01/03/2018 - Kepler Track

After leaving the "Milford Sound" behind us and the weather still looking promising, we planned to take on a slightly bigger hike. Since it was the longest and probably most challenging hike we had done so far, some preparations had to be made. That's why we pre-cooked couscous the day before and bought some additional sources of energy.

We started the hike at exactly 08:25 am and took our first steps on the "Kepler Track".

The hiking trail is one of the nine "Great Walks". It is a multi-day hiking route. It takes two to four days to complete the entire 60km distance.

However, we decided to do a day hike to the "Luxmore Hut". Normally, the hut is one of the first goals for hikers. Our goal was to hike up and down on the same day. In total, that adds up to a distance of 27.6 kilometers.

We set off with our heavy backpacks. The first section was flat along the "Lake Te Anau". After about an hour, we reached a campground by the lake. Here, hikers can set up their tents and rest for the next day. Or they can continue hiking to the next hut, which is located at an altitude of 1,085 meters. So, the most challenging part was ahead of us. Not because it was particularly dangerous, but because endurance and fitness were required. The path steadily went uphill. Only short, flat sections made it bearable. Additionally, the surroundings were not particularly exciting, so we could fully focus on our footing. We set alarms on our phones every half hour to take regular small sips of water and have a quick banana break. Since most of this section went through the forest, we hardly noticed the light rain. After another two hours, we reached the relieving sign: "Luxmore Hut - 45 mins". Relief spread through us! Because we were starting to feel our thighs and our backs were longing for a longer break. The last 45 minutes of the track went through more interesting terrain. We left the forest behind and walked across a vast open meadow. From here, we had a great view of the mountains in front of us and the Lake Te Anau behind us. However, low-hanging clouds moved over us and the mountains. The rain started and we had to take out our rain jackets from our backpacks and put the rain covers on the backpacks. Naturally, visibility became more and more limited. Shortly after, we reached the hut after exactly 3 hours and 50 minutes. Access is public - only the overnight stay must be paid for. We enjoyed our prepared couscous salad on the comfortable wooden bench with a relatively, if it could be seen, beautiful view.
After about 1.5 hours, we started our way back. We were amazed when a helicopter landed directly next to the hut. A small family with a baby was dropped off here to take a hike back to the parking lot. That's one way to do it ... ;)
Right after starting, we quickly realized that we were getting too warm with our rain jackets. So, we quickly put them in our backpacks before we really got going. On the way, we said goodbye to Patrick, the hut warden, and enjoyed the view until we immersed ourselves back into the forest. In the forest area, we encountered a "Kea" (= mountain parrot). Since there was no car with seals nearby this time, the tree bark had to suffer. ;) Again and again, the Kea tore off pieces with its sharp beak to search for food. We watched it for about ten minutes - it didn't mind us at all. As we continued downhill, which was just as strenuous as going uphill, as it quickly puts pressure on the knees, a German backpacker joined us. We exchanged experiences and opinions vigorously. We mainly talked about New Zealand during the remaining descent. When we finally reached the campsite on the lakeshore, our legs were already in pain. From here, our paths separated because the backpacker preferred the water taxi. While he took a break at the campsite, we continued. It can't get much worse, can it? But our legs felt heavier than ever before. Each step was painful. And yet we knew: We still had about an hour of hiking ahead of us. The last half hour felt like an eternity, it was almost unbearable. Tobi's shoulder was starting to hurt, and my knees were giving me trouble. After every turn, there was a slight glimmer of hope that we were almost there. Slowly, it got brighter, the density of the forest decreased. When we finally made it out of the forest, it only took a few minutes until we reached our "destination" - the car. We arrived at our destination at 5:05 pm. Completely exhausted - our feet were sore, our legs weak, and our knees broken. But still, it felt great. We sat in the trunk, took off our hiking shoes, and ate an apple and a cereal bar for strength. Yummyy!

Conquered 27.6 kilometers in 07:15 hours of pure walking time.

In hindsight, we were slightly surprised that the estimated duration from the tourist information was ten hours. Be that as it may, we were incredibly proud of ourselves and learned a lot. (For example, that three liters of water per person may have been a bit much. But better too much than too little. ;) Right?)

Back at the campground, we did a load of laundry. After it was dry, folded, and put away, we treated ourselves to a wood-fired pizza to end the successful day. Yummyy! :)