When doing another Great Walk I asked one on our fellow hikers who had done all of them which was his favourite. I appreciate this is very subjective but he said Kepler, and so that went to the top of my list for my next Great Walk.
I hiked the Kepler in March 2026, doing the full loop over 3 days and two nights. I had a few questions I struggled to answer before starting so sharing here in case they help anyone else. There are plenty of other blogs so I want go into detail about the route etc.
Three days or four days
If you’re a relatively hiker and there are other hikes you’re keen to do, I’d recommend three days and two nights. If you’re up for a leisurely few days, go for the four option.
Should I do the full loop or end at Rainbow Reach?
I enjoyed the full loop but honestly you’d don’t get that much more from the final section. It’s very peaceful on the last section and beautiful, but not the stunning views you get up top. The beauty is closer up in the from of fungi and the bird life.
I will say that if you’re doing four days, you’re final day will be very short if you stay at Moturua and end at Rainbow Reach.
How to get there?
I’d recommend the tracknet shuttle if you don’t have a car or need to shuttle from Rainbow Reach back to the control gates. They’re a lovely team and so helpful if you need to shuffle things around.
You can walk from Te Anau but its not the most exciting walk. I’d recommend checking the weather on this and making a call (particularly if you want to do the summit on day 1 before going back to the hut – see below).
Luxmore Summit
Luxmore Summit (as the name suggests) is the Summit above Luxmore Hut. If the weather is good, I’d recommend heading up there after dropping your bag at the hut on day 1. This way, if the weather turns or you simply aren’t feeling your pack for day 2, you haven’t missed out. I personally went twice – once in the late afternoon on day one and then again the morning of day 2. It was lovely and because of the different conditions and light I do think it was worthwhile.
However, if you go on day 2, do not leave your pack at the bottom unattended. The Kea there have been known to quite literally shred peoples packs. So for you gears safety and theirs, please don’t do this.
The Limestone Cavers
I didn’t realise this until I got to the hut but by Luxmore Hut there are amazing limestone caves that you can go into. We went around 50m (you absolutely need a torch and I would recommend going with at least one other person). It’s a bit slippy so tread carefully but the formations are beautiful and well worth a look.
Kiwis!
The bird life on the Kepler is pretty in general. I was lucky enough to have a South Island Robin land on my hand while walking down to Iris Burn.
However, the star of the show (of course) is the kiwi. I didn’t see one sadly however one person while I was there did. The hut warden will give you all of the information and everyone will rush out after dark and try to see them. My advice would be to wait until later when it’s a bit quieter. Regardless of what time you go you will hear them in the hut which is pretty special. If possible, bring a red light torch however the ranger does also have plastic covers that you can borrow for over a standard white light headtorch.
Swimming
If you like cooling off after a days hiking, you’ll enjoy the river at Iris Burn – it’s around 100m from the hut (you’ll see a little sign that says ‘to the river’). It’s pretty chilly but beautifully clear.
There’s also a waterfall near the hut which is worth a look but I wouldn’t recommend swimming in it. The track to the waterfall is likely where the warden will send you to look for Kiwis.