Nelson Official Visitors - NZOA Annual Scientific Meeting 2013

12
National Parks
there are just 14 national parks in New Zealand, and Nelson
tasman is blessed with three of them – all within 90 minutes
of the city. Visiting a protected area is a special experience and
we welcome you to join us in taking special care of our natural
environment by taking away your rubbish, and supporting
tour operators and accommodation providers who operate
sustainably. Be sure to check weather conditions, take
appropriate clothing, and book Department of Conservation
huts and camping sites before you leave. You can do all of
these things at your local i-SItE or Visitor Information Centre.
Abel Tasman National Park
new Zealand’s smallest but most visited
national park. it combines lush native bush,
golden sands, turquoise waters, rugged
limestone cliffs and tidal lagoons – the abel
tasman seldom fails to enthrall. the abel
tasman coastal track, one of the department
of conservation’s “great Walks” offers easy to
moderate hiking, and the sheltered coastline
is popular for sea kayaking. it will take 3-5
days to walk or kayak the full length of
the park, with campsites, huts and lodge
accommodation available along the way.
access into the park is by hiking or water
taxi. if driving you will leave your vehicle at
kaiteriteri, totaranui or marahau. in summer
months you can depart direct from nelson
city with a 50 minute catamaran cruise.
tip: book accommodation in advance and
check times for tidal crossings.
Kahurangi National Park
kahurangi national park is the second largest
national park in new Zealand. some 570km
of incredible tramping tracks span 452,000ha
from golden bay in the north, south to
murchison and tapawera, and to the West
coast of the south island. kahurangi is the
home of the largest remaining population
of great spotted kiwi. another designated
department of conservation “great Walk “,
the heaphy track traverses from golden
bay to karamea, over craggy ranges, alpine
meadows, valleys of tropical native palms,
and ruggedly beautiful coastline. Winter
mountain-biking is also available on the
heaphy track. a helicopter will give you a
bird’s eye view of this incredible landscape
which includes sites filmed for the lord of the
rings and other middle earth areas.
tip: ensure you have organized transport to and
from start and finish points of the heaphy track.
Nelson Lakes National Park
nelson lakes national park is the
northernmost part of the southern alps and
south of nelson city. st arnaud is a quaint
alpine village and the gateway to the park
where a range of short and long walks are
available. there are remote mountain passes
to challenge the experienced solitude-seeker
and the park comprises impressive native
beech forests, valleys, glacial lakes and
craggy peaks. enjoy hiking this lake and river
filled alpine world, or take to the slopes in
the winter at rainbow ski area. one of
the best ways to see the beauty of this
magnificent landscape is by air in a glider or
by helicopter. nelson lakes is home to the
rotoiti nature recovery project, which aims
to revive populations of kiwi, other native
birds and lizards.
tip: take warm clothing and check weather
conditions regularly.
For more information and
bookings visit the Nelson i-SITE
and DOC visitor centres in
Millers Acre Carpark, Nelson.
Or visit www.NelsonNZ.com
or www.doc.govt.nz.