St Arnaud Sampler

From beside the Alpine Lodge follow the signposted trail to Kerr Bay via Black Valley Walk - a lovely warm-up alongside a beautiful stream. Very soon you'll be at Kerr Bay - turn right and head for the water's edge where the bush meets the lakeshore next to a toilet block. From here pick up the Brummer Peninsula Nature Walk.

Follow this beautiful bit of easy single track for 3.7k to West Bay & then turn immediately right on the sealed road. Within a couple of hundred metres and shortly after rounding the first bend you need to turn left on to Moraine Walk - keep a sharp eye out as this is not well marked. This is a lovely section of moderate single track that leads to the river. NOTE: there is one unmarked junction where you need to veer right (if you miss this and end up in the campground then re-trace your steps back to this point)

Once you hit Anglers Walk - the gorgeous bit of trail that follows the Buller River as it empties out of Lake Rotoiti - turn right and follow it all the way to the main road. Turn right on the road, up a short hill on a right-hand bend, then cross the road and look for a gate (may be open, may not.) Go through/over this and head directly away from the road to pick up the Skate Pond Loop MTB Trail. Turn right.

Follow this MTB trail for a little over 1km, then cross to the far side of the car park when you reach it and continue following the Skate Pond Loop Trail until you reach the next junction (only a couple of hundred metres.) Turn right again towards & past the ice skating pond and reach another DoC parking/camping area. Here pick up the Village Link Track and follow all the way back to St Arnaud - NB this is much further than the 1.2km that it says on the signpost! At least 2km I reckon!

The trail spits you out on to a new subdivision - turn left and run on the verge out to the main road. Almost straight ahead of you will be the Alpine Lodge. Well done, it's time for food and a coffee!