Land of Rain and Rainbows

New Zealand has nine Great Walks, and they’re not leisurely nature walks… they are hikes, and I mean hikes.  This weekend, I completed the Kepler Track, of these nine Great Walks!  This track is a 60-kilometer loop that climbs and descends Mount Luxmore, with views of Lake Te Anau, Lake Manapouri, and the South Fiord.  From the gorgeous green forest to the wind-whipping mountain ridges, it was a weekend to remember.

Friday morning (at 5:30am), 5 of us piled in a “Rent-a-Dent” (don’t worry- it’s a reliable car rental company!).  We made our way across the country to the Eastern Fiordlands where we embarked on our tramp (New Zealand term for backpacking or hiking).

Map of the track

We started at Rainbow Reach Carpark.  Our goal: hike 23.3 km to reach Luxmore Hut before sunset.  Challenge accepted. With a quick lunch at the Control Gates (a dam), and short water breaks every half-hour or so, we tramped right through the forest and up the base of the mountain.  Reaching the tree line was a feeling unlike anything I have felt.  It was breath taking and incredibly rewarding to see the world from above.  We spent the night at Luxmore Hut, since the track is out of season (it is winter here!) there was no power or running water.  So we made our dinner on camping stoves and used water provided by an overflow tap that was just outside of the hut.  We spent the night relaxing and went to bed by 8pm- the earliest I’ve been in bed in a LONG time! But it felt so good!

View from where we ate lunch

Above the tree line!

The hut is in sight!!

Sunset from the hut.  The fiordlands are gorgeous!

Saturday morning, we meant to leave the hut by 7:30, but thanks to no power and a lack of working alarms, we woke up with the 7:30 sunrise and were on our way to continue up the mountain by 9am.  It was a beautiful morning, filled with anticipation of what the day would bring.  First order of business: 14.6 kilometers to Iris Burn Hut.  Soon after beginning our day’s hike, we saw an incredible rainbow that seemed to be close enough that if we walked another few meters, we’d be able to touch it.  We also soon found snow on our path and began to realize the meaning of “the track climbs”.  Up and up we went, and it rained on and off.  Before we knew it, we seemed to be holding on for dear life, praying that we would not be blown off the mountain by the 40-km/hour winds.  We found ourselves on the ridge of a mountain, wishing we could stop and take in the gorgeous views, but unable to because of the wind.  The best advice I heard all day: “If you feel like you are going to be blown off the mountain, sit down”.  We all made it across the ridge safely, stopping to rest at the emergency shelters along the way.

The ridge we walked across!

One of the many rainbows we saw- each one was magnificent!

After traversing the Forest Burn Saddle atop Mount Luxmore, we made our descent down the mountain where we ate lunch at Iris Burn hut.  At this point, we decided that it was best for us to keep going… to walk another 16.2 kilometers to the next hut, Moturau Hut.  Looking back, it seems like a crazy decision, but I promise we had good reasoning.  It turned out to be quite a peaceful walk in the rain and soon the dark, but our tired legs kept us praying for the sight of the warm hut.  By 8pm, we made it to the hut.  I think the sight of that hut glowing with light from candles and torches (flashlights) was the best feeling all day.  Wow, what a day, but we made it!

Sunday morning, we slept until we felt like getting up.  That’s a lie, we didn’t want to get out of bed at all… but we got up once it seemed an appropriate time to get out of bed and get moving.  We packed up one last time and headed out in the rain. Yes, the rain; one of the main reasons for trekking to Moturau Hut the night before.  It was raining, but since our hike was mostly under the forest canopy, it was quite pleasant.  This morning’s walk was a leisurely 6-kilometers.  Easy-peasy! We finished in about an hour and 15 minutes and with a bit of disbelief, we finished the 60-kilometer Great Walk in 49.25 hours.  Yup, that’s about 24-48 hours less than the time the track is typically walked. 

The team! Me, Siri, Danyelle, Eric, and Jane!

What a weekend!  We treated ourselves to hot chocolate and running water at Subway and we set off to get back to ole’ Dunners.  This tramp is something I hope to always remember about my semester in New Zealand!

-Kelsey