Excursions

Te Anau is one of the most popular and scenic destinations in New Zealand so there is plenty to see and do➶

Tramp up Mt Luxmore (weather permitting) led by David Gauld

Mt Luxmore is about one third of the way along the Kepler Great Walk. At an elevation of 1472 metres, the summit is nearly 1300 metres above Lake Te Anau. On a clear day, the views from Mt Luxmore take in a large part of Fiordland National Park as well as Lake Te Anau. Even from above the bushline there are pretty good views. Approximate times for three segments of the walk are: Te Anau town to the lake outlet 45 minutes, lake outlet to Brod Bay 1 hour, Brod Bay to Mt Luxmore 4 hours. The first two of these segments are alongside Lake Te Anau and the terrain is somewhat flat. We can miss the first by driving to the lake outlet. Better still we can miss the first two by taking a water taxi across from Te Anau to Brod Bay and this is what I suggest we do. It's a little on the expensive side, $25 each way, so you might decide to walk back all the way.

Apart from the great views above the bushline, while in the forest we can expect to see a range of native birds.

The track is in good condition so strong shoes should suffice but wear boots if you have them. There is a possibility that it will get cold so warm clothing and a wind and water proof parka should be taken. Toss it all into a day pack with lunch and plenty of water and a camera.

For information about the track and what to expect click here➶. If you want detailed topographic maps, select Maps CD07 and CD08 for the Kepler Track➶. They are about 50-70 megabytes each and the scale is 1:50,000 with 20 metre contour intervals. These maps are free. If you have any questions, email David.