Plan & prepare
Ski tourers, Angelus Peak, Nelson Lakes National Park
Getting there
You will find Nelson Lakes National Park in the north of the South Island. The gateway to the park is St Arnaud, a picturesque village just 1.5 hours drive from Nelson or Blenheim.
St Arnaud and Lake Rotoiti are accessed by State Highway 63 from Blenheim. A side road, about half way between St Arnaud and Murchison leads to Lake Rotoroa.
Bus services to St Arnaud operate on an irregular basis. Phone the Nelson Lakes Visitor Centre for more information.
Water taxis operate on both lakes.
Several companies offer on-demand transport to Rotoroa from St Arnaud and Nelson.
Safety
If you are going to be using the track system in the park for overnight trips make sure you are properly equipped and well prepared. Winter conditions can be experienced at any time of year.
Make sure your group has a capable leader and that everyone is carrying a sleeping bag, cooking utensils, sufficient high energy food (with some extra for emergencies), a waterproof raincoat and overtrousers, gloves, a hat, and several layers of warm (wool or fleece) clothing.
Please check-in at the Department of Conservation visitor centre for up-to-date information on weather and track conditions.
Fill in the visitors book if you are staying in a hut.
Before you go into the outdoors, tell someone your plans and leave a date to raise the alarm if you haven't returned. To do this, use the New Zealand Outdoors Intentions process on the AdventureSmart website. It is endorsed by New Zealand's search and rescue agencies and provides three simple options to tell someone you trust the details about your trip.