Lake Daniell Track
Track category
Great Walk/Easier tramping track
Time:
3 hr one way
Distance:
8.4km one way
Description
Mother and daughter at Lake Daniell
From the shelter, the track enters the trees and soon crosses the Maruia River over a deep, narrow gorge called the Sluice Box. From the Sluice Box the track continues up the Alfred River. The track passes through spendid red beech forest until it reaches the lake edge and the Manson Nicholl Memorial Hut (sleeps 24). In front of the hut small jetty juts out into the shallow waters of the lake.
Lake Daniell is within the Maruia Waka Huia special biodiversity area which is a time capsule of what New Zealand once was. Keeping the many rare wildlife and plant species of the Maruia area safe from introduced predators requires a massive conservation effort. You may encounter some of the many predator traps along the way that are part of this effort.
Family at Mason Nicholl Hut
Getting there
Lake Daniel Track begins from the Marble Hill camping area located 5kms east of Springs Junction on the Lewis Pass Highway. Turn off the highway onto a gravel road and drive several hundred metres till you come to a shelter on the left hand side.
Activities
Bird and wildlife watching
Camping
Child/family friendly activities
Fishing
Swimming
Birds and wildlife watching
On the track to the lake you may encounter tomtit, rifleman, robin, tui,fernbird, silvereye, grey warbler, bellbird, and even kaka or kakariki.
Camping
Camping is possible on the grass surrounding the hut or a little further around the lake in the open forest.
Families
This is a great walk for families with young children or those people new to tramping. The track is a well formed bench track that can also be completed as a day walk. There are two bunk rooms in the Manson-Nicholl Hut which can cater nicely for families with young children.
Fishing
There is excellent trout fishing in the lake.
Swimming
The lake is shallow and the water is warm enough to swim in during the summer months.
Plan and prepare
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.
Guides and commercial tourism providers