Located in Nelson Lakes National Park in the Nelson/Tasman region
Fires are not permitted at any time. See fire rules on conservation land.
Kerr Bay Campsite is 500 metres from the St Arnaud village shop.
The campground is open all year around. Bookings are required all year.
There are six camping zones, each with varying numbers of sites.
Powered Sites with hardened surfaces:
Grassy zone suitable for tents:
Kiwi sites are suitable for campervans and provide a gravel surface with some grass around the sites.
A day shelter provides kitchen and cooking facilities – no pots, pans, cutlery.
The ablution block has:
There is a sewage dump station opposite the cooking shelter.
Non-powered site
Powered site
9 February to 25 December
Non-powered site
Powered site
26 December to 8 February
Non-powered site
Powered site
Tokens required for showers: $1 each
The DOC Campsite Pass can be used at this campsite except between 26 December to 8 February inclusive.
Campsite Pass bookings must be booked online before occupying a site. If you do not pre-book, bookings may be made by a visitor centre and will incur a $10 service charge.
For stays after 1 July there is a $3 fee per Campsite Pass user to book a powered site.
Bookings are open for stays up to 30 June 2023.
Bookings are required all year. Book well in advance for the Christmas holiday period, classic boat show and powerboat regatta weekends, and Easter.
A $10 service fee applies to phone and in-person booking. This is a limited service – book online first. An in-person booking is dependent on there being space available.
Your booking will be for a site, which will be allocated or selected on arrival.
The campsite is located beside Lake Rotoiti, Kerr Bay just off SH63 on Kerr Bay Road. The site is not suitable for vehicles greater than 7 m in length.
The campsite is near the St Arnaud township, which is 1 hour 30 minutes by road from Nelson or Blenheim.
NZTM2000 coordinates: E1587370, N5371777
Latitude: -41.80577, Longitude: 172.84795
The management reserves the right to cancel tenancy at any time if park by-laws or these regulations are contravened and under such circumstances will not refund any fees paid in advance.
Nelson Lakes National Park is reducing waste to be more sustainable. Keep rubbish to a minimum at this campsite and, if possible, take out any rubbish brought in.
The campsite is remote, and it is difficult for DOC to manage large volumes of rubbish and recycling.
If you are unable to take your rubbish with you, carefully sort general rubbish and recycling into the bins provided.
Waste transfer stations are located at the following centres:
A concession is required to fly a drone on any public conservation land.
Services offered at the Visitor Centre include walk and tramping information, maps, hut bookings and tickets, fishing licences and retail sales. Interpretive displays explain the landforms, history and wildlife of the area.
| Rotoiti / Nelson Lakes Visitor Centre | |
| Phone: | +64 3 521 1806 |
| Fax: | +64 4 471 1117 |
| Email: | nelsonlakesvc@doc.govt.nz |
| Address: |
View Road St Arnaud |
| Postal Address: |
PO Box 55 St Arnaud 7053 |
| Full office details | |
| Whakatū / Nelson Visitor Centre | |
| Phone: | +64 3 546 9339 |
| Fax: | +64 4 471 1117 |
| Email: | nelsonvc@doc.govt.nz |
| Address: |
Millers Acre/Taha o te Awa 79 Trafalgar Street Nelson 7010 |
| Postal Address: |
Private Bag 5 Nelson 7042 |
| Full office details | |
Positions for the 2021/2022 season are full. Applications for the 2022/2023 summer season will open mid-August.
Take one of the many walks through the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project in Nelson Lakes National Park and you'll experience a forest alive with the sights and sounds of birds.