A visit to Nelson Lakes National Park.....
Over Show weekend I went for a three day trip up to Nelson Lakes National Park in the Tasman District. My original plan was to car camp in the Kerr Bay campground and do a couple of day walks from there, specifically the track around the Lake Rotoiti Peninsula, the Loop Track and the Mt Robert Circuit track. I also planned to walk up the Howard Valley on the outskirts of St Arnaud to bag a couple of hut if i had time.
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| Travers Range and head of Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes National Park |
Unfortunately the trip struck a number of snags; it hosed with rain, the road to Murchison was closed due to a fatal accident and the campground was closed due to renovation of the ablution block. I decided to go anyway but changed my plans to a three day-two night trip to Lakehead Hut at the head of Lake Rotoiti.
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| Lakehead Hut dock, Nelson Lakes National Park |
This is the 8th time I have stayed in Lakehead Hut as I really love Nelson Lakes and get up here on a regular basis. I thought I might have the hut to myself but actually it was busy with a combination of TA hikers, hunters and various tramping parties staying here overnight. There were some really nice people here over both nights and they made for good company.
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| Interior of Lakehead Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park |
This trip was partially an attempt to get some tramping time in for my big Routeburn Track tramp which you have probably seen did not go to plan either. Anyway this is how the Nelson Lakes trip went....
St Arnaud to Lakehead Hut
Because the road through Murchison was closed I had to drive the longer route up the east coast via Kaikoura and Blenheim and thence to St Arnaud. It was 2.30 pm before I got to St Arnaud so I didn't mess around but grabbed my gear and started walking as soon as I arrived. I walked up the Lakehead Track as it only takes about two hours to get to the hut.
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| Lake Rotoiti lakefront, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Start of the Lakehead Track... |
I like the Lakehead Track it is interesting without being overly strenuous and you can set a cracking pace for most of its length. Most of the people I saw were coming down the valley after going for day walks and the such...there weren't many of them. It was periodically raining off and on as I was walking.
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| Information panels on the Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Track sign on Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Junction of Lakehead and St Arnaud Range Track, Lake Rotoiti |
As usual the first kilometer of this track is almost Great Walk standard after that it turns into a more standard tramping track. Given the recent rain I was surprised how dry it was....only a couple of small mud patches.
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| Roots and mud...Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Boardwalk sections on the Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| More Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park boardwalk |
After the initial couple of kilometers the track settles down into a lake side sidle for most of the way to the hut. You can see the lake for most of the time just off to your left and about 20 meters away. The weather was cloudy with intermittent showers then long periods of sunny weather...so a mixed bag really.
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| Easy going next to Lake Rotoiti, Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| One of many DOC 200 pest traps on the Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| As muddy as the Lakehead Track got this trip.... |
I got to the Loop Track-Lakehead Track junction after about 40 minutes walking...this was one of the short tracks I was planing to walk so I will have to come back sometime in the near future and actually do that camping trip.
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| Nelson Lakes National Park, Junction of Lakehead and Loop Tracks |
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| Nelson Lakes National Park, Junction of Lakehead and Loop Tracks |
There was more water than normal in the side streams...usually when I come up here they are bone dry. They had rain the previous two days and more was expected for the three days I was in the park so they never really dried out. No problems though...the terrain is so steep around here that rivers very quickly go down after rain.
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| Water on the Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Rocky section of the Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Mt Roberts through the trees...Lake Rotoiti |
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| Wind fallen tree, Lakehead Track |
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| Bridge over a side-stream, Nelson Lakes National Park |
On the odd occasion when I could see up to the head of the lake all I could see was low misty cloud and what looked like rain falling. Waking in the forest you are protected from most of the rain so if it was falling as I walked I never really felt it.
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| Misty weather towards the head of Lake Rotoiti |
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| Area of ferns on the Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Lakehead Track sidling above lake, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Nelson Lakes National Park: crossing an old river on the Lakehead Track |
I got a good look up and down Lake Rotoiti when I got to the beach halfway to the hut....the track goes out onto a small shingle beach for about 20 meters and then jumps back into the forest. The sun had come out and I actually saw some blue skies for a short while.
The Lake was very quiet...there were a couple of boats going up and down but that was it really. I saw a boat load of people heading for the wharf at Whiskey Falls so I imagine they were going for a sightseeing trip.
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| Mt Robert Range from Lakehead Track |
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| View back to Kerr Bay from the Lakehead Track |
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| Mt Robert from Lake Rotoiti shoreline, Nelson Lakes National Park |
There are a lot of Lancewood trees in the area...this is an ancient tree type with long, tough and spiky branches which were an adaptation to stop Moa eating them. Juvenile trees are un-palatable to any animal but when the get to be 3 meters tall (higher than the reach of the largest Moa species...) they develop a much more traditional bushy head of soft leaves.
Mother nature knows how to protect herself...it is a lesson we often forget in the modern world...Climate change is mother nature telling us to sort our shit out!!!
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| ....note the Lancewood tree next to the Lakehead Track..... |
There are only two sizable streams along the track the first one is about halfway to the hut and the second is before the Lakehead Hut wharf. These are the only places where heavy rain could thwart your forward progress as neither of them are bridged. Most of the time they are easy to cross but just use a bit of caution if it has been or is raining.
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| Approaching no name stream on the Lakehead Track |
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| No name stream coming off the St Arnaud Range, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Looking toward the outlet of Lake Rotoiti from the Lakehead Track |
Lake Rotoiti is a deep post glacial lake...an ancient glacier carved the lake depression as it moved back and forth in the valley. Because of this the lake is quite deep in places but shallow in others. There are a couple of spots along the track where you can see the lake bed...it is covered in old dead trees and stumps of trees.
I would think most of them came down the Travers River in floods but some would mark old shoreline.
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| ....submerged logs in the mid reaches of Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes National Park |
Here are some more examples of juvenile Lancewood....they do not look very palatable at this stage of their development.
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| More young Lancewood trees...bugger off Moa's.. |
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| Jon Tramping the Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
Most of the track is nice flat sections running through open beech forest but there are also rocky sections on old stream-beds, rock gardens where the track makers have blasted through hard rock and even some sections of the old benched dray road that used to wind along the lake side.
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| Nice track mid reaches of the Lakehead Track |
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| Lake Rotoiti through the foliage of the Lakehead Track |
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| Rock garden....Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Old benched dray track section, Lakehead Track |
After an hour you get close to the point where Whiskey Falls lies on the opposite side of the lake. This is a great wee trip in itself and is about an hour along the Lakeside Track that runs down the true left of Lake Rotoiti. The Falls are worth a look if you are ever on that side of the lake...they fall about 70 meters and have always got a good flow of water running in them.
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| Looking across Lake Rotoiti from near Pt. 677, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Whiskey Falls at Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Old mans beard covers the trees....Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
From this point onward you start to see the head of Lake Rotoiti about two kilometers distant...you can also see up the Travers Valley along Robert Ridge, the St Arnaud, and Travers Ranges. Traver's River runs down the true left of the valley and its outlet is close to Coldwater Hut on the distant shore. Most of the land between the two sides of the lake are an enormous reed swamp.
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| View to the head of Lake Rotoiti from near Whiskey Falls |
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| The last headland to cross before Lakehead Hut wharf |
There is a moderately large stream coming down to the lake from Mt McRae...it can sometimes be problematic as it has started to flow down the Lakehead Track after rain but it was easy enough to pass on this trip. You should scout out the best crossing spot as the obvious one is actually a bit deep and swift....go up/down stream about 20 odd meters for the best spots.
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| Crossing a stream coming off Mt McRae, Nelson Lakes National Park |
There is just a fairly easy last ridge to cross before you get to the Lakehead Hut wharf once you climb to the top you sidle along in the forest for 10 minutes before you started dropping down to the lake shore for the final time on the track.
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| Muddy section of the Lakehead Track near Lakehead Hut wharf |
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| Open Red Beech forest at the head of Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes National Park |
Eventually you reach the Lakehead Hut wharf after walking for about 1.5 hours. You have good views of the outlet of the Travers River and also Coldwater Hut on the opposite side of the lake.
I could see Coldwater was occupied as it had wood smoke coming out of the chimney and a boat tied to the wharf. The wharf here is a good spot for swimming as the lake is shallow but keep an eye out for the massive native eels which live in this lake.
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| Coldwater Hut and the mouth of the Travers River from Lakehead Track |
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| Sign near the Lakehead Hut wharf |
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| Lakehead Hut Wharf and Coldwater Hut on Lake Rotoiti |
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| View up Travers Valley from Lakehead Hut Wharf |
From the wharf it is only 700 meters to the hut or about 20 minutes walk...it is longer than it sounds but you are buoyed by the fact that you are nearly there. The track passes the head of the lake and the swampy terrain which lies there.
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| On the way to Lakehead Hut....head of Lake Rotoiti |
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| Crossing an old dry riverbed near Lakehead Hut |
The first thing you spy close to the hut is the Lakehead Hut campsite nestled in a grove of beech trees about 200 meters away from the hut, then the toilet block and final the hut itself. I was pleased to see wood smoke coming out of the chimney as I got close...it meant someone else had cut the firewood for a change.
I like doing it but it does get to drag when nobody else makes an effort to provide for the night ahead.
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| Lakehead Hut campsite, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Chimney of Lakehead Hut comes into view...Nelson Lakes National Park |
I got to the hut around 5 pm which was fine as there was still 2-3 hours of sunlight left for me to get my evening preparation underway before it got too dark.
Two days at Lakehead Hut
I basically spent the next two nights at Lakehead hut as heavy rain, hail and lightning came in about 7 pm that night. On the first night there were about a dozen people in this 28 bed hut including some hunters, a tramping group from Hamilton, two Te Araroa trekkers (it is real early in the season for crossing Waiau Pass...) and a couple of other odds and sods like myself.
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| Lakehead Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Sign at Lakehead Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park |
I managed to grab my customary spot next to the wall on the front side of the hut...I have been using my new Macpac NZAT quilt for my tramps this season and it works a treat. I always used to use my sleeping bag as a quilt by opening it up but this one is lightweight while providing plenty of warmth for most of the main tramping season.
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| My Macpac quilt at Lakehead Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park |
I have been using Hunting and Fishing fleece tops for about 10 years now and have never had a problem with them. They are cheap, wear well, warm and responsibly lite weight and crucially they still keep you warm when wet unlike a down jacket or vest. the version I'm wearing this year is brown and khaki with an orange trim.
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| Drying my fleece...Lakehead Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Pack and parka drying in Lakehead Hut |
We used up the meager remains of the firewood on the first night...the wood shed at Lakehead Hut was totally empty which is the first time I have ever seen it like this. For the last 3-4 years they have been using forestry off cuts but they must be reconsidering their options. I have heard that this hut is going to be replaced with a new hut further up the valley but this might just be the jungle drums beating.....
More about firewood later.....
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| Lakehead Hut: interior showing the firebox and cooking bench |
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| Lakehead Hut: my cook gear set up on the bench |
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| Lakehead Hut: the sleeping platforms and firebox |
So as I said...no firewood in the shed and none in the local forest (or so I was told by my fellow hut mates). On the second day after they had all gone I went for a firewood hunt and managed to produce this amount of firewood for about 35 minutes worth of effort.
This is all wind fall or standing dry I found within a 300 meter radius of the hut. It was a bit damp and hard to start but it certainly worked on the second night provided you kept the fire stoked up. Sometimes you have to go a bit further afield to find wood as the area around huts and campsites is usually picked as clean as a carcass on the African Plains....
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| Lakehead Hut: firewood gathered from the forest |
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| Lakehead Hut: more firewood ready for use... |
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| Lakehead Hut: more firewood and kindling outside the hut... |
I was a miserable day on the second day....wet, windy, hail, snow, low cloud etc.etc. everyone who came in was cold and wet.
I had a particularly rude family group of people from Nelson (10 to 60's) visit the hut...they were supposed to be having a picnic at Coldwater but it was full so they came over the lake. They were...to be frank...total arseholes! They left the door open, took over the hut, smoked the hut out with a barbecue, smoked in the hut, chopped wood on the veranda, left rubbish at the hut when they left and generally acted like a bunch of nasty spoiled brats!
Worst of all they lit an enormous fire in the campsite and left it burning when they left. I saw huge clouds of smoke coming from the area and went to investigate...I found five foot high flames, cinders blowing everywhere (setting fire to leaves under the trees)...then I discovered they had also cut down a whole grove of young Manuka trees to fire it...I thought for a long time that I was going to have set off my PLB as I could barely contain it. It took me 23 buckets of water and over an hour to put the bastid out.
Excuse my french (as they say) but they were total fuck-wits....we give the tourists a hard time about their behavior but some Kiwis begger belief.....I reported them to DOC of course...I hope someone rang them and told them to stop being so farkin' stupid. Its a national park for Christs sake......
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| Lakehead Hut: view up the Travers Valley |
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| Lakehead Hut: view down the Travers Valley |
Anyway.....I spent most of the second day in the hut reading my book, drinking tea and eating from one of the Backcountry Ration packs I mentioned in a previous post.
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| One of the Backcountry Cuisine 24 hour ration Packs |
The BCC ration packs cost $35 dollars and are meant to provide all the nutrition required for a 24 hour period so I was taste testing one. It had plenty of food and it was mostly good stuff except for the trail mix which was overly sweet and full of loathsome coconut.
Yerkkkkkkkk....!!!!!!!
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| Eating some snacks in Lakehead Hut on the second day |
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| The not so tasty Backcountry Trail mix...not for me!!!! |
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| Dinner in Lakehead Hut: noodles and Classic Beef Curry....yum!!! |
I would buy one again but that execrable scroggin is going straight in the bin.....that said the birds at Lakehead Hut liked it...I poured it out on the grass and watched them happily munch it all afternoon.
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| Jon inside Lakehead Hut |
I managed to eke out a little chunkier firewood by cutting up some old posts I found in the woodshed as well as a couple of larger logs that needed some sawing and splitting...it was just enough to keep the fire going over the course of the night.
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| I split the lumps of wood I found in Lakehead Hut |
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| BCC ration pack snack....these ones were like Smarties....Lakehead Hut... |
There were five of us in the hut that night; myself, a couple of friendly Aussie guys and a young European couple. I had a great chat with the Aussie guys they were my age and on their annual trip to New Zealand for a tramp. They were walking the Travers-Sabine after a longer more rugged trip up the D'Urville Valley to the St James was scarpered by the heavy rain forecast.
Really good guys....they shared their sausages and delicious crusty bread with me...I gave them some of my Whitikers Chocolate. You meet some genuinely good people when you go tramping...
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| Thunderclouds visible from the Lakehead Hut veranda |
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| ....hosing with rain at Lakehead Hut.... |
We had heavy rain, thunder and lightning over the evening but it had more or less ended by the time I fell asleep around 10 pm. Later that night I heard a Kiwi calling close to the hut when I woke up briefly at around 2am. I also heard something big thrashing around in the bush outside...maybe a feral pig or a deer, I got up but couldn't see anything in the dark and gloom.
On the Lakehead Track back to St Arnaud
I was up and getting ready to go by 07.30 the next day...I was keen to get back to the car as I wasn't sure if I might not have to drive down the coast to get home. Also given it was Labour Day I expected it to be super busy on the roads. It was BTW.....
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| Setting off for St Arnaud at Lakehead Hut... |
It was cloudy as I set off but I didn't have any rain or drizzle on my way back to St Arnaud and in fact the sun came out around 8 am and it got finer and warmer as the day went on.
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| Last view of Lakehead Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park |
I checked the fire pit in the campsite on my way past...the fire was fully extinguished thank god which made me feel a bit better about the 'Incident' as I have taken to calling it....
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| Campsite at Lakehead Hut...note fire ring... |
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| Track leading to the Lakehead Hut wharf |
Nice fine weather over the lake as I passed by...I saw a boat collecting people from Coldwater Hut so they must have pre booked an early morning pick up from the dude who runs the water taxi service on the lake.
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| View of Coldwater Hut and the mouth of the Travers River, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Coldwater Hut is more visible on a sunny day..... |
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| Beautiful blue skies over the Travers Valley, Nelson Lakes National Park |
Despite all the rain the track was relatively dry and easy to walk along...I only had a couple of puddles to walk through and the river levels were fine for a solo tramper to ford. This was good as I was a bit worried after all the rain.
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| Back on the Lakehead Track heading home |
The rock garden about 20 minutes past the Lakehead Hut wharf was the wettest part of the track but even this was no real problem.
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| Nelson Lakes National Park: rock garden on the Lakehead Track |
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| Heading down off the first headland....Lakehead Track |
I had to carefully choose my crossing point on both of the un-bridged streams as the water level was up...
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| Recrossing one of the side streams on the Lakehead Track |
After the early morning mist blew away it was a blue sky day and I could see all the new snow which had fallen on the higher peaks over the last three days. I imagine anyone at Angelus Hut up on Robert Ridge had a sporty trip back to the road head as there would be deep snow drifts up at that altitude.
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| New snow on the Travers Range, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Rocky track surface along the Lakehead Track |
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| More Rock gardens on the Lakehead Track |
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| More open Red Beech forest....Nelson Lakes National Park |
Whiskey Falls was roaring away when I passed...I could clearly hear it from the other side of the lake...it would have got a good feed from all that rain over night. I would have liked to walk out via Lakeside Track but there was no damn way anyone was getting over the Travers River ford for a couple of days at least.
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| Robert Ridge from along the Lakehead Track |
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| Low mist around the mouth of Lake Rotoiti |
The second larger side stream crossing the track was remarkably benign when I got to it....not as much water in it as expected and very easy to cross...
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| A wide but shallow river crossing on the Lakehead Track |
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| Side-stream is ankle deep....Lakehead Track |
Once past the river it was easy flat track for quite a while and I made good progress...I didn't see anyone until near the Loop Track junction when I meet an American couple going to Lakehead Hut for a day walk.
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| Note the bushy head on the semi mature Lancewood trees.... |
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| Flat and easy track along Lake Rotoiti |
The lake level was up when I got to the beach opposite Mt Robert...the dry beach had contracted from about 3 meters wide to 2 meters wide but was still passable. It probably gets hard to pass when you have a week of sustained rain in the Travers Valley as the outlet for Lake Rotoiti is quite narrow and also shallow. The water just cannot drain fast enough...
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| St Arnaud is only three kilometers away.....Lake Rotoiti |
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| Excellent view of Mt Robert....note Paddys Track |
I got to the edge of the inland predator free island after 1 hour and 15 minutes so I was moving quickly. The walk back to St Arnaud always seems quicker than the walk into the Travers...probably because you have those track way-points fresh in your head from the trip up lake.
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| Straight flat track as you close on St Arnaud |
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| Edge of the inland predator control island, Lakehead Track |
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| Last full view of the Travers Valley from Lakehead Track |
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| Back at the bridge on the Lakehead Track |
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| Nice section of the Lakehead Track |
I was at the Loop Track-Trackhead Track junction after an hour and 35 minutes, I stopped for my first break of the morning, had drink/snacks and took some photos. From the junction you only have 20 minutes of walking left along fairly nice track so the end is in sight as they say.
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| At the Loop Track/Lakehead Track Junction |
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| My pack at the Loop Track turn off, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Jon at the Loop Track junction on the last day |
The track up the Travers Valley and over Travers Pass is a part of the 3300 km long Te Araroa Trail, so there are TA markers at various points along the track. Probably up to 1000 people a year pass by here on their way north or south. I am a TA section hiker myself...this is one of the easier sections of the track.
The Te Araroa walkers have caused some crowding problems along the trail but generally TA trekkers and trampers get along just fine with each other. The rise in numbers through Nelson Lakes is one of the reasons DOC are looking at moving and enlarging the huts in the Travers and Sabine Valleys.
Everyone is still getting used the trails existence but eventually everything will sort itself out....
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| Te Araroa Trail marker on the Lakehead Track |
Once past the trail junction it is just a section of boardwalk and a couple of sections of Great Walk style track and you are back in St Arnaud.
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| Lakehead Track....the last flat section before the end |
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| Steps to the boardwalk on the Lakehead Track, Nelson Lakes National Park |
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| Lakehead Track...a boardwalk section |
You always boost your pace when you get close to the end of a tramp so you have to slow yourself down. I almost inevitably stumble or fall over and hurt myself close to the end of a track so I have learnt to slow down and walk the same steady pace so I dont injure myself.
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| Back on the quality surface, Lakehead Track |
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| Last section of the Lakehead Track at Kerr Bay, St Arnaud |
I finally walked off the end of Lakehead Track after 2 hours and 10 minutes so I made excellent time. It was busy at the Kerr Bay boat ramp with groups launching boats, boarding water taxis, walking around etc.
I will have to come back up after the holiday madness to do the camping trip that I had planned for this weekend. A few days of good weather in early March/April would fit the bill....
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| End of the Lakehead Track at the Kerr Bay car-park... |
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| Busy on the Sunday morning....Kerr Bay boat ramp, St Arnaud |
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| Lake Rotoiti from near the Kerr Bay boat ramp |
I stopped at the DOC Service Centre on the way to the car to drop off a headlamp someone left in the hut and to tell them about the fire I had to put out. The centre has a small display area and can help you with hut tickets, campsite fees, weather forecasts, maps and a small selection of tramping food items if required. You should always go have a look and check in with them before heading on out.
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| DOC information board outside the St Arnaud DOC Office |
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| Kerr Bay campground was closed for renovation.... |
I had parked at my usual spot in Ward Street and was once again happy to arrive back to find the car safe and secure. I noted a sign at the DOC centre that was warning about car thefts and vandalism at some of the car parks...I would think they are thinking about the Mt Robert car-park which is always a bad spot to park your car. I would also be careful leaving your car near the lake outlet as that is also a remote spot.
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| St Arnaud: heading to the car park on Ward Street...outside the Rangers House |
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| The Silver Surfer in the Ward Street car-park, St Arnaud |
So....not the trip I had planed or expected to be doing but anytime I can get away to Nelson Lakes National Park is a good time for me. I love it up here and once again wished I lived in Nelson (only 2 hours away...) so I could enjoy it more often.
I might be back early in 2020 for a couple of trips I have planned for the park but we will just have to see how thing pan out. Cheers.....
Access: Lakehead Track is in the Travers Valley, Nelson Lakes NP. Access is from the Kerr Bay boat ramp around the edge of the lake. There is a water taxi service, cost is $100 per boat and can be found at the Kerr Bay jetty.
Track Times: It is 2-3 hours to Lakehead Hut from St Arnaud. It is another 20 minutes to the ford near the mouth of the Travers River, then 10 minutes to Coldwater Hut.
Hut Details: Lakehead Hut (Serviced, 28 bunks, water tank, wood shed, toilets),
Miscellaneous: Some un-bridged side streams, only a problem in major rain events but care is required at all times.
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