Hiking in Nelson Lakes National Park
Nelson Lakes National Park protects 102,000 hectares of the northern most Southern Alps. The Park offers a quiet, yet dramatic experience of craggy mountains, tranquil beech forests, fields of tussock, and clear streams and lakes, both big and small. With its long forested valleys, high passes, large areas above the bush line, lakes and tarns, the landscape is both varied and well adapted to tramping. This is area is filled with long mountain ranges separated by forested valleys, which were gouged out by glaciers in the last ice age. The climate is moderate by comparison with other areas in the Southern Alps. Many other features left from this same period remain, such as the two lakes of Rotoroa and Rotoiti after which the park is named, and where fly-fishing for brown and rainbow trout is popular. The forests are full of birds like tomtits, robins and the tiny rifleman, New Zealand's smallest bird. South Island kaka are also present. The vegetation is predominantly beech, with the red and silver species growing in lower, warmer sites and mountain beech at higher altitudes. The bush line, where forest gives way to alpine plants is a remarkable feature of the park; the change is abrupt and uniform as if drawn with a ruler. In summer the alpine fell fields teem with flowers, though typically they tend to be pale colours, white, light blue and sometimes yellow. This heavily protected native bush lets you see New Zealand as it would have been 500 years ago. Tramping tracks in the Nelson Lakes are characterized by challenging terrain and spectacular views. Nelson Lakes National Park is especially well suited for tramping as the public-use Department of Conservation Huts provide rustic, yet comfortable basic accommodation for multi-day treks. The park is also well equipped with tracks and bridges, yet offers untracked and more remote valleys for those seeking greater challenge, remoteness and wilderness.
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Photos and quotes from the Rimu hiking option in New Zealand's Nelson Lakes
National Park
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"Can
you say billy goat? Great views that you had to work to get. The most hiking I
have ever done and it was totally worth it. Three days without seeing an electric
light. First night of star gazing and looking at the southern hemisphere stars
for the first time was worth the trip. Saw the international space station going
by."
Yancey Cowen (USA) Jan 2003 Rimu | |
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| "Very challenging hiking, but do-able. I loved
that John and Moo let us go at our own pace so that I never felt rushed But I
felt so accomplished when I got done."
Ann Rich (Chicago, IL) Dec
2002 Rimu | | |
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"My
favorite part was the three day hiking/backpacking option, especially the night
at Angelus Hut. First of all, we got to sample some great wines before starting
out - good thing the first day's hike was neither long nor strenuous! Second,
the hiking itself really gave me a sense of accomplishment. The 'trails' were
nothing like what I have hiked before. Third, the camaraderie of our group was
fantastic and we might have been just a little silly that night. Fourth, the views
were outstanding... I could go on and on."
Peggy Cordell (Missoula,
MT) Dec 2002 Rimu | | |
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| "One of the best things about the trip. You
kind of get a taste of what the typical kiwi tramper gets to do every other weekend
(I have a few kiwi tramping friends who talk about this all the time so I was
happy to get a chance to go)."
Barbara Glover (Ontario, Canada) Dec
2002 Rimu | | |
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"Fantastic.
The huts were far better than I had imagined. The hiking was great fun."
Patricia Akstulewicz (Wadsworth, IL) Jan 2003 Rimu | |
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| "Perfect--challenging, but so worthwhile.
Loved the huts--much nicer than the ones I've visited in the states!"
Carla Hinman (Missoula, MT) Dec 2002 Rimu | |
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Rimu itinerary.
