Lakeside Track (Kerr Bay to West Bay)

Overview

This is the easy, shore‑hugging link between Kerr Bay and West Bay on Lake Rotoiti. It’s a mellow, family‑friendly wander with frequent beach access and interpretive panels. Expect mostly flat footing through beech forest with occasional peeks across the water to big mountain walls. Length is about 2.4 miles one way (plan on roughly 1 hour each direction).

What it’s called (so you’re not confused)

Locally, this section is signed as the Brunner Peninsula Nature Walk. The “Lakeside Track” name usually refers to the western‑shore path that runs south from West Bay toward Coldwater Hut. If you’re heading only between Kerr Bay and West Bay, follow Brunner Peninsula signs.

Highlights you’ll notice

• You’ll cross the Alpine Fault twice—fun geology with panels that explain what you’re walking over.
• Easy, lake‑level walking with lots of quick detours to the shore for photos or a snack stop.
• Classic Nelson Lakes beech forest with regenerating mānuka/kānuka; listen for tūī and bellbirds, and watch for flitting fantails, tomtits, bush robins, and the occasional kākā overhead.

Extensions (if you want more)

From West Bay you can keep following the Lakeside Track south along the western shore. It’s about 1 hour to Whisky Falls (a 40 m cascade), then 1 hour back to West Bay. For a bigger outing, continue past Whisky Falls to where the track climbs to Mt Robert Road (about another hour), then road‑walk back to Kerr Bay (about 1 more hour). Linked together from Kerr Bay, that makes a satisfying ~4‑hour circuit with variety and a waterfall payoff.

Best time to hike

Year‑round is fair game here. Mornings and late afternoons often bring calmer lake surfaces and nicer photography light along the shore. Summer days are lovely but come with biting sandflies; from December to April, wasps can be common. Weather can change quickly in this alpine‑fringed basin any month—carry a warm layer and a rain shell.

Logistics and tips

• Trailheads: Start near the Nelson Lakes Visitor Centre on Kerr Bay Road, or from the West Bay car park off Mt Robert Road.
• There are no rubbish bins—pack everything out. Drones require a permit from the conservation authority.
• Bring insect repellent; sandflies can be persistent even on breezy days. If you’re allergic to wasps, carry antihistamines during the December–April window.