Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → The Southland → Kepler Track Day Walk

Location: Te Anau area, Southland, New Zealand

Distance: 10 km (6 miles) roundtrip

Elevation Gain: very little

Time Required: 2 hours

Red Tape/Notes: None.

What’s Nearby? Doubtful Sound, Milford Sound, Queenstown

Although the Kepler Track proper (one of the Great Walks) takes 3-4 days, the stretch from Lake Manapouri to Rainbow Reach (near Te Anau) is extremely lovely and only takes a couple of hours to enjoy. It’s easily accessible from the car park at Rainbow Reach and the trail is flat and wide, so it makes for a rather leisurely stroll (or you could run it if you like that sort of thing and/or are short on time – it may be the prettiest 10K you’ll ever do). Almost immediately from the parking lot you pass over an excellent swingbridge, then hike through some lovely forest, and end up on the shores of Lake Manapouri. The trail splits near the lake and you can either hike to Shallow Bay or Moturau Hut (both are on the lake so you won’t miss it, either way). We chose Shallow Bay, mainly because not as many people head that direction, since it’s not officially on the Kepler Track.

Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → The Southland → Kepler Track Day Walk