We tackled Mt. Robert today and summited! We got an early start for a tough uphill climb to above the treeline.

Robert on Mt. Robert!

Above treeline is the Relax Hut, constructed by the Nelson Ski Club in 1957. Beyond the hut is the Robert Ridge Route and warnings “That was the easy part”! We chose to take Paddy’s Trail down the mountain, but out in the open under the sunny sky.

Beautiful views across the lake, above treeline.

Today we took two walks, the first along the Buller River, the only outlet from Lake Rotoiti.

Crystal clear water flows out to become a recreational river mecca for white water rafting, jet-boating and fly-fishing for brown trout!

We then drove to the other side of the lake to walk through the “honeydew forest” of beech trees. The unique relationships between a species of NZ beech trees, a microscopic tree scale insect and a black fungus creates a fairytale forest of heady aroma! The spicy sweet scent is hard to describe, not flowery, but more honey scented with a back hint of baby powder. The sweet ‘honeydew’ droplets of nectar flow out of tiny hair-like anal filaments of the scale insect that is burrowed into the bark of the beech tree. The ‘sooty mould’ grows where the honeydew is dripping and eventually coats the infected trees and appears to flow off the trees onto anything in the surrounding area. The sooty mould feels rubbery on the trunks of the trees. Walking through the honeydew forest you can imagine elves or fairies living amongst the ferns and mosses covering the forest floor along the banks of streams flowing down the steep rocky slopes of the mountains surrounding the glacial lake.

A closeup of a beech tree infected with the honeydew scale insect. in the middle is an anal filament with a droplet of the ‘honeydew’, the waste product of the sap-sucking insect. There are other fungi growing in the forest too, 3 samples found on our walk.

The roots of a long ago fallen tree, covered with ferns.

Seven miles in four hours! We hiked the Lakeside trail on the west bank of Lake Rotoiti, starting out fairly early to avoid the heat of the day.

Looking across the lake as the clouds slowly dissipate.

We made it to our destination, Whiskey Falls, the only falls marked on the maps around the lake. Set back from lakeside with steep, rough terrain around keeping us from getting any closer.

We left the shade of the forest to return and found the nearby boat ramp. A beautiful day for a walk!

Yesterday we drove from Picton to our B&B in St. Arnaud in the interior, gateway to Nelson Lakes National Park. Today we started our exploration of the Park.

Just a short 4km from our accommodation, and walking distance from the center of the tiny town of St. Arnaud, is Lake Rotoiti, a glacial lake at the edge of the Southern Alps.

After walking around the small peninsula protruding into the lake that separates Kerr Bay from West Bay we drove up Mt. Robert Road on the west side of the lake.

On the right flank of the lake is Mt. Robert overlooking the lake, looming behind me.

From the Mt. Robert Viewpoint, looking down on the lake.