Te Anau

Te Anau is a small town of under 2000 on the shores of a lake with the same name. There's a lovely youth hostel with a big garden out the back. It's mainly a base for people touring and tramping in the area. It has a little cinema built especially to show 'Shadowlands', a 30 min film of helicopter footage taken over fiordland over a period of 5 years. I have a copy so there will be showings! Just across the water is the start of the Kepler Track:


I made an early start and took the water taxi across to Brod Bay and walked the first section of the Kepler. The lake was covered by a thick layer of low cloud. I passed though this at the bush line. The Murchison mountains rise up to the north from the south fiord:


A bit further on was the Luxmore Hut, first stop on the track. This is another of the Great Walks, so very popular but well maintained. As I rested a family arrived by helicopter!:


The summit of Mt Luxmore is 1472m above sea level - actually to the right of the picture:


There was no wind and I spent an hour up there watching the cloud burn off and the lake emerge below the Murchison Mountains. These mountains are where the rare takahe were re-discovered in 1948:


Another view of the south arm which you get from the hut:


Here I am at the summit enjoying the good weather and the view. I later met people who had walked the whole 4 day trek in the rain:


Looking west deeper into fiordland:


The beach at Brod Bay whilst waiting for return boat:


Back at Te Anau, Mt Luxmore just visible as a bump on the skyline in the centre of the picture:

On the basis of several recommendations I then opted for an overnight cruise on remote Doubtful Sound rather than the more popular Milford Sound.