The Kepler Mire, or Dismal Swamp east of
Lake Manapouri, is the largest wetland in the
Te Anau basin complex in New Zealand, covering more than 900 ha (altitude 220–230 m). Like the neighbouring mountain range, it is named in honour of astronomer
Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler (; ; 27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws ...
.
Its dome is about three metres higher at the centre than at the margins. The peat development reaches depths of up to 4.7 m. The total volume of peat in this mire is estimated at 20.5 million cubic metres.
The Kepler Mire is internationally biologically significant because it is the most extensive pool system of the
string bog
A string bog or string mire is a bog consisting of slightly elevated ridges and islands, with woody plants, alternating with flat, wet sedge mat areas. String bogs occur on slightly sloping surfaces, with the ridges at right angles to the directio ...
form found in New Zealand.
The best public viewing is from the Mount York Road, some 2 km from the Highway 95 intersection.
In popular culture
The Mire was filmed by helicopter for the
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...
film ''
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'', in which it was used to portray the Dagorlad Battlefield or
Dead Marshes
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, Mordor (pronounced ; from Sindarin ''Black Land'' and Quenya ''Land of Shadow'') is the realm and base of the evil Sauron. It lay to the east of Gondor and the great river Anduin, and to ...
.
[Ian Brodie. 2002. ''The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook'', Published by Harper Collins, , 96 pages]
References
Wetlands of Southland, New Zealand
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