Hedging your bets: The Kepler Track

In the game of Gin Rummy, the goal is to get three of kind/three of a kind/four of kind or a flush (or a combination thereof). It is accomplished by picking up and discarding cards one at a time. It is in your best interest early in the game to pick up as many cards as possible instead of passing to the next player. By doing so, later in the game, the odds are in your favor to pick up more than one card that would work to complete your sets. By leaving our hand open to both a king and an Ace instead of just one of those cards you are in fact hedging your bets that one of those two cards will come along. And that was indeed what Heather (from England) and Ryan (from Korea) and I did on the second day of the Kepler Track. Hedged our bets.

We woke up that morning at Luxmore Hut to a nasty wind and rain blowing over the mountain. It was the morning of our second day on the track. The beautiful views we had of Fiordland mountains that we had before us were now replaced with a vail of cloud and rain. The weather forecast brought to us by the live-in hut warden had predicted a breakup in the weather by this afternoon. But as one spends enough time in NZ one notices that the weather forecasts were just something for the hut wardens to do. We were in Fiordlands National Park. The mountains here make their own weather. Who can predict that? Heather wanted to head out right away despite the outcome but I convinced that we should wait. Cards were broken out and I proceeded to teach them the game of Gin Rummy. By waiting to to take off for the second hut we were giving ourselves the chance that the weather would break later in the afternoon at precisely the time we would be exposed on the ridges of the Kepler Mountains. If that weather didn't break, then we were no worse of then when we started. At least this way we were giving ourselves more good chances for weather and essentially hedging our bets. An Ace and King as opposed to just a King.

And it paid off. By midday the clouds were wanting to burn off, culminating in only small isolated patches of rain, affording the views that the Kepler track is known for on its second day. And something more. Because of the patch work of rain and sun that ensued by midday, the mountains afforded us a rare glimpse into their beauty. A rainbow captured on film. It was a pure New Zealand moment and one that we would have missed had we not hedged our bets.

The Kepler Track is the newest of the nine great walks in New Zealand. I have no idea what constitutes a great walk as opposed to just a walk in the woods but once they do become a great walk they become expensive and touristy. Often times they are more about who you meet than the walk itself. This because the huts are booked in the same order so you are essentially walking the track with the same 40 people everyday. I jumped on the Kepler because I had four days to kill before my Milford Track reservation and it was conveniently located as a "loop" outside of Te Anau where I was to pick up the Milford as well. I met Ryan and Heather on the transport out to the trail head and we stuck together for the duration. Most hike it in four days, I did it in three and skipped the last hut.

The first day is mostly a walk in the bush. Most of the Elevation is gained this day ending at Luxmore Hut. There are these caves up there that you can just sort of wonder into. And the three of us did so for about 2 kilometers worth. Poor Ryan didn't know what he was getting into as he was wearing flip-flops. ("jangles" to the Kiwis). I suppose that is the difference between NZ and USA. Had these caves been in the US there would have been waivers signed, and guides hired. Here it was like..oh way there is some caves to explore for that extend more than a mile. Don't get lost.

Day two is the "bow down" to the mountains day as you spend the entire day exposed on the ridges and saddles of the Kepler Mountains before descending down into bush (that looks much like Machu-picchu) into the Iris Burn Valley and spending the night in the Irish Burn Hut. It was here at this hut in the middle of the night that I heard the call of the Kiwi Bird for the first time. Very rare and nocturnal bird this NZ national bird is on the verge of extinction Due mostly to introduced species in New Zealand.

The third day is merely a walk in the rain forest along the shore of Lake Te Anau through the Iris Burn Valley. Not much to talk about there.

The Kepler would turn out to be my favorite "Great Walk" mostly due to its challenging nature and great views. But as you will soon learn this is merely the beginning of my adventures in the bush.

Distance walked on the Kepler: 60Km (37.28 Miles)

Distance walked so far in NZ: 89.80 Km (55.80 Miles).