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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -45.48986, 167.66504. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- 12 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 3 - 3 hr 30 min return
- Track grade
- Intermediate
- Location
- Fiordland National Park / Lake Manapouri area / Lake Te Anau area
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
To sample the Kepler Track (a Great Walk) or for an easy overnight tramp for kids, follow this track through beech forest to Moturau Hut and Shallow Bay on Lake Manapouri.
This DOC directory entry covers Kepler Track: Rainbow Reach to Shallow Bay or Moturau Hut in Fiordland, within Fiordland National Park / Lake Manapouri area / Lake Te Anau area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 12 km return via same track
- Walking time: 3 - 3 hr 30 min return
- DOC grade: Intermediate
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
From the Rainbow Reach carpark, cross the swing bridge and follow the track to the Control Gates for 200 m before turning left towards a short steep ascent. After that the track is gently undulating and wanders through mountain beech forest with some great river views. Some scenes in the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed near this part of the river.
Further along, cross a kettle bog then continue to the shores of Lake Manapouri.
The Moturau and Shallow Bay Huts are near the lake shore.
Getting there
The track begins from Rainbow Reach, about 12 km south from Te Anau.
Private transport: Follow the Manapouri - Te Anau Highway for about 10.6 km, then turn right at the signposted road to the Rainbow Reach carpark.
Transport providers: There are shuttles service to the car park.
Nature and conservation
Amoeboid Mire
Worth visiting just for its name, this multi-lobed mire (bog) is a easily accessed from this section of the Kepler Track (45–60 min from the car park). A 200 m boardwalk has information panels and a lookout over the tarn and mire.
Located on a terrace that formed as the Manapouri glacier melted, the vegetation is dominated by sphagnum moss, other mosses and wire rush with a range of herbs, shrubs and other plants.
A feature is the large tarn in the central part of the mire system. The wetter south-east portion along the Kepler Track is dominated by sedges. Plants of interest are the yellow-silver pine and pygmy pine - both uncommon at low altitudes.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
