21 NOV 2024

I’ve just experienced the most happiest summer I can remember, and the Kepler happened to fall right into it.

The day my flight landed in Queenstown, it was raining. Up in the mountains, it was probably snowing, exactly what I had been longing for.

Day 1 Te Anau → Kepler Track Starting Point → Luxmore Hut (13.8 km 6-7 hrs）

I woke up at about 5am in the capsule hostel. The women-only room lay in complete silence, I packed my backpack as quietly as possible. The shuttle bus station I booked was right across the street, very handy. On the drive to Te Anau, rain streaked the windows while Lake Wakatipu lay outside, silver-grey under the clouds. Occasionally, sunlight cut through the grey, promising better weather ahead. Around 9:30am, the shuttle bus reached the trailhead - Kepler Car Park. The first day of the Kepler Track began in the rain.

The first section was a flat beech forest, To the left, the forest floor was carpeted with ferns and green moss; to the right, When I checked my watch, the steps had already passed ten thousand before the ascent even began. Just before leaving the shelter of the forest line, I met a woman who told me snow had fallen up top, and kindly reminded me to put on my beanie and gloves. Snow - I was so looking forward to.

Out of the winding forest, the trail opened onto an exposed ridge. Wind drove the rain hard against my face, stinging like needles. The space was completely bare, the wind fierce. No one ahead, no one behind, only mist wrapping the world like in the middle a dream.

Finally, Luxmore Hut emerged from the fog. Snow still clung to the benches on the deck. The ranger, in a bright orange raincoat, stood in the front to welcome us. Inside, early hikers were gathered around the fireplace, drying their clothes. I got a top bunk and dozed off, soon to be woken by a couple hikers bursting in. Got up, cooked ramen for dinner, and watched the clouds slowly break outside the window.

Day 2 Luxmore Hut → Iris Burn Hut (14.6 km 5-6 hrs）

It's going to be a great day!

The next day the scenery changed. I stepped onto the high ridges of the Kepler Range, following the track along the spine of the mountains. Far below lay Lake Te Anau, surrounded by green valley and distant peaks.

At the junction for Luxmore Summit, a woman was descending. She warned me not to go up: “You can barely see anything—it’s not worth the effort.” I was not convinced, I dropped my pack and began the climb. The summit rose to 1,472 metres, probably the highest point I’ve reached in New Zealand. There was no clear trail along the path, only rocks firm enough to step on and my trekking pole for balance. Thankfully, the slope wasn’t too steep and foot prints were clear to follow.

As I climbed, a memory touched me — my first snow mountain at eighteen, 4223 metres high. The moutain was familiar, stepping onto snow now felt like meeting my younger self again. So many years have passed; I thought I had walked away from her too long. Yet here, at the end of 2024, on Luxmore Summit, we met across time. I remembered her, her thoughts. her wishes ... and I felt she is coming back to me. On the peak, I would take her hand and whisper:

"Everything will be alright."

The wind on the ridge was relentless. I could only keep moving, head down. A kea soared above the snowy peaks, its wings cutting through the mist. Light snow began to fall, but there was no chance to linger.

When I reached the snow line, I stood still for a long time. It felt like a turning point—like those brief years of youth that vanish before you realise they’re gone. Only at the watershed do you understand the climb is over. From here on, the journey would be different: no more standing on the roof of the world, no more looking down on every peak. The ascent was finished; now came the descent.

Walking through Fiordland’s lush forest, I just felt so lucky. The music in my airpods was the same as more than twenty years ago. A few hours ago on the top, I just met the 18-year-old girl of myself. L once said, we will all find our identity in the past.

Day 3 Iris Burn Hut → Moturau Hut (16.2 km 5-6 hrs）

Iris Burn Hut sits deep in the Iris Burn Valley, surrounded by dense beech forest and steep mountainsides. As it was early summer in Fiordland National Park, the sun didn’t set until late in the evening, so I had plenty of time to explore the two short side trails before dark. One leads to the Iris Burn Waterfall, and the other winds through the forest along the stream, a relaxing walk to wind down for the day.

The third day felt like a reward after day 2. After all the windy, snowy alpine ridges, a flat and well-formed track led from a green valley to the lakeside. The path followed the Iris Burn Valley for a long stretch, with the sound of the stream close by and steep mountains rising on both sides. Moss and ferns covered the forest floor, and sunlight filtered through the beech trees. As the valley opened up, the track gently descended until I finally arrived at the shores of Lake Manapouri.

Our ranger that day was Ruth, a very lovely lady with a warm and friendly smile. She was just walking back to the hut, holding freshly picked plants in her hands and wearing a hat with a veil. In the hut talk that evening, she introduced the plants of this forest and shared stories about the democratic history of Lake Manapouri. She also talked about how, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was a plan to raise the lake’s water level by up to 30 meters to generate hydroelectric power. A huge number of people signed petitions to urge the government to abandon the plan. Without this movement, this whole valley would now be under water. This event is often seen as the birth of modern environmental awareness in New Zealand.

As the sun slowly set over the lake, I found a picnic table and read for a while from Walden, the book I brought with me this time. It truly echoed the scenery in front of me. Although I felt no loneliness at that moment, reading this book reminded me that one day I must learn how to live with myself.

Sunset at the Lake Manapouri

Day 4 Moturau Hut → Rainbow Reach (6 km 2 hrs）

Day 4, early morning at 6 a.m., I sat by the lakeshore in front of Moturau Hut. I woke up so early just to stay here a little longer. With only 5% battery left, I listened to a harpsichord playing 'Buon Giorno Principessa'. Life is beautiful, isn’t it? I felt a bit emotional today, hardly believing I was about to say goodbye to this journey full of surprises. If someone asks me in the future: What’s your favourite hiking? I will answer without hesitation: Kepler!

By the time I could finally see the entire mountain, I was no longer inside it.