Luxmore Hut — Hotel in Fiordland Community

This was definitely my favorite hut on the Kepler track. The views are stunning and the facilities are excellent. You can expect a huge common/dining area with plenty of cooking surfaces, seating, tables, and enormous windows. Gas is provided all along the Kepler track so you just need a pot (though we brought a Jetboil since we like eating along the trail as well). Note that there was a shared kettle to use, but I wouldn't rely on that.

There are two bunk rooms, one with 10 or so people and one with the other 40. We got there early enough to claim a couple spots in the small bunk room thankfully! The small room has a great view. Just keep in mind that the small bunk room beds are all essentially one shared bed (no railings separating the mattresses) while the large bunk room has normal bunk beds. Pros and cons with each room I'd say.

I believe the Department of Conservation has to put up the signs that say water must be boiled/purified, but the water on Kepler was all safe to drink as said by all the rangers. Fiordland water is very clean and fresh.

We LOVED the hut talk by our ranger, who talked about being good stewards of the earth. It was both inspiring and funny, and set a positive tone for the whole trip.

Watch for the kea! They are extremely smart and will steal your belongings. We kept our distance and loved watching them from afar.

I would definitely recommend getting up early to see the sunrise, which was incredible. Also check out the Luxmore Cave, only a...

The Luxmore is a real star of the DOC hut system. This one is probably given a little more attention than others because it is used by day hikers and multi day hikers alike. The others on the Kepler not so much. Perched above the lake and Te Anau, it has amazing views. It also has the cheeky Kea (alpine parrot) who is more than happy to take your food, pack, boots, whatever you leave, absolutely anything.

There are two bunkrooms. One that seemed to suit families or large parties a little better with the bench sleeping arrangement, with the other has primarily bunk beds. Toilets are upstairs too, in between the bunk rooms. The cooking/lounging area is clean and well maintained. Lots of stoves so not much competition for space. Several games available to play before you head off to bed and some stunning views. There is also a nice side hike to a cave just out the door from the hut. Of the 8 huts in the doc system I have stayed at, this one is the best. Obviously being a great walks hut it gets a little more attention, but they take good care of it and it is far better than the hut at the other end of the trail (Moturau) that costs the same amount. Something to consider as tourists pay $130 nzd a night to stay in these...

I was in the middle of filling up my water bottle outside of this hut when a DOC employee asked me through the window where my girlfriend and I spent the night -- without a "hello", "good morning", or "how are you". I explained that we set up our tent a few minutes away from the cave, at a point that we believed was at least 500 meters off the track. That was not good enough for this grumpy DOC lady who then demanded proof. She wanted to see a picture of our campsite but we didn't have one. Why would we take a picture of our campsite anyway? Our rude acquaintance then made us show her on a map where we camped. We tried our best to pinpoint where it was, approximately, after which the lady insisted that it was less than 500 meters from the track and let us know that she will report our "illegal camping" to her supervisors. What an unpleasant and stressful interaction. If you aren't staying at this hut, I recommend not even going close to it. To be fair, this was the only negative experience we had with DOC staff. All other campsite rangers have been outstandingly friendly...