15 on the third day of the Kepler Track

At the top of the climb you are travelling along an old river terrace with moss and lichen covered trees...it is very nice Goblin forest. 

Moss covered lowland forest along the Kepler Track

The last 2-3 kilometers to the mouth of the Iris Burn are across old river terraces with the forest changing to open Red Beech with an understory of ferns. This was a very flat section of the track and you should be able to cross the distance in around an hour. 

In the forest near the mouth of the Iris burn, Kepler Track

It takes an hour to cover the three kilometers to Lake Manapouri...

First view of Lake Manapouri from the Kepler Track

Eventually you reach the area around the mouth of the Iris Burn and get you first views of Lake Manapouri through the edge of the forest. I stopped near here for a 15 minute break as I had been walking solidly from the Rocky Point Shelter at that point. It was not easy getting up from my spot of repose at the end of the break.

It was getting hotter as the day progressed...there was a warm breeze blowing through the trees and clear skies. 

Walking along the side of Lake Manapouri on the way to Moturau Hut

Extensive boardwalk over the last two kilometers to Moturau Hut

You have your first clear view of Lake Manapouri about a kilometer along from the mouth of the Iris Burn. There is a small beach here that you can walk onto to see up and down the Lake. If the water levels are low enough you can actually walk along the foreshore all the way to Moturau Hut...I just stayed on the track.

Shallow Bay, Lake Manapouri

Near Pt. 261 on the way to Moturau hut

I finally got my first view of Moturau Hut through the trees after just over six hours of walking. The DOC times posted for this section of the Kepler Track are 5-6 hours so that was quite good given my knackered knee. 

First view of Moturau Hut through the trees

Lake Manapouri from in front of Moturau Hut

I was very glad to see the hut...it had been a long and difficult day of walking on what should have been an easy section of track. I was looking forward to a brew and a well deserved second lunch.

At Moturau Hut:

Moturau Hut is in a nice position on a raised terrace above Lake Manapouri and in the middle of a big clearing. The hut gets lots of sun here so it was both warmer and drier than Iris Burn. There is a lovely sandy beach in front of the hut and people were taking the opportunity to go down to the water for a wash up and a swim. 

Moturau Hut, Kepler Track

Be aware that Lake Manapouri has Rock Snot in it now...Rock Snot is an introduced pest algae that is becoming a problem in New Zealand. Don't go into another body of water after Lake Manapouri before thoroughly washing your clothes or you will spread it to other rivers and lakes. When you leave the hut the next morning dip your shoes/boots in the pest control bucket to stop it hitchhiking on your footwear. 

The area in front of Moturau Hut, Kepler Track

Despite my sore knee I was about the 10th person to arrive at the hut that day...everyone else trickled in over the next couple of hours. I got myself set up in the hut and had a brew to recover...then I had a lie down for about thirty minutes to give my legs a bit of a rest.

Moturau Hut...the veranda at the hut

Toilet block at Moturau Hut, Kepler Track

DOC sign on Moturau Hut, Fiordland NP

Moturau Hut has three bunkrooms...a large upstairs one with twenty bunks and two downstairs with ten bunks in each. I snagged a bottom bunk for the first time on the trip which was good as I really didn't fancy climbing up and down those bunk bed stairs all night long. It is the oldest hut on the Kepler Track but it is well maintained so it was warm and comfortable inside. 

Moturau is basically to the same design as Iris Burn Hut...

Upstairs bunkroom at Moturau Hut

My pit set up downstairs at Moturau Hut, Kepler Track

I had a really good conversation with an Australian woman and an American couple that night. The Australian woman was a Covid stay behind...she was working here when Covid hit and just stayed here as she was from Victoria the epicenter of their Covid outbreaks. She had been working as a nanny for a couple in Wanaka but was using her last three months in New Zealand to Tikki Tour. She was on number four of the Great Walks so we had a good chat about the others. 

The American couple were from Montana and were Trump refugees...they had moved to New Zealand to live here permanently in early 2020. They were keen outdoors people and vloggers and they were tramping with a full set of gear they had made themselves. It was top notch quality stuff...well thought out and constructed and they were keen on setting up a UL bespoke gear enterprise here. A really nice and interesting couple...I hope they make a success of it in New Zealand. 

Start point for the last day of the Kepler Track

I also had several conversations with a nice family group from Invercargill over the four days. They were also working their way through the Great Walks and the Kepler was number five for them. The parents were my age and had their two adult children with them...the son was off to walk the Greenstone Track via The Divide so we swapped information. 

Sunset over Lake Manapouri from near Moturau Hut

I had a good night staying at Moturau Hut...it was a fitting last night in a Great Walk Hut for me. I think I will bring Karen into the hut some time to stay overnight just outside the Great Walk season as it is only two hours from Rainbow Reach to the hut. 

Day four: Moturau Hut to Rainbow Reach, 6.2 Km's (1 hour 40 minutes)

I was catching a shuttle from Rainbow Reach at 10 am the next day so I was up and getting ready to hit the trail by 6.30 in the morning. I left the hut around 7.30 so I had just over 2.5 hours to get to the trailhead. I was the fourth person out the door...a group left just before me as they were catching the same shuttle. 

Note the cleaning station in front of the toilet block...clean your boots before leaving the hut site...

Leaving Moturau Hut on the last day...

Day four of the Kepler Track is easy tramping along a nice well formed track mostly along flat river terraces and boardwalk. At first you are walking through lowland forest along the side of Lake Manapouri. 

I made fast progress down to the intersection with the track to shallow Bay Hut about 15 minutes down the track. My knee was better so it was quite a bit easier for me to walk thank the gods. I did need a goodly smear of the trusty Voltaren though...

Climbing up onto the river terraces near Moturau hut

Kepler Track on day four...flat forest track...

The track is well maintained on the way to Rainbow Reach

The side walk to Shallow Bay takes 20-30 minutes return.. I should probably have just kept on the Kepler Track but it was a hut I wanted to bag and it was close to my main route. I stashed my pack near the intersection and shot down to see the hut. 

Shallow Bay Hut is a small four bunker situated near a lovely sandy beach and it was quite nice inside. It looks like it is well maintained and although it was empty that day it obviously gets a lot of use. 

Kepler Track: turn off to Shallow Bay Hut....

On the way to Shallow Bay Hut

It took me 25 minutes to get to the hut and back so I was on a tight schedule if I was going to make it to the shuttle on time so I didn't dally but grabbed my pack and set off down the track.

Shallow Bay Hut, Lake Manapouri

 The next point of interest was the swamp at the end of the forest Burn watershed..you are walking through this swamp for about thirty minutes and there are a number of lookout points with good views of the surrounding area. Go down the side tracks and have a look...

Kepler Track: in the swamp enroute to Rainbow Reach

Travelling through the swamp near Ballon Loop, Kepler Track

Looking across the swamp to Harts Hill, Kepler Track

DOC information board in the Forest Burn swamp

There is a short section of boardwalk halfway through this area and then you arrive at the lookout for a big tarn set in the swampland. There are good views from here of the surrounding mountains and there were a lot of native waterfowl here including various ducks, Herons, Weka, Pukeko and some kind of Stilt I have seen before. 

Kepler Track...near the swamp on the last day

Tarn in the swamp on the way to Rainbow Reach, Kepler Track

The distant ridge around Pt. 533, Kepler Track

Heading back into the forest from the swamp...Kepler Track

From the swampland to the Forest Burn swing bridge you are walking through a mix of Rimu and Kahikatea trees along a bush track. Both these types of trees like these damp wetland margins and the undergrowth was thick and luxuriant as the area is constantly wet. 

Mixed Kahikatea and Rimu Forest near Balloon Loop, Kepler Track

Kepler Track...forest track near the Forest Burn

Nice flat track for most of day four...Kepler Track

The Forest Burn is a middling sized river so a bridge would probably be needed for much of the year. As it was the end of a long dry summer there was little flow in the stream bed but you can certainly se the potential for river to be full. I was walking from the bridge to the end of the track with one of my hut mates as we kept overtaking each other. 

Kepler Track: the bridge over the Forrest Burn River

Forrest Burn from the bridge...Kepler Track

Forrest Burn bridge on the Kepler Track

Just past the Forest Burn you reach the Balloon Loop which is an Oxbow in the main course of the Waiau River. From the point overlooking the Loop you are about a kilometer away from the Waiau.

Balloon Loop from the Kepler Track

Climbing the last river terrace near Balloon Loop

In the forest above the Waiau River, Kepler Track

I got my first view of the Waiau River after just over an hour on the track...the Waiau is the river you need to cross to get to Rainbow Reach and the end of the Kepler Track. You have about 30 minutes walking left to cover from the first lookout over the river. 

Waiau River from the terrace along the Kepler Track

Open Red Beech forest approaching the Rainbow Reach

You start to descend down to the Waiau at the end of a kilometer traverse of a river terrace above the Waiau River. This is the last hill you will descend if you are finishing at Rainbow Reach and marks the beginning of the end of the track for you...

Dropping down to the bridge over the Waiau River

At the rivers edge you have two choices...if you go right you will be crossing the Waiau River to arrive at the track end at Rainbow Reach. If you go left you will continue for another 2-3 hours along the course of the Kepler Track to the Control Gates you crossed at the start of the track. It is well worth the effort as it is a lovely track with views of the Waiau for most of its course.

On the final flat before Rainbow Reach bridge, Kepler Track

Heading along to Rainbow Reach, Kepler Track

 I have previously walked this section back in the 1990's so I decided to just end the track at Rainbow Reach. The suspension bridge over the Waiau is a big bugger...it would easily be 200 meters across and suspended high above the river itself. It is a suitably imposing end to an excellent tramping experience. 

Rainbow Reach Bridge, Kepler Track

The Rainbow Reach Bridge is long and high... Kepler Track

The Rainbow Reach Bridge is the end of the Kepler Track and the end of my 30 year saga to walk all of these tracks. I must admit to a sense of pride and happiness at the end but also a bit of sadness as well. I have really enjoyed walking the Great Walks despite the crowds and hardships you sometimes face. These are all iconic tracks and deserve more attention from Kiwi trampers. Of course I will await any new Great Walk tracks and if able will add them to my list of places visited and enjoyed. 

Jon finishes his tenth and last Great Walk...

So...what will I do now I have finished the Great Walks? I was having this conversation with one of my work colleagues yesterday as he is also a tramping fool. 

I have a couple of ideas to mind with visits to equally iconic tracks outside the Great Walk roster. In particular I would like to sample the Wangapeka, Inland Pack Track and Old Ghost Road on the West Coast. I would like to get down and walk the Hollyford, Greenstone-Caples and Mavora Lakes Tracks in Southland. Further afield I have always wanted to tramp in the Tararua's (the home of tramping in New Zealand...) and Rakuira is calling strongly to me. 

I have lots of options to consider...

Heading to the road end at Rainbow Reach

Here is my trusty walking pole I made on day three of the track. It really helped me to finish the track...I hope some else used it with as much gratitude as I felt towards it.

BTW: I got to the road end at 9.56 so I only just made it in time....we left soon after I got there and they were all waiting for me to arrive. Cutting it fine Jon...

The trusty Kepler Pole...all hail thee!!!

...are you prepared for the Kepler Track....

I really enjoyed the Kepler Track even with the injury I caused to myself. It is challenging in places and there are hardships but I would totally rate it as one of my favorite walks. The views from the top of the ridges on day two are awesome...I think they are better and more inspiring than those on the Milford Track. It was lovely walking down the Iris Burn through that beautiful lowland forest and even the plod up to Luxmore Hut was nice if not enjoyable.

Shelter at Rainbow Reach...end of the Kepler Track

I absolutely think all Kiwis should go walk all or a portion of this track...even a day trip to Moturau Hut or Brod Bay would be worth the effort. As for the Great Walks themselves...get out there and enjoy some of the finest tramping we have to offer. 

It has been a real pleasure to stay in big huts full of fellow Kiwis and since Covid it has been a totally different air from previous years when most of the people on these tracks were internationals. It might be a bit more difficult now we have an Aussie invasion to contend with but I don't see anyone else being allowed here through 2021 so if you have ever wanted to walk a Great Walk do it this year.

I hope to see you out there...

Access: From Te Anau the Kepler Track can be reached by boat or road. The road access is off the Manapouri-Te Anau Highway via Golf Course Road. The track starts on the northern side of the Control Gates and finishes at either Rainbow Reach or the Control Gates 4-5 days later.

Track Times: Iris Burn Hut to Moturau Hut 16.2 km's (5-6) hours, Moturau Hut to Rainbow Reach, 6.2 km's (1-2 hours)

Hut Details: Stony Point Workman's Hut: DOC use only: Stony Point Shelter: Day shelter, toilet, water: Moturau Hut: Great Walk, 50 bunks, wood burner, water tanks, wood shed, flush toilets: Shallow Bay Hut: Standard, 4 bunks, wood burner, water tank, wood shed, toilet: Rainbow Reach Shelter: day shelter only, water, toilets

Miscellaneous: All Great Walk huts are on the DOC Hut booking system, must be booked for overnight visit. Hut Warden present over summer season. The Iris Burn can flood in heavy rain making further progress impossible...