Nelson Lakes National Park

NELSON LAKES NATIONAL PARK ACTIVITIES AND TRAVEL | Nelson Lakes National Park Information

Nelson Lakes National Park is located in the north of the South Island, New Zealand. The gateway to the park is the town of St Arnaud.

Nelson Lakes National Park protects 102,000 hectares of the northern most Southern Alps. The park offers tranquil beech forest, craggy mountains, clear streams and lakes both big and small. . It is also a good spot for hikers and mountaineers.

It is renowned for its magical honeydew beech forests, which feed a variety of native birds. The Department of Conservation is actively working in the park to create a pest-free sanctuary that will support greater numbers of kaka, kakariki and bush robins, as well as giant snails and native bats.

Nelson Lakes National Park History

Nelson Lakes National Park was established in 1956. The spectacular landscape of Nelson Lakes National Park was sculpted by massive glaciers during the most recent ice ages, and many glacial landforms still remain such as lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa.

In Maori mythology the lakes were created by the great chief Rakaihaitu digging holes with his ko (digging stick). One hole became Lake Rotoiti (small waters) and the other became Lake Rotoroa (large waters).

Main Towns in the Nelson Region

Other Towns in the Nelson Region