Southland Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
Kew Road, Kew, Invercargill 9812
Kepler Track · Checked October 2026
Kepler Track emergency & health guide: hospitals, rescue, 111 and PLBs
How to call for help with little or no phone signal, the nearest hospital for each of the 4 stages, and the park rules: Great Walk bookings and fees, the alpine section and avalanches, water, kea and didymo.
In an emergency call 111 from any phone; 112 also works from mobiles and is passed to 111. For a lost or injured walker ask for the police: NZ Police run search and rescue, often with a rescue helicopter. Do not count on mobile signal on the track, so in a life-threatening emergency activate a personal locator beacon (PLB). In the Great Walks season tell the ranger at the nearest hut. Say which part of the track you are on, the nearest hut or shelter and, if you can, your GPS coordinates.
Emergency numbers
| Number | What it is |
|---|---|
| 111 | Police, fire and ambulance, free from any phone, 24/7, even without credit. For a lost or injured walker ask for the police: they run search and rescue. |
| 112 | International emergency number: works from all GSM mobiles and is passed straight to 111. Dialling 111 is more direct. |
| 105 | NZ Police non-emergency line, 24/7, for example for an overdue walker who is not yet in danger |
| 0800 611 116 | Healthline: free medical advice from a nurse when it is not an emergency, 24/7 |
| +64 3 249 7924 | Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre (DOC), Te Anau: track conditions, weather and avalanche information, bookings |
Do not count on mobile signal on the Kepler Track, so carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) and use it only in a life-threatening emergency. In Te Anau you can hire one from Bev's Tramping Gear Hire, 16 Homer Street (+64 3 249 7389). Deaf or speech-impaired visitors can text 111 only after registering with NZ Police. Tell someone at home your plans, and check the Fiordland forecast and the NZ Avalanche Advisory before you go up to the ridge.
Rules to know
- Great Walks season (27 October 2026 – 30 April 2027): every night in a hut or campsite must be booked online with DOC. Without a valid booking you can be charged a penalty or turned away. Kepler bookings for 2026/27 opened on 19 May 2026 and summer dates sell out fast.
- Fees per person per night in the season: huts $88 for New Zealand adults and $132 for international adults; campsites $28 and $42. NZ children (5–17) pay $44 in huts, international children (0–17) $66. You need proof of eligibility for the NZ rate.
- Outside the season (1 May – 26 October) Luxmore Hut must still be booked ($35); Iris Burn and Moturau huts ($30) and the campsites ($10) are first come, first served and paid with Backcountry Hut Tickets or a Hut Pass. Gas, rangers, radios and running water are removed from the huts.
- Avalanche risk on the alpine section can last into December, and DOC may close the ridge between Luxmore and Iris Burn huts when it is high. In winter the ridge is unmarked and under snow, with nine avalanche paths: you need an ice axe, crampons, avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel, a PLB and two days of spare food.
- There is no reliable water on the ridge between Luxmore and Iris Burn huts: fill your bottles at Luxmore. Hut and campsite tap water is untreated, so boil it.
- Campers may not use the huts. Camping or staying the night in the Forest Burn and Hanging Valley shelters is not permitted.
- Kea, the alpine parrot, damage tents, boots and packs on the tops and at Iris Burn: never leave gear unattended outside, and never feed them.
- Didymo is in Lake Te Anau, Lake Manapouri and the Waiau River but not in the Iris Burn: Check, Clean, Dry your gear, and do not swim in the rivers after swimming in the lakes.
- No dogs on the track. Flying a drone in Fiordland National Park needs a DOC permit. DOC does not recommend the track for children under 10.
- Transport: Tracknet shuttles run between Te Anau, the control gates and Rainbow Reach, and a water taxi runs to Brod Bay from 1 October to 30 April. In winter services need minimum numbers, so book before you start. The Kepler Challenge race uses the whole track on 5 December 2026.
Nearest hospital for each stage
| # | Stage | Hospital (24/7 emergency) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Control Gates → Luxmore Hut | Southland Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 2 | Luxmore Hut → Iris Burn Hut | Southland Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 3 | Iris Burn Hut → Moturau Hut | Southland Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 4 | Moturau Hut → Control Gates | Southland Hospital – Emergency Department |
Hospitals
Lakes District Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
20 Douglas Street, Frankton, Queenstown 9300 (ED entrance on Lucas Place)
Gore Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
9 Birch Lane, Gore 9710
Clinics and first aid
The only doctor near the track is the Fiordland Medical Practice in Te Anau (25 Luxmore Drive, +64 3 249 7007): open Mon–Fri 8 am–5 pm and Sat 9 am–12 pm, with urgent drop-in clinics at 10 am and 5 pm on Sundays and public holidays. For medical advice when it is not an emergency, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 (24/7).
Fiordland Medical Practice
- Opening hours only
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4
25 Luxmore Drive, Te Anau 9600
Pharmacies, cash and supplies
- Pharmacies:
- ATMs:
- Shops:
- Shuttle and boat stops:
There is no pharmacy or shop on the track, and New Zealand has no duty-pharmacy rota. Te Anau has a pharmacy in the town centre: buy your medicines, blister care, insect repellent for the sandflies and sunscreen there before you start.
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
Have the nearest help on your map, offline
Outest shows these hospitals, pharmacies, ATMs and stops on the Kepler Track map, offline, together with the route, water and places to sleep.