Nelson Lakes National Park

Established in 1956, covers 101,753 ha of land surrounding lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa, the sources of the Buller River. The original park covered 57,505 ha and was expanded to its present size during the 1980s. The land is broken and mountainous with peaks rising to 2,200 m from dense beech forests. Skiing (in the Mt Robert area), tramping, hunting and trout fishing are the major recreations of the area. The first European explorer in the region was John Silvanus Cotterell who walked through it in 1842, accompanied by a Maori guide. A more thorough expedition was made in 1846 by Thomas Brunner and his Maori companion, Kehu, and William Fox.

Things to do in the Nelson Lakes National Park:

• Walk around the lakes on the tracks
• In winter go skiing at Rainbow Mountain
• Hike up to Lake Angelus, a alpine lake
• Go Trout fishing
• If you are a mountaineer go climbing
• Visit the DOC visitor centre and learn about creatures in the Honeydew forest