A vista of soaring peaks stained green with blushes of yellow tundra reaches out before us. There are meadows sprinkled with alpine flowers and great toes of land spliced with waterfalls that trickle down into blue lakes.

Hiking shoes and poles lie by the door and there's a scattering of backpacks while outside a native kea bird chews playfully on the railings and trampers sprawl on the deck in the warm afternoon sun.

This is a snapshot of life in Luxmore Hut on the 60km circular Kepler Track, a 3-4 day hike through some of Fiordland's most beautiful and remote wilderness. And just like the promotional tourism advertisements declare, it's 100 per cent pure New Zealand.

Basically that means you get a good dose of stunning scenery, a round of snow peaks and several alpine lakes to gawk at while you climb a few slopes. And that’s just the tip of the appetite-wetting experience that is hiking one of Fiordland’s Great Walks.

Unfortunately the beauty and terror of Fiordland is that it can and does deliver all kinds of weather; the good, the bad, the ugly and the best forgotten. But if you’re considering a trip, autumn is the perfect time to go once the summer rains have ceased and before the first winter snow falls.

Fortunately our Kepler experience coincides with one of Fiordland’s droughts, any period when it doesn’t rain two out of three days. And on our first night we found ourselves sharing tales of rain and squelch with the other Luxmore residents, while enjoying the exact opposite – an array of crystal clear mountain peaks and a blue lake beneath us scoured into white tunnels by passing boats.

Staying in the hut were a few Americans, holidaying university students, families from New Zealand and Australia and a smattering of Europeans. Most have done at least one other Great Walk but agreed rain had not dampened, no pun intended, their enjoyment of the treks.

Nonetheless we’re thankful for the fine weather, even if it does mean we’re laden with thermals and rain gear we won’t need. The steep tracks and ridge paths are tough enough without driving winds and rain.

The first day on the Kepler Track takes you from Te Anau around its gorgeous lake (45 mins) and into forest rich with ferns, moss and beech trees. It's a haven of greenery and an easy, even track allowing you to get used to the weight of your backpack and settle into a rhythm over the final 5.6km to Brod Bay (90 mins).

Brod Bay signals the point when you leave the shoreline and begin climbing to Luxmore Hut (4 hours, 8.2km). The initial part is a winding, steep climb to dramatic limestone bluffs and then a slightly easier calf burn to the tree line where a sign announces the final 45 minutes to Luxmore Hut.

At this point above the bush the sudden openness of the terrain is so dramatic and the views over the Te Anau basin and surrounding mountains are so superb, everyone ditches their pack, lies amongst the alpine flowers and has a bite to eat.

The fine views over the Te Anau basin make the final approach to Luxmore enjoyable. And once you arrive there’s little to do but enjoy a leisurely afternoon of eating, resting, reading and talking although most people go out to explore a nearby cave with long underground tunnels. It's not dark until 11pm and we watch the sun disappearing slowly off the mountains until bedtime.

At dawn I wake to a full moon and golden light bathing the dark purple mountains. The lake, that was so clear yesterday, is covered in cloud like a giant's bubble bath.

But the weather is good which is fortunate because the lack of shelter on the 14.6km (5-6 hour) ridge walk between Luxmore Hut and Iris Burn Hut can be hazardous if there’s heavy rain or strong winds.

We start about 9am climbing gradually past small alpine lakes and tiny streams. Just below the summit of Mount Luxmore (1472m) the wind gusts and the temperature drops so we don thermals, beanies and gloves. It’s a short side trip up Mount Luxmore for sparkling views.

Once we descend to the Forest Burn emergency hut the wind eases and a loo sitting on the edge of the Forest Burn saddle provides some toilet entertainment as does a kea that frequents the shelter.

From here we follow the incredibly scenic ridge for two more hours to the Hanging Valley Shelter. We luncheon here, lingering to enjoy the last of the mountain tops and views as from here the track descends through forest to the Iris Burn.

The descent is spectacular into a valley lined with gnarled trees to the Iris Burn Hut (497m) but it is hard on the knees and feet. As people arrive everyone commiserates about aches and pains. There's a quiet hum in the kitchen as food cooks and drinks brew, but before long most people have recovered to venture to the lovely Iris Burn waterfall (20 mins).

The next morning we decide to hike out rather than spend the final night at Motorau Hut. It’s a long flat stretch of 36km but there’s an option of catching a shuttle to avoid the last 15km if we hoof it to Rainbow Reach in time.

The first part of the journey to Motorau involves a little bit of climbing, which is tough on legs still sore from yesterday’s descent. The track leads into an open valley where a large slip razed the forest in January 1984. Huge boulders from the heights above litter the valley. We then enter a gorge completely encased in fern and moss with mushrooms bulging from logs and trees. It's a veritable Eden.

The track follows the river flats to the mouth of the Iris Burn and then the lakeshore of Manapouri to Motorau Hut (16.2km, 5-6 hours). We’re conscious of the time so we shoulder our packs again after a quick lunch for the final 6km (1.5-2 hours) through the beech forest to Rainbow Reach. Happily a shuttle awaits in the carpark beside the Waiau River and we’re soon back in Te Anau.

In town we stop to rest our legs and enjoy an ice cream in the sunshine when the temperature plummets, the wind blows and rain falls. The five day drought finally breaks and, while it seems suddenly wrong to be eating ice cream, we realize our Kepler Track could not have been timed any better. Pure New Zealand weather indeed.

HOW TO DO IT
Bookings (www.doc.govt.nz) for the Kepler are advised during peak times (October-April). Huts cost $45/15 (peak/off peak) for adults and camping $15/5. You will need food, bedding, utensils, cooking gear and hiking gear such as thermals and raingear. The huts provide gas cookers, water, mattresses, toilets (in summer) and rangers in season. Shops in Te Anau do hire tramping gear and supermarkets stock trail foods.

GETTING THERE
Some international flights like Qantas (www.qantas.com.au) fly direct to Queenstown while many others go to Christchurch. From either destination regular coach services travel to Te Anau or fly domestically with Air New Zealand Link (www.airnewzealand.co.nz), Air Fiordland (www.airfiordland.com) or Waterwings Airways (ph. 03 4423065). Shuttle buses in Te Anau provide access to entry (control gates) and exit (Rainbow Reach) points of the Kepler if you don’t start/finish in town.

by Joanne Lane