Lakeside Track

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Lake · River/Creek · Swimming · Views

A good flat trail with a couple of tougher sections.

From the roadside parking lot on Mount Robert Road, you'll start out in a low forested area and cruise for about a mile. Next, the trail drops down toward the lake. Once you are down by the lake, you are running through tall Southern Beech forest. From here, the trail undulates along the edge of the lake. Occasionally, it rises high above and gives you a good look at the clear blue waters, only to drop back down to the shore of the lake. After what seems like a quick five miles, you turn a corner and arrive at the Coldwater Hut, where you can continue on to the Lower Valley Travers Track or take a swim at the pier.

Lots of cool birds. Bellbirds, fantails, kaka, and Kea parrots, wekas, rock wren and paradise and blue ducks. The area is dominated by the Black Beech trees which produces a sweet liquid that in turn produces a black mold on all the trees. This can cause a smell like sour, rotting apples.