Kepler track

I kind of surprised myself by deciding that this was going to be my last tramp down here in the South Island. A combination of cold weather, an excess of tourists and the realisation that it is really the rainforests further north that I am in love with.

Having said that I had a great time. Day 1 I walked out of Te Anau town and walked along the Waiau river to Lake Manapouri, where I camped in a small old hut by the lake with a Kiwi mountain man called Brian, who was practically living there full time. From there the track went up a valley to a second camp in a frost covered clearing.

And then up about 1000m to the snowline and views over Lake Te Anau of the Southern Alps. Had planned to spend another night on the track, but full of energy, opted to keep going on the last day and finished at about 6pm.