Bookings required
No firewood supplied from May to September. Gather dead wood from surrounding forests. Do not fell or break branches off live trees.
Fees
- Adult (18+ years): $25 per night
- Youth (5–17 years): $12.50 per night
- Child/Infant (0–4 years): free
Backcountry Hut Passes
Passes are valid for use in this hut from 1 May to 30 September. Passes won't be accepted from 1 October to 30 April. However it is valid to use for camping within 200 metres of the huts all year round.
Fees to camp at the hut
Fees to camp at this hut are paid using hut tickets.
- Adult (18+ years): $10 per night
- Youth (5–17 years): $5 per night
- Child/Infant (0–4years): free
Before you go, buy 1 Standard Hut Ticket (blue for adults, red for youth) for each night's stay. Put this in the honesty box at the hut.
About hut tickets and passes | Retailers that sell hut tickets and passes
Campers may use hut water supply and toilets.
Te Araroa – the Trail Pass
Registered Te Araroa Trail walkers should purchase the Trail Pass for Te Araroa.
Bookings
Bookings are open for stays up to 30 June 2025.
All bookings are first-come first-served. We do not have waiting lists for bookings for future seasons or facilities that are already booked-out.
Bookings are required all year.
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.
- West Sabine Hut: 3.5 hrs
- George Lyon (Ella) Hut: 6 hrs
- Waiau Hut: 10 to 12 hrs via Lewis Pass – Waiau Pass Track – Blue Lake Route
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:
- Sabine Hut to the West Sabine Hut 5 hours
- West Sabine Hut to Blue Lake Hut 3.5 hours. Return the same way.
If you wish to access Blue Lake from St Arnaud, plan a minimum of four days return.
Tracks to this hut
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Duration: 4 - 7 days Difficulty: Advanced
Location
NZTopo50 map sheet: BS24
Grid/NZTM2000 coordinates: E1571514, N5343732
Altitude: 1,190 m above sea level
Respect the pure lake water by not touching it
Rotomairewhenua/Blue Lake and Rotopōhueroa/Lake Constance hold high cultural significance to Māori, particularly Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō iwi.
The lakes are tapu (sacred) and restrictions are placed on these lakes to uphold their mauri (life force) and purity.
Show respect by not touching the water. Do not swim, wash, take water or put any equipment into these lakes.
Keep lakes free of lindavia (lake snow)
The invasive alga lindavia is present in Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa. It causes lake snow – a sticky mucus that hangs below the surface of the water.
Use a biosecurity cleaning station at Coldwater Hut, Lakehead Hut and Sabine Hut to disinfect any boots, socks, clothing, towels or drink bottles that are wet or damp from lake or river water.
Do not touch the water in Rotomairewhenua/Blue Lake and Rotopōhueroa/Lake Constance.
You may swim and fill drink bottles in the Sabine River below the outlet of Rotomairewhenua/Blue Lake.
Nelson Lakes National Park Visitor Centre
| Phone: | +64 3 521 1806 |
| Email: | nelsonlakesvc@doc.govt.nz |
| Address: | View Road St Arnaud 7072 |
| Hours: | Visitor centre hours and services |
Whakatū/Nelson Visitor Centre
| Phone: | +64 3 546 9339 |
| Email: | nelsonvc@doc.govt.nz |
| Address: | Millers Acre/Taha o te Awa 1/37 Halifax Street Nelson 7010 |
| Hours: | Visitor centre hours and services |