The Nelson Lakes area is situated in the mountainous heartland of the Nelson/Marlborough Conservancy at the northern end of the Southern Alps. It includes the headwaters and some tributaries of the Wairau, Motueka and Buller Rivers.
Key land areas are the Nelson Lakes National Park, which include Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa, the south-eastern corner of Kahurangi National Park (Mt Owen, Matiri), the south-western corner of the Mt Richmond Forest Park, and numerous areas of reserve and conservation land extending south of Murchison as far as the Shenandoah Saddle.
Some good hunting areas are available ranging from dry mixed beech forest in the east through to the wetter podocarp forests of Kahurangi National Park and the Victoria Forest Park in the west. Vast open tops are significant throughout the area with some good red deer and chamois hunting to be had in these environments. Pigs are present in some areas with heavier concentrations in the lighter cover and bush/farm pasture margins. Feral goats are also present in some locations.
Extreme weather conditions can be encountered year round and good fitness levels and bush skills are necessary for traversing much of the terrain.
Public roads provide access to much of the area but remember to seek permission from landowners if need to cross private land.
Location
The gateway to Nelson Lakes is St Arnaud, a 1-2 hour drive from Nelson or Blenheim.