Lodging · Nelson Lakes National Park
A 10-bunk lakeside hut with a jetty for boats and kayaks.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Nelson Lakes Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Nelson Lakes National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
D'Urville Hut is a 10-bunk backcountry hut on the shore of Lake Rotoroa. It's a destination for an overnight stay in the Nelson Lakes backcountry, reached on a multi-day tramp or by boat rather than as a quick road stop. The jetty and small kayak landing make the lake part of the arrival.
There are mattresses, heating, a wood stove and a non-flush toilet, plus a small area under the trees for limited camping. It's self-catering, with no food service; the water is untreated, so boil it before drinking.
The hut sits right at the water's edge, with views across Lake Rotoroa to the surrounding mountains. Its jetty is useful for boat arrivals, but it can be flooded when rain or snowmelt raises the lake. Make room for sandflies as a possible nuisance; visitors have reported them here.
The current hut was built in 1964 to replace the earlier D'Urville Fisherman Hut.
Wildlife
20 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
39 sightingsWekaMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
11 sightingsKererūMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
55 sightingsBlack SwanMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
23 sightingsParadise ShelduckMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
17 sightingsTūīMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Nelson Lakes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingD’Urville Track to Upper D’Urville Hut25.1 km · 11 hr · At the trailheadA remote valley traverse linking four backcountry huts.
ModerateD’Urville–Sabine Track7.9 km · 2 hr · At the trailheadA remote 4.9-mile hut link with a serious stream crossing.
ChallengingMount Misery Track7.8 km · 6.5 hr · 0.8 km awayA 1,100-metre climb to a hut beside a tarn.
ChallengingAngelus Hut via Mt Cedric Track/Route6.8 km · 6 hr · 2.9 km awayAn exposed ridge links two remote huts above an alpine basin.
ChallengingSabine–Speargrass Track11.5 km · 5 hr · 2.9 km awayA remote hut crossing, with a boardwalk through mountain wetlands.
ChallengingMole Saddle–Tiraumea Track5.8 km · 4 hr · 7.5 km awayAn undulating ridge walk down to a backcountry hut.Parkwolf’s Nelson Lakes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
