Nelson Lakes NP: Honeydew Walk: 12 November 2022

 On the Honeydew Walk at Lake Rotoiti

The other short walk I did while on my recent tramping trip to Nelson Lakes NP was the Honeydew Walk.  It is a great little walk and it branches off the main Lakehead Track running along the lake side. 

Lake Rotoiti from the start of the track at Kerr Bay

The first part of the track is along the side of Lake Rotoiti before you climb up onto a an old glacial terrace and do a loop through the beech forest. It was a little windy in the forest but otherwise it was a perfect day to be out and walking. 

DOC signs at start of Lakehead Track

At the start of the track at Kerr Bay

Lake Angelus can be accessed along the Lakehead Track

I had contemplated walking the longer St Arnaud Range Track but as that took another five hours and involved climbing steeply up a series of switchbacks for many kilometers I decided to go with the slightly easier option. 

On the Honeydew Track:

The Honeydew Walk is a short side track off the main Lakehead Track...it is about one kilometer long and takes 25 to 30 minutes to make your way around. 

DOC map of the track network from Kerr Bay

Setting out from Kerr Bay to walk the Honeydew Track

The track skirts Lake Rotoiti to start...

On the Lakehead Track at Lake Rotoiti

The eastern terminus of the Honeydew Track starts about a kilometer from Kerr Bay and it climbs up onto old glacial terraces before sidling around and back down to the main track about 300 meters from the carpark. 

Map: Honeydew Walk, Nelson Lakes NP

Just to clarify things a bit...on the map above I is the Honeydew Walk, II is the St Arnaud Range Track and III is the Lakehead Track. The eastern end of the Honeydew Track comes off the Lakehead Track while the western end attaches to the end of the St Arnaud Range Track. 

Western Terminus of the Honeydew Walk

You can walk the track in either direction it is really up to you to choose. Clock wise from the eastern end is probably best...

Eastern terminus of the Honeydew Walk

Climbing onto the Honeydew Walk, Nelson Lakes NP

Honeydew Walk: the life cycle of a beech forest....

     

The Honeydew Walk travels through a magnificent area of beech forest and is a part of the Lake Rotoiti Recovery Project. The Project aims to restore a vast swathe of forest in Nelson Lakes NP back to a pre human condition. To this end they have an extensive trapping program for introduced pests and they also undertake planting to restore the forest cover. 

Information about the Inland Island project

Initially the project only covered about 100 hectares but it has since grown to cover over 5000 hectares of forest, tussock grasslands and mountain tops. It has created a virtual 'Inland Island' where birds, insects and small animals are able to thrive. 

Walking along the first terrace on the Honeydew Walk

On the Honeydew Track at Lake Rotoiti

The Honeydew Walk is an all weather track with just the one bridged stream crossing. The track is dirt and covered with leaves but it is well drained and elevated so it is usually quite dry. Although it is not wheelchair friendly it is not far off...it is wide, well maintained and easy to walk along. 

Only bridge along the all weather Honeydew Walk

Not much water in the stream...Honeydew Walk

After the initial climb up onto an old glacial terrace you find yourself sidling along a mostly flat track with a variety of beech species and podocarp trees. You can see quite a way out into the open forest and it is a very pleasant place to go for a stroll. 

There are several information panels along the Honeydew Walk

Honeydew Walk: the fauna of Nelson Lakes NP

You turn along the track and head west towards the St Arnaud Range Track. The track weaves in and amongst the trees and it was awesome walking along in the dappled sunlight coming in through the forest canopy. 

Good quality track along the Honeydew Walk, Nelson Lakes NP

Goblin Forest along the Honeydew Walk

Fallen tree debris cleared from the Honeydew Walk

After about 15 minutes walking you come to an area of jumbled glacial erratic's...huge boulders and rock slabs deposited here when some ancient glacier came to a halt and dumped the heaviest debris. The whole of Nelson Lakes NP was formed by and shaped as a result of glaciers evidence of which can still be spotted.

Honeydew Walk: tree growing on a erratic boulder...

 As little as 8 000 years ago there was a huge glacier coming down the Travers Valley carving out Lake Rotoiti on its way west. The other major influence is erosion by both wind, rain action and by the gradual erosive force of the big rivers you find in the park.

The apex of the Honeydew Walk, Nelson Lakes NP

Old glacial debris on the honeydew Track

The apex of the Honeydew Walk is near the old glacial spoil...from here it starts to drop down to a junction with the St Arnaud Range Track before descending further to the main Lakehead Track.

Information about Wasp infestation in Nelson Lakes NP

 The walk through here is elevated over the forest so you can see way off into the forest towards old swamps and silted up kettle lakes. 

Honeydew Track heading for the St Arnaud Range Track

View off the Honeydew Track into the forest

You eventually arrive at the St Arnaud Range Track/ Loop Track coming down off the surrounding peaks. I last travelled up the St Arnaud Range Track way back in 2016 when I did a day walk up to Parachute Rocks nearly 1100 meters above you. 

Honeydew Walk and St Arnaud Range Track junction

The rest of the walk is on the St Arnaud Range Track...

I headed down the St Arnaud Range Track on my way back to the main trail on the route out to Kerr Bay. It was quiet in the forest...I saw about a dozen people the whole time I was walking around the Honeydew Walk even though it is close to the carpark. 

Honeydew/St Arnaud Range Track heading to St Arnaud

I saw and heard a great many birds in this forest including Silver Eye, Fantail, Kaka, Bellbird and Tui. A Kaka flew close by me at one point and sat in a nearby tree noisily protesting at my presence. Kaka numbers are growing right around the country and Nelson Lakes now has a strong population of these forest Parrots. 

DOC 2000 pest trap on the Honeydew Walk

I didn't see any Weka or Pukeko on this trip which is unusual as I often see a few around the Kerr Bay Campsite and on the flats around Lakehead Hut. There may not be any in the area at the moment. 

Information panel about the vision of a restored forest

The end of the Honeydew Walk is a gentle descent down to the main track running along the side of the lake....an easy end to an easy track.

Descending down the Honeydew/St Arnaud Range Track

Near the St Arnaud Range Track and Lakehead Track junction

From the end of the St Arnaud Range Track you turn right and head along the Lakehead Track back to the car park at Kerr Bay. From the track junction you are only 300 meters away from the end of your tramp...

...Western terminus of the Honeydew Track...Lakehead Track

Back onto the main Lakehead Track, Lake Rotoiti

Kerr Bay is just 300 meters away...Lakehead Track

Back on the flat ground next to Lake Rotoiti

There are several excellent views along and up Lake Rotoiti to the Travers Valley which sits at the head of the lake. This is one of my favorite tramping destinations in New Zealand with a number of excellent huts heading up to Travers Pass. This is the path of both the Te Araroa Trail and the Travers -Sabine Circuit. 

View along Lake Rotoiti to the Travers Valley

Mt Robert (1421) from the Lakehead Track

Nearly at the Kerr Bay carpark at Lake Rotoiti

Back at the Kerr Bay entrance to the track

End of the walk at the Kerr Bay Jetty

The Honeydew Walk is a real gem....it travels through some really nice beech forest and would make an ideal intermediate track if you only had an hour or so in St Arnaud. I can thoroughly recommend the walk to you as I really enjoyed the experience. 

Access: Honeydew Walk starts and finishes off the Lakehead Track near St Arnaud. Follow Kerr Bay Road or Lake Road off SH63 (Main Road)  and down to the jetty at Kerr Bay. Numerous tracks start from this location and branch off the main Lakehead Hut Track. There is a track sign about 700 meters from the carpark at the start of Honeydew Track/St Arnaud Range Tracks. 

Track Times: It takes 30-40 minutes (1.5 kilometers) to cover the full circuit of the Honeydew Walk. 

Miscellaneous: High quality track, with multiple interpretation boards along the route. All weather track but potentially muddy after rain.

YouTube: Honeydew Walk

Lewis Pass National Reserve: Lewis Pass Tarn

Return to the tarn at Lewis Pass 

The first walk I finished on my recent trip to Nelson Lakes was actually the short walk to the tarn at Lewis Pass. I was passing by over Lewis Pas and stopped for a break here. I have been here many times in the past...it is always beautiful and the surroundings are stunning. 

View down the Lewis River Valley from Lewis Pass Tarn

Every visit to the Lewis Pass Tarn is different depending on the weather you encounter..it sets the scene for how you view your experience. 

Exploring the area around the Lewis Pass carpark:

I was on my way to Nelson Lakes NP for a couple of days and Lewis Pass is always a good spot to stop for a rest as it it is roughly 2-3 hours from Christchurch. It's good to get out and stretch your legs before tackling the downhill drive to Springs Junction. 

Carpark for the Lewis Pass Tarn/St James Walkway

Map: Lewis Pass and surrounds...

The carpark at Lewis Pass is just before you reach the highest point of the road on the eastern side of the mountains. There is space here for around a dozen cars and especially on fine days and weekends it will be full of trampers and voyageurs enjoying the surrounding mountains. 

Space for about 20 vehicles here at Lewis Pass

From the carpark there are a couple of tracks you can access...on the southern side of SH 73 is the track to the Lewis Pass Tops and the series of lovely tarns along the top of the range of mountains to the east of the Maruia River. On the carpark side of the highway there are tracks to the Lewis Pass Tarn, Lewis Pass Alpine Loop Walk and of course the St James Walkway.

View along the Maruia Valley to the Spencer Range

The tarn is moderately large and quite large waves can develop on the surface as the wind is often blowing across the pass with a bit of force. During colder weather I have seen the tarn completely frozen over though this only happens if there is a lot of snow laying on the ground at the pass.

The Libreto Range overlooks the Lewis Pass Tarn

Lewis Pass Tarn from the St James Walkway

You walk down the St James Walkway for about the first 400 meters of the track to where the track diverts along the Nature Walk. It is worth walking down to this end of the tarn just for the view back over the tarn and down the Lewis River Valley. 

View back over the Lewis Pass Tarn

The tarn is at around 900 meters a.s.l and it is one of the few alpine tarns here in New Zealand easily accessible from the road. Most of the others are atop mountain ranges and require you to walk a couple of hours to view them. 

Multiple tracks start at Lewis Pass

There is a day shelter, toilet and viewpoint at the eastern end of the tarn all along the same short side track from the carpark. The shelter is there for people walking off this end of the St James Walkway...it is open sided but it will keep the rain off you as you wait for a shuttle to collect you. 

Track to the Lewis Pass Day Shelter

Lewis Pass Day Shelter, Lewis Pass National Reserve

There is a watertank attached to the side of the shelter supplied from rainwater run off and along drop toilet just past the hut. You could easily make yourself reasonably comfortable here for a couple of hours...

Day shelter at Lewis Pass...water tank and toilet

The view from the lookout is across the tarn and down the Maruia River Valley to the Spencer Range. The Spencer Range has peaks above 2200 meters and includes mountains such as Gloriana, Una, Desa and the Fairie Queene. These were all names used in a Tennyson poem from the early 1800's. 

Lewis Pass Tarn from the lookout

There was still snow on some of the peak as we have had a late winter this year with  significant snow falls as late as October. It is starting to melt now but it will be an impedance for people crossing the high mountain passes through to the end of December. 

High points along the Spencer Range

To the north east of the tarn lies the Opera and Libretto Ranges and if you are here on a calm still day you can often take beautiful reflective images of the mountains on the surface of the tarn. 

Freyburg Range is to the west of Lewis Pass Tarn

The Opera Range is beyond the Lewis Pass Tarn

I was at the tarn for about an hour filming the tarn and also walking the Lewis Pass Nature Walk. I have vlogs on the way for both of these and they will be appearing on my You Tube channel in due course...

Quiet day at the Lewis Pass Tarn carpark

Lewis Pass is 400 meters west of the carpark

Lewis Pass is another 400 meters up the highway and it is one of the four ways you can drive from east to west over the Southern Alps. The others are Arthurs Pass, Haast Pass and Hope Pass. The West Coast is wetter than the east so when you travel one of these roads you will see a change in the vegetation with Beech forest and tussock lands dominating the east and dense Podocarp forest to the west. 

This is the northern terminus of the St James Walkway

I also walked along the Lewis Pass Nature Walk to get some material for a vlog about the track...I will cover that in a separate post!

Access: From SH 7 (Lewis Pass Highway) a short boardwalk track leads to the Lewis Pass Tarn lookout. You can access several other tracks from the carpark including the Lewis Tops Track, Alpine Nature Loop Track and the St James Walkway.

Track Times: It is two minutes to the Lewis Pass Tarn from the carpark (follow the signs). Other tracks are from 30 minutes to several days depending on length.

Miscellaneous: The Lewis Pass Tarn is in a high alpine area and as such is prone to extreme weather. There is a toilet and trampers shelter near the tarn available to all visitors. Severe avalanche risk on the Lewis Pass Tops & St James Walkway in winter/spring so only proceed if safe (check the Avalanche Advisory website)

YouTube: Lewis Pass Tarn