Rainbow Reach has a decent road and a major car park on the edge of Fiordland National Park, providing access to Waiau River, the Lake2Lake Track, and Kepler Track, one of NZ’s Great Walks. There is a long but stable swing bridge over the Waiau River to the Kepler Track, accessed directly from the north end of the car park.
This section of the Kepler is relatively flat and easy, trailing through mature beech forest. From the bridge, you can walk in either direction – left towards the Balloon Loop, then Shallow Bay on Lake Manapouri, or right towards the end of the track at Lake Te Anau. Either way, it is a beautiful forest walk with regular views over the river and a fabulous introduction to one of NZ’s premier walks.
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