Nelson Lakes National Park

Nelson Lakes National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand, at the northern end of the Southern Alps. It was created in 1956 (one of four created in the 1950s). The park contains beech forests, multiple lakes, snow-covered mountains and valleys created by glaciers during the ice ages.

History

The lands and waters of Nelson Lakes National Park are of significance to many Māori nations partly because the waters of the lakes are important sources for the rivers running through various regions. These nations or iwi include: Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama ki Te Tau Ihu, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Te Atiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui and earlier, Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri. The first national park in New Zealand was established in 1887. Pressure from Māori groups to preserve land and support amongst Pākehā advanced the national park movement.

Nelson Lakes National Park was formed after the passing of the National Parks Act (1952) in 1956, also Fiordland (1952), Mount Cook (1953) and Urewera (1954) National Parks were created in the 1950s.

Geography

Nelson Lakes National Park covers some . The park is centered at two large lakes, Rotoiti and Rotoroa, and is bounded to the west by the Alpine Fault. The park also includes the surrounding valleys (including Travers, Sabine, D'Urville and the upper reaches of the Mātakitaki).

Mountain peaks in the park have elevations ranging from approximately to . Two permanent snowfields are located on Mt. Ella and Mt. Hopeless, and are the northernmost of this feature on the South Island. Mountain ranges intersecting the park include: Northeast of the park is the Mount Richmond Forest Park. In 1959, The first park ranger was appointed in 1959. George Lyon, in this role, spent much of the 1960s building huts and making improvements to the tracks.

Ecology

A wide variety of ecosystems exist within the park, in turn supporting many bird, amphibian and insect communities. Landscapes range from alpine scree to wetlands, tussocklands and upland mountain beech forests. Forests of mountain, red, and silver beech provide habitat for threatened kākā and kākāriki. However, birds and insects that relied on the honeydew production of the park's beech forests have been severely negatively impacted by invasive wasps.

Western weka

The western weka (Gallirallus australis australis) is considered rare in the Nelson Lakes area. They were common when Charles Heaphy visited Lake Rotoroa in 1846. Julius von Haast wrote in 1861 that "no other bird being as numerous as the weka which was everywhere in the grassy plains, forests, as well as near the summits of mountains amongst sub alpine vegetation".

South Island kākā

Large populations of kākā existed in the national park in the 1800s with "hundreds" living around Lake Rotoroa by about 1900. The populations declined throughout the 20th century to the point that it was rare to see groups of more than five or six birds by 1991. Then, in 2021, four examples were found in the Sabine Valley. The Cupola gecko is described as looking similar to other forest geckos, with grey-brown colouration and either darker or lighter W- or V-shaped bands across its back. The 2021 discoveries confirm that they live in alpine regions.

Long-tailed bat

The South Island long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) were, in 1900, "a common sight" in the national park. A spot one kilometre to the east of St. Arnaud was known as "bat cutting". They were observed to be declining in numbers by 1930 even though a colony of "more than a hundred bats" was observed. By the early 1990s, the species was classified as "rare" and numbers have declined further in the early 2000s in most valleys of the national park. They are still very occasionally seen by trampers.

Conservation and human interaction

Management

Rotoiti Mainland Island

The Rotoiti Mainland Island consists of 5000 hectares of beech forest around Lake Rotoiti. There is a project which aims to eliminate introduced pests such as stoats, possums, wasps and rodents, and allow recovery of the forests and native wildlife populations.

The Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project has been a success in that it has reduced predator numbers on the eastern side of Lake Rotoiti. It is possible to see great spotted kiwi, robins, bellbirds, fantails, rock wrens, keas and paradise ducks as a result. The ski field was first scouted for potential in 1929 and between 1933 and 1934 the Kea hut was built and the ski field established. In 1944, the Nelson Ski Club was established. In the early days, accessing the ski field was a challenge. One had to row across Lake Rotoiti and then hike to the top of Mount Robert while carrying all of one's ski gear. The ski field was closed in 2003. This was due to a lack of consistent snow and changes to when the school holidays fell during the year.

Other activities include mountaineering, boating, fishing and mountain biking.

Huts

thumb|Speargrass Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand

Nelson Lakes National Park contains 20 Department of Conservation huts, ranging in quality from 'basic hut/bivvy' to 'serviced hut'. Snow and poor weather can occur at any time during the year, and the combination with easy access to Robert Ridge from St. Arnaud and the scenic location of Angelus Hut may cause trampers to underestimate the difficulty of accessing the hut. During winter months, Lake Angelus (adjacent to Angelus Hut) is generally frozen over, and each of the four routes to the hut are usually covered in snow and can be very icy.

After a tourist succumbed to hypothermia while tramping alone near Angelus Hut in July 2018, more initiatives were taken to raise awareness of harsh and variable conditions in the park. Inexperienced trampers are encouraged to avoid solo trips in alpine conditions or in winter, to be aware of the weather forecast, and to take an emergency shelter, navigation equipment and an emergency communication device.

References

External links

Nelson Lakes National Park at the Department of Conservation
Friends of Rotoiti – volunteer pest control group
New Zealand Mountain Safety Council's video on the Poukirikiri/Travers Saddle on the Travers-Sabine Circuit
New Zealand Mountain Safety Council's video on Robert Ridge Route to Lake Angelus
New Zealand Mountain Safety Council's video on Waiau Pass
Nelson Lakes National Park visitor information (PDF)