Tramping Equipment: Stoney Creek Drone Fly Sheet

New Stoney Creek tarp/fly for camping adventures

I got to use a new piece of equipment on my recent camping trip in Arthurs Pass NP. This was a new tarp/fly sheet made by the local outdoor company Stoney Creek. 

Drone fly sheet set up over my tent, Arthurs Pass NP

I purchased a Stoney Creek 4X4 meter fly with a Hunting and Fishing voucher I got for Christmas. It cost me $80 (normally $119) in their Summer sale and is an item of kit I have needed for some time now. I have a smaller 2.5 x 3 meter fly but it is not large enough for covering my tent and an area for camp tasks. 

Stoney Creek Drone Fly in its carry bag

The fly sheet has a seam sealed 3000 water-head rating and weighs about 700 grams and will provide another option for when I am camping in the backcountry. It is easily big enough to cover three people or can provide a vast amount of covered space for one. 

The Drone fly is 4x4 meters with a central ridge

The fly/tarp came with pre attached guy lines so it is ready for use right off the shelf. They have a handy cord loop on the underside of the fly so once you roll them up you can feed them through the loop to keep everything nice and tidy. 

Guy line looped on the edges of the Drone fly

Good reinforced attachment points for guy lines

The attached guy ropes on the fly are excellent. They are all about 3 meters long and made of a decent quality reflective cord. I had no problems reaching nearby trees with the guys when I used it recently. I was also impressed by how reflective the guys were...I could easily see them from about 40 meters away when I flashed them at night.  

Good quality reflective guy lines on the Drone fly

One thing I did need to buy was a set of X stakes for tying the fly down...they are not provided with the tarp. You really need at least 6 stakes with a tarp to allow you to set it up in a variety of ways. All up the 6 stakes add about 60 extra grams to the total weight. 

Set of Zempire aluminium stakes

I brought some cheap Zempire aluminium X stakes and they will be stored in the stuff sack with the fly. I will probably replace these with some better quality MSR stakes once I find a set. 

Drone fly in use:

Here are some photos of the Drone fly out on its first trip. This is from my New Years camping trip to the Hawdon Valley in Arthurs Pass NP. It didn't rain so I cannot speak to effectiveness by I will once I use it in inclement weather...

Drone fly was more than large enough to cover the tent

As you can see in the photo below there is an attached bag for storing the fly sheet in attached to the corner with a length of cord. 

Stuff sack attached to the Drone fly

No doubt you will see the fly in action in the future as I will be using it on a series of Wild Camping trips I have planned for the new year. 

DOC Backcountry campsites: West Bay-Jetty Campsite

 A summer camping spot at Nelson Lakes NP

This is the second in my new series about DOC campgrounds and in this post I will be looking at the front country campground at Westbay. Westbay is on the shore of Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes NP and is a summer use only site off the Mt Robert Road.

Sign at entrance of Jetty Campsite, Nelson Lakes NP

This campsite is only open from December through April each year...outside of these months you have to camp at the main campground down at Kerr Bay. There are two sites here...Jetty Campsite and Buller Campsite with both holding about 40 sites for a total of 80 all up. 

Looking out to Mt Robert Road, Jetty Campsite

I stopped by on my way back from Mt Robert carpark and had a bit of a walk around the closed site.

Jetty Campsite at Westbay Campground:

Jetty Campsite is the first of the two sites at this camp ground and as they name implies it is opposite the jetty and boat ramp at Westbay. Buller Campsite which is very similar is another 300 meters down the road and close to the Buller River. 

Three zones at the Jetty Campsite, Nelson Lakes NP

DOC 0800 number at Jety Campsite

You drive down Mt Robert Road to reach the campsite and it is about a kilometer off SH63 on the western edge of St Arnaud. It is well signposted at the campsite and also down on SH 63 so it is hard to miss. 

View over to Westbay from the Jetty Campsite entrance

Mt Robert Road continues to Buller Campsite

The Westbay Campground is set amongst thick Kanuka/Manuka bush and the trees provide a good degree of protection from the wind which often whips down Lake Rotoiti. There are two entrances as the gravel roads around the site are one way traffic only. 

Side entrance to Jetty Campsite, Nelson Lakes NP

...this campsite is closed till December...

The campsites are a mix of grass and gravel...probably best suited to campervans and caravans rather than tents. That said I have seen tents pitched here before but they would need to be self supporting as there is no soil to drive pegs into. The sites are easily wide enough for a caravan and a towing vehicle and you would have plenty of space around you in a campervan. 

Sites close to ablution block at Jetty Campsite

This campsite has no powered sites...for powered sites you need to book into Kerr Bay Campground down near St Arnaud. Some sites have picnic tables at then and there are a couple of freshwater taps scattered about the grounds. 

In the Kanuka zone at Jetty Campsite

The sites are wide and long at Jetty Campsite

There is a new and nicely appointed toilet/shower block at each of the campsites with freshwater taps on the outside of the building. The toilets are locked outside of the summer opening so I was not able to show you the interior but they are only a few years old so are in excellent condition. 

Ablutions block at Jetty Campsite, Nelson Lakes NP

Jetty Campsite: cold water showers and hand basin

Water tap on ablution block at Jetty Campsite

Three toilets here at Jetty Campsite, Nelson Lakes NP

Each site has a post with a ticket holder on it where you are supposed to put your booking form and as you can see in the photo below there are some water taps. Apart from this the sites have no other facilities. 

Water tap and campsite, Jetty Campsite

Looking into the Mapou zone at Jetty Campsite

The main draw of this campground is its close proximity to Lake Rotoiti...the jetty and boat launching ramp are literally less than 100 meters away. If you were a fan of the 'sports aquatic' then this would be an excellent base of operations. 

Boat ramp and jetty access to Lake Rotoiti

As well as the lake you have nearby MTB tracks at Teetotal Campsite and a couple of nice walking tracks including the Moraine Walk and Anglers Walk. It is a bit further to St Arnaud Settlement itself but even that is less than 3 kilometers away.

The water level was low in Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes NP

Mt Robert dominates this side of Lake Rotoiti

Westbay looking towards the Brunner Peninsula

All in all the Westbay Campground is very nice, well maintained and would be an excellent place to spend a few days. While it has more basic facilities they are still in good condition and its location close to the lake but away from busy St Arnaud is a real plus. 

Access: Turn off SH63 about one kilometer to the west of St Arnaud. Drive along Mt Robert road to Westbay on Lake Rotoiti. The campsite entrance is directly opposite the jetty at Westbay.

Facilities: Campground, 40 campsites over three zones, toilets, cold water shower, freshwater tap's around site, children's playground. 

Miscellaneous: Westbay Campground has two campsites...Jetty and Buller. Open from December to April each year and can be pre booked on the DOC Website. Alternately visit the DOC Centre on Ward Street. No fires allowed at any time!

You Tube: Jetty Campsite-Westbay Campground

Nelson Lakes NP: At the Mt Robert Carpark

 Gateway to adventures in Nelson Lakes NP

One of the places I visited on my recent trip to Nelson Lakes NP was the carpark on Mt Robert. The carpark is the starting point for many trips in the central section of Nelson Lakes as it gives access to both the Travers and Sabine Valleys. 

View of Mt Robert from the West Bay jetty

You get to the carpark along Mt Robert Road a secondary road from West Bay right up to the carpark on a ridge. The first part off SH63 is sealed but past the Buller River it is a gravel road. You pass by the West Bay Jetty, West Bay Campsite and the Buller River enroute. 

Mt Robert road near Westbay Campsite

The Mt Robert carpark sits at nearly 900 meters a.s.l so it has magnificent views out over Lake Rotoiti, the St Arnaud Range and St Arnaud Settlement. 

Lake Rotoiti from the Mt Robert Carpark

I have been here many, many times over the years but let me show you what you will find if you venture up to the carpark. 

At the Mt Robert Carpark:

The Mt Robert carpark is here for trampers, hunters and climbers...there are no houses or farms up this road so it was built and maintained by DOC just to get people closer to the mountains. It sits at nearly 900 meters so it has taken away a lot of the hard graft you would need to do to get onto Mt Robert. 

Bruner Peninsula from the Mt Robert Carpark

Mt Robert Road runs up to the carpark

The main draw here is the Robert Ridge Route to Lake Angelus and the start/finish of the Travers-Sabine Circuit. There are other tracks leading from here but those two would account for a good 80% of all the people who visit. 

St Arnaud is behind Brunner Peninsula

The top level of the carpark has space for about 40 vehicles and along both sides of the narrow ridge top.  This is where various tracks start and it should offer space except in the very busy Christmas-New Years period when it will be full every day. 

Mt Robert Carpark, Nelson Lakes NP

Mt Robert Carpark, Nelson Lakes NP

There is also a secondary overflow carpark down near the end of Paddy's Track and this will hold about another 50 vehicles. The two are only separated by about 400 meters of road so are within easy walking distance of each other. 

Spillover carpark near Paddys Track, Mt Robert

Closer look at the Paddy's Track carpark

There are awesome views down over this end of Lake Rotoiti from the carpark with a clear line of view from the edge right down to the lake below. You can also see across to the distant St Arnaud Range running down the northern edge of the lake. 

St Arnaud Range to north of Lake Rotoiti

There is a toilet and a small day shelter located at the Mt Robert carpark. The shelter is open on all sides but provides a dry location to sit out of inclement weather while you wait for a transport to collect you. There is no camping allowed here with big fines for anyone found sleeping in the shelter or carpark. 

Mt Robert Carpark Shelter...day use only!!!

Mt Robert Carpark shelter back in January 2022

At the top end of the carpark are the trail heads...uphill for Pinchgut Track and the Robert Ridge Route and to the right (or south) for Speargrass Hut and the Sabine Valley. 

Trailheads at top of Mt Robert Carpark

Mt Robert Carpark can be full in summer

The shelter is a great idea...not big enough to allow people to sleep in it but large enough to provide protection for about a dozen people in wet weather. It has seats on three sides to allow you to move out of the wind and the seat on the southern side has a window looking down onto mature Red Beech forest. 

Mt Robert Carpark: seating on north side

A fence separates Mt Robert Carpark from the shelter

The toilet is close by so this would be an ideal spot to wait for transport or rest up before the walk down Mt Robert Road and into St Arnaud. Just be aware that there is no water source here...the closest water is from a stream 400 meters down the Speargrass Track. 

Mt Robert Carpark...south side of shelter

Mt Robert Carpark Shelter...the most protected side

There was a strong wind blowing the day I was here so the best side of the shelter to sit in was on the more enclosed southern side of the structure. 

Bench seat inside Mt Robert Carpark Shelter

Western view from the Mt Robert Carpark Shelter

I had lunch while I was at the Day Shelter...I made coffee and ate a sandwich I brought at the General store down in St Arnaud. I was using my oldest piece of tramping equipment which is my 32 year old Kovea canister stove. I brought this when I was in the New Zealand Army and have been using it ever since. 

Heating water for a coffee at Mt Robert Carpark Shelter

I sat out of the wind on the southern side of the shelter and brewed up. The Kovea Hiker is a good stove...you should check them out my vlogs on the You Tube channel if you want to see the stove running. 

My Kovea still gets a bit of field use as it is a fine bit of kit and I am quite attached to it. The last trip was with my sister on the Able Tasman Coast Track back in April. She walked that track with a couple of her nursing friends...I gave her instructions not too lose it!!!

...Kovea Hiker stove and Toaks Ti pot...

Drinking my coffee at Mt Robert Carpark Shelter

After visiting the Mt Robert carpark I was heading back down to West Bay to have a look at the DOC campsite there. There are a number of campsites up here at Lake Rotoiti with Kerr Bay the main one open right through the year. The ones between West Bay and the Buller River are only open from December to April so they are available soon. 

Red Beech forest near Mt Robert Carpark Shelter

I had a look at the track heads at the top end of the carpark before leaving. From here you can go south along the Speargrass Track or uphill on the Pinchgut Track. 

Going south gives access to Speargrass Hut, Lake Angelus, Lake Rotoroa, Sabine Valley, Blue Lake and the Waiau Pass. You can also sidle around to the D'Urville and Matukituki Valleys in the less visited part of the National Park. 

Mt Robert Carpark...trail heads

If you head uphill you can walk the Pinchgut Track, Mt Robert Circuit, the Ski Basin Route, Robert Ridge Track, Lake Angelus, and side tracks to both the Travers and Sabine Valleys. This is truly one of the main backcountry crossroads in New Zealand. From here lies a lifetime of adventures. 

Start of the Pinchgut Track on Mt Robert

On a fine day you can see right up the gap in the mountains between the Richmond Range and Raglan Range. Blenheim lies at the end of this gap and this was the route traffic had to take after the Kaikoura Earthquakes closed SH 1. I often head home this way when I visit Nelson Lakes NP as an alternate to Lewis Pass...

Looking down onto Lake Rotoiti from Mt Robert

If you ever find yourself in St Arnaud and the Mt Robert Road is open you should drive up to the carpark. There is plenty to see and do from here and if like me you love Nelson Lakes you will soon come to know it well as you tick off its may splendors...

Access: The Mt Robert Carpark can be accessed along the Mt Robert Road from West Bay on Lake Rotoiti. Turn off SH 63 approximately one kilometer before St Arnaud and follow the narrow gravel road to the top. The Mt Robert Road can close for snow or if a heavy rain storm is expected. 

Miscellaneous: This is a high alpine environment at times above 900 meters asl. Be prepared for all conditions. There is a small day shelter at the carpark and a toilet but no close water source. Mt Robert carpark is often targeted by vandals/thieves so lock away all valuables.

YouTube: Mt Robert Carpark

                  Mt Robert Circuit: a photomontage