Blue Lake, Nelson Lakes National Park

Image: Charles Quirk | Creative Commons

Blue Lake Hut

Located in Nelson Lakes National Park in the Nelson/Tasman region

Introduction

This is a serviced 16-bunk hut in the Nelson Lakes area.

Hut overview

Category

  • Category
Serviced

Bookings

  • Bookings

Bookings not required - first come, first served

Facilities

  • Heating
  • Mattresses
  • Toilets - non-flush
  • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
16 bunk beds

About this hut

Getting there

Blue Lake is not accessible by car or on a day walk.

The lake is located deep in the backcountry and it takes a minimum of two days backcountry tramping to visit it.
To access the lake the shortest way, take the water taxi from Lake Rotoroa Jetty to Sabine Hut. Walk from the Sabine Hut to the West Sabine Hut (5hrs) and from here to the Blue Lake Hut (3.5hrs). Return the same way.

If you wish to access Blue Lake from St Arnaud, allocate a minimum of four days return.

Tracks to the hut

Location

NZTopo50 map sheet: BS24
Grid/NZTM2000 coordinates: E1571514, N5343732

Altitude: 1,190 m above sea level

Fees

Hut tickets or a Backcountry Hut Pass must be used from 1 May to 30 September.

Hut fees
  • Adult (18+ years): $15 per night
  • Youth (11 - 17 years): $7.50 per night
  • Child/Infant (0 - 10 years): free

Before you go, buy 1 Serviced Hut Ticket (green for adults, orange for youth) or 3 Standard Hut Tickets (blue for adults, yellow for youth) for each night's stay. Put these in the honesty box at the hut. Or buy a Backcountry Hut Pass for unlimited use at most Serviced and Standard huts for a 6 or 12 month period.

Fees to camp at the hut
  • Adult (18+ years): $5 per night
  • Youth (11 - 17 years): $2.50 per night
  • Child/Infant (0 - 10 years): free

Before you go, buy 1 Standard Hut Ticket (blue for adults, yellow for youth) for each night's stay. Put this in the honesty box at the hut. Or buy a Backcountry Hut Pass for unlimited use at most Serviced and Standard huts for a 6 or 12 month period.

Read more about hut tickets and passes 

Know before you go

Blue Lake, known to Ngāti Apa iwi as Rotomairewhenua (the land of peaceful waters), is thought to be the clearest fresh water in the world. While only 7 m deep the clarity of the lake water can exceed 80 m which is close to the theoretically calculated clarity of distilled water.

Respect these waters and do not wash yourself, your clothes or dishes in the lake.

Contacts

Rotoiti / Nelson Lakes Office
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
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
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