Lake Rotoiti West Bay from Rainbow Skifield Ridge
Reflection of from West Bay Lake Rotoiti looking towards St Arnaud Range and Mt Robert
Lake Rotoiti
is situated at St Arnaud in The Nelson Lakes National Park about an hours drive from Blenheim and Nelson near the top of the South Island in New Zealand. It is a beautiful spot to relax or to do as much as you like. I have been lucky enough to enjoy this magic place once or twice a year for my entire life with the use of the family bach.
Kerr Bay Lake Rotoiti
Click on any one of the photos above to view a range of activities you can do there.
One of the activities I have been fortunate to enjoy is the many short and not so short walks and tramps in the area which is great for health and happiness.
Take a look at 7 shorter walks.
1.The Peninsula
Overlooking Lake Rotoiti with the Peninsula in the Middle. Taken from top of Mt Robert. Click photo for more photos on The Peninsula
The bushy land in the middle of the lake making it look like a U is the Peninsula. There is a track in the bush which goes from one bay to the other around the perimeter of the peninsula. This takes about an hour 1 way to do. The two bays are called Kerr Bay ( on the right ) and West Bay ( on the left )
2. Black Hill
Walk to Black Hill. Click on photo for more photos on Black Hill
In the picture above under the title Peninsula, look at the end of the left hand bay. You can see a curved dark piece of bush. This is Black Hill.
3. Loop Track
Loop Track Is Situated in the St Arnaud Range section seen at top edge of lake in this photo. Click on photo for images of The Loop Track.
This track is nestled at the base of the St Arnard range as seen in the photo. It goes out away from the lake for about 20 minutes with a gradual incline. You meet a stream and then via left and continue along parallel to the ridge and lake. I would just like to point out that at the stream you can via left and cross it. You can then continue up a graded track to a rock just out of the bush and then walk to the top of the ridge in the open. The track is situated in the bush on the third section from the left.
Getting back to the loop track. Eventually the track will decline and head towards the lake edge. You continue along the lake edge track and meet up with the start of the track…hence making a loop.
The whole loop track can take 60 -90 minutes depending on speed and how many photo and view stops you wish to take.
4.The Honeydew Walk
Honeydew Walk St Arnaud Range at Lake Rotoiti. Click the photo for more photos of the walk
This track is a smaller loop track situated within the larger loop track mentioned above. It is a wide well graded track with information boards along the way. It takes about 20 minutes continuous walking but if you take time to soak in the information and the bush it will take longer.
5.The Lake Side Track
Lake Rotoiti Click photo for Lakeside walk photos
Lake Rotoiti is shaped like a U with a tail. In the picture above the tail of the lake goes between the St Arnaud range on the left and Mt Robert on the right.The Travers river feeds into the lake from the head of the lake seen at the end of the tail. And the Buller River goes out from West Bay and travels up through the Buller Gorge into the Tasman Sea at Westport on the West Coast of New Zealand.
Buller River Mouth flowing from Lake Rotoiti at West Bay
Buller River near the bridge at the mouth flowing from West Bay Lake Rotoiti
There is a track which goes right around the lake and this takes about 7 hours to walk. If you just do the lakeside walk at the base of the St Arnaud range from Kerr Bay to the Head, then this takes three hours. There are a couple of huts at the head of the lake 1 on each side of the Travers river. Trampers use these huts as a starting point or ending point for longer tramps within the National Park.
If you want you can take the 3 hour bush walk along the side of the lake and then take a boat ride back. There is a water taxi you can hire or if you have a boat or know someone with a boat then you can use that as an option.
6. Mount Robert Circuit
Mt Robert. Click on photo for images of the Mt Robert Circuit Track
There is a track which goes up one side then along the top and down the other side. The whole trip takes from 3 1/5 – 5 hours depending on fitness.
The Pinchgut track goes up the right side of the mountain. A gravel road goes passed West Bay, over the Buller River and up the mountain a little and ends in a carpark at the base of the Mount Robert Walkway. The pinch gut track starts and there are 30 zigzags which lead you to the top and out of the bush. The first 18 zigs are in the open and the 18th zig continues into the bush and then comes out of the bush on zig 30.
Then you reach a hut called Relax and go passed it. You will then come across a fork and a sign. You go left to walk across the top of Mt Robert and carry on straight if you want to go up to the ridge.
You will come across 2 huts a short distance apart. Kea Hut is not open to the public and Bushline Hut is used by the public. You the carry on down Paddy’s track which is the track on the left side of Mount Robert as you look towards it.
A long way down this track there is a fork. The upper track leads you to a carpark about 5 minutes down the road than the carpark at the base of the Pinchgut track. The lower track leads you to the lakeside track and comes out to the road lower down and closer to West Bay.
If you are lucky enough you will have someone to pick you up at one of those points or you can walk back up to your car at the carpark at the base of the Pinchgut track.
7.Black Valley Stream Walk
Black Valley Stream. Click Photo to see photos of the Black Valley Stream Walk
This is a short walk about 15 minutes starting off from Kerr Bay along the black valley stream in the bush and ends upon the main highway to Nelson or Blenheim. You can exit this track to go to the chapel, the St Arnaud shops and Bridge Street.
It is a lovely relaxing walk through the beech forest.
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