Nelson Lakes National Park

Nelson Lakes sits where the Southern Alps begin, and its two long lakes, Rotoiti and Rotoroa, fill valleys gouged by glaciers. The village of St Arnaud stands at the head of Rotoiti, where a short jetty runs out into water usually calm enough to hold a clean reflection of the mountains behind it. Beech forest covers the lower slopes, dark-trunked and open underneath, and the trees carry honeydew that feeds tui, bellbirds and kaka. Above the bushline, tracks climb to Robert Ridge and on to a hut beside a tarn in a rock basin. Longer routes link the valleys into multi-day circuits through the head of the park.

History

The park's lakes and rivers matter to many iwi, among them Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Kuia and Rangitāne o Wairau. It was created in 1956 under the National Parks Act of 1952, one of four national parks set up in the 1950s, with Fiordland, Mount Cook and Urewera (Wikipedia, Nelson Lakes National Park).

The landscape

• The Rotoiti jetty - the short pier and the mountain reflection at the lake head.
• Beech forest - open, dark-trunked woods with honeydew and the birds it attracts.
• Robert Ridge - the climb above the bushline onto a long alpine ridge walk.
• Lake Rotoroa - the quieter, deeper second lake with little development around it.

When to go

December to March is the walking season, when the ridge tracks are clear of snow and the huts are busy. Autumn is settled and much quieter. Winter closes the alpine routes to anyone without snow skills, though the lakeshore walks stay open. Book huts ahead for summer, and expect the weather up high to turn faster than any forecast suggests.

Good to know

Sandflies at the lake edge are constant in warm weather, and wasps in the beech forest can be a real problem in late summer. The much-photographed jetty is two minutes from a car park and takes about as long to see. The ridge climb is steep and exposed with no water on the way up. St Arnaud is tiny, with one small store and limited fuel.

Nearby

Nelson and the Tasman coast are around ninety minutes north, with the Wairau valley and Marlborough east.

Key facts