Set at the northernmost point of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, about 120kms southwest of Nelson, lies the enthralling Nelson Lakes National Park. The park is centred around the exquisite alpine lakes of Rotoroa and Rotoiti which are surrounded by native honeydew beech forests which attract an abundance of birdlife including the kea (mountain parrot), kakariki (parakeet), kaka (forest parrot), and korimako (bellbird). The gateway to the park is St Arnaud, a quaint little village on the shores of Lake Rotoiti from which a network of walking tracks lead to lush and tranquil forests, magnificent glacial lakes, and high mountain passes.