Parking
Start at Buller Bridge on Mount Robert Road, just below Lake Rotoiti’s outlet. The bridge access has a car park; West Bay campground and jetty are nearby.
Overview
About Anglers Walk
Why go
- Follows the Buller from its lake outlet, with several trout-fishing spots.
- A natural extension to the Moraine Walk.
Heads up
- The 2.4 km trail distance is one way, so walking back doubles it.
- The suggested circuit return uses State Highway 63.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Nelson Lakes map
Full mapElevation589–625 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Nelson Lakes alerts
- ClosureRotoroa Route permanently closedThe Rotoroa Route is permanently closed along the eastern side of Lake Rotoroa between Rotoroa village and Sabine Hut.Official details
- CautionUnbridged stream between Sabine and D’Urville hutsThe bridge on the track between Sabine Hut and D’Urville Hut has been removed; trampers must cross an unbridged stream at GR E1571366 N5359831.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Nelson Lakes Tour Guide
Your drive to Anglers Walk, narrated.
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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Buller Bridge and Anglers Walk0:00 / 0:24
“You're coming up on Buller Bridge on Mount Robert Road, the start of Anglers Walk.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Nelson Lakes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- West Bay, Lake Rotoiti
- Lakeside Track to Whisky Falls
- Teetotal Campsite and Duck Pond
- Lodge Road and Black Hill Walk
- 26 audio storiesacross Nelson Lakes’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor New Zealand Falcon, Weka, Kererū, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 57 trails, 47 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Anglers Walk
Follow the riverAnglers Walk is a 1.5-mile (2.
Anglers Walk is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) one-way path along the Buller River’s northern bank, starting at Buller Bridge on Mount Robert Road just below Lake Rotoiti’s outlet and ending at the bridge on State Highway 63. Walk the track back for 3 miles (4.8 km) total. Allow about an hour each way; it is an easy-to-intermediate outing with time to pause by the river, not a major day hike.
Riverbank and forestThe path passes stands of mānuka and kānuka, with several good spots to fish for trout.
The path passes stands of mānuka and kānuka, with several good spots to fish for trout. This kind of bank-side forest often marks earlier fire damage and is part of the regeneration toward beech forest. The river is the focus throughout, with the track ending where it reaches SH63.
Add a longer West Bay circuitAnglers Walk also works as an extension to the Moraine Walk; a longer circuit can return along…
Anglers Walk also works as an extension to the Moraine Walk; a longer circuit can return along SH63. That is a linked outing with a highway section rather than a loop on the river path, and its total mileage depends on the added walk. Dogs are not allowed on West Bay walks. Sandflies can be a nuisance in summer, while wasps are particularly common from December through April.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Nelson Lakes
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.
