Te Anau is beautifully set beside a lake and surrounded by mountains and forest. It is just a few hundred meters above sea level, so mountains of just 2000m or so seem very impressive. It’s also a tourist hub and the start of the Kepler Track, one of several hiking tracks in the area that give you a taste of the wilderness to be found in Fiordland National Park. The Kepler Track takes 3 – 4 days and you must carry all your food and cooking equipment, and a tent as well if the huts are booked out. The huts were indeed booked out, so we prepared ourselves for a tough hike.
We spent the first night at Brod Bay, a nice camping site under the trees beside Lake Te Anau. It would have been idyllic but for the pesky sandflies! The second day was the hardest. The track took us all the way up to the top of 1750m Mt Luxmore, followed by a long traverse, before a final descent to Iris Burn. We were rewarded with stunning views of snow-capped mountains the lake 1500m below us. It reminded me very much of the view from the Al Legn hut beside Laggo Maggiore in Switzerland, but with the knowledge that only wilderness lay beyond the mountains, and after that, the sea.
Sunset over Lake Te Anau
Camping at Brod Bay on the Kepler Track
Hiking on the Kepler Track
Late on the third and final day, we made it to the end of the 62-kilometer hike. We were weary but the feeling of accomplishment was very satisfying. We still had enough energy to make the 150 km drive to Milford Sound, the jewel in the crown of New Zealand’s scenic spots. The weather was still fine and we knew it would be a highlight of the trip.
We spent the first night at Brod Bay, a nice camping site under the trees beside Lake Te Anau. It would have been idyllic but for the pesky sandflies! The second day was the hardest. The track took us all the way up to the top of 1750m Mt Luxmore, followed by a long traverse, before a final descent to Iris Burn. We were rewarded with stunning views of snow-capped mountains the lake 1500m below us. It reminded me very much of the view from the Al Legn hut beside Laggo Maggiore in Switzerland, but with the knowledge that only wilderness lay beyond the mountains, and after that, the sea.
Sunset over Lake Te Anau
Camping at Brod Bay on the Kepler Track
Hiking on the Kepler Track
Late on the third and final day, we made it to the end of the 62-kilometer hike. We were weary but the feeling of accomplishment was very satisfying. We still had enough energy to make the 150 km drive to Milford Sound, the jewel in the crown of New Zealand’s scenic spots. The weather was still fine and we knew it would be a highlight of the trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment