Kepler Track, finest of Fjordland

I decided to do another Great Walk, this time the 'Kepler Track'. It is the only trail that leads into the heart of Fjordland.

So I packed my things, took my sleeping bag, and started hiking. Initially, the track led along the lake, through the forest. After an hour, the ascent slowly began. It is the 'Great Walk' with the most and steepest incline.

We hiked almost 4 hours, 10km up the mountain. There seemed to be no end in sight. But eventually, we left the forest and ended up on the back of the mountain. From there, we had a wonderful view of the village of Te Anau and its lake. The icy wind cooled us down. It was refreshing.

After 5 hours, we reached our hut, the 'Luxmore Hut'. A really well-equipped hut with an excellent view. However, I only dropped off my luggage and hiked another 2 hours up the mountain.

It was really exhausting. At an 'emergency house', I realized that it quickly gets colder up here and the clouds merge with the mountains, hindering visibility. So I stopped at this point and hiked 2 hours back to the hut. I reached the hut just before darkness.

I went to sleep immediately. The next morning, I packed my things and started hiking right away. The descent only took 3 hours. However, after a while, my joints started to hurt. Going downhill can be quite exhausting after 3 hours.

For me, this hike was another highlight of my New Zealand trip. Rarely do you get to experience the true essence of New Zealand like here in the deep fjordland.