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Key facts
- Distance
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 15 min
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- Nelson Lakes National Park
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
From Lake Rotoroa car park, this track passes through a stand of kahikatea and around the lake outlet emerging on the road near Lake Rotoroa Lodge.
This DOC directory entry covers Flower Brothers Walk in Tasman, within Nelson Lakes National Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time: 15 min
- DOC grade: Easiest
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Named in memory of two early settlers at Lake Rotoroa, Cyril and Hubert Flower, Flower Brothers Walk is located at the northern end of the lake, between the lake foreshore and the outlet.
The walk begins to the right of the car park and jetty, then passes through a stand of mixed podocarp–beech forest dominated by kahikatea. It then follows around the lake outlet to the beginning of the Gowan River, emerging on the road near Rotoroa Lodge.
Kahikatea was once common as pure stands in swampy areas of alluvial flood plains and on the margins of lakes, rivers and estuaries throughout New Zealand. The clearance, drainage and conversion of these areas to farmland have resulted in the widespread loss of kahikatea forest.
Kahikatea is New Zealand’s tallest tree, often reaching 60 m in height. While preferring wetter, low-lying areas, kahikatea will also grow in forests on drier sites up to 600 m in altitude.
Getting there
By road, St Arnaud, the main entry point for the national park, is 1 hour 30 minutes from Nelson or Blenheim, 5 hours from Christchurch, and 2 hours from Westport. Lake Rotoroa Village is 40 minutes from St Arnaud, off SH6.
Buses run to St Arnaud from Nelson, Picton, and the West Coast. An on-demand shuttle links Lake Rotoroa with the Mt Robert car park. Water taxis operate on the lakes.
Know before you go
Bad weather and freezing conditions can occur at any time in the park. Be prepared with warm, waterproof clothing and extra food.
Do not light fires.
Boil, filter, or treat water for drinking.
In late summer and autumn, carry antihistamine if allergic to wasp stings.
Pest control programmes, using toxins and traps, operate in the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project area, and at the northern end of Lake Rotoroa. Keep to the tracks marked with orange triangles.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
