Saturday 10 June 2023

Mt Robert Circuit, Nelson Lakes National Park

What a stunning Bluebird Day! with perfect windless, cloudless conditions up above Lake Rotoiti. The mild early-winter weather meant no snow on our circuit, or even on the nearby hills of the St Arnaud Range or further up on Robert Ridge.

We started at the Mt Robert carpark, where there’s an excellent new entrance portal. We headed up the Pinchgut Track, having morning tea on the bench where the track breaks out of the forest. 

Passing Relax Shelter, the majority of us continued climbing to the ridge overlooking the basin containing the old Mt Robert skifield. Still not a skerrick of snow to be seen.

Kea Ski Hut (privately owned) was our lunch stop, followed by another break soon afterwards at Bushline Hut. Then it was down Paddy’s Track, and across back to the Mt Robert carpark. 

This five hour circuit is one of the gems in Nelson Lakes’’ crown, and we were nine happy punters.

The group was Ian (leader), Diane (scribe), Pete (videographer), Rob, Annette, Petra, Maria, Roger and Pauline.