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- Pelorus Bridge, Water Falls Tramp
Pelorus Bridge, Water Falls Tramp
| Location: Northern End. South Island |
| Nearest Town: Nelson 55k |
| Nearest City: Blenheim 51k |
| Length of tramp: 4.3k |
| Time needed: 2 hours return without stopping for a coffee. |
| Difficulty: Easy |
| Route: Round trip |
| Wet Feet: You might get wet feet if you walk right up to the falls after a day of rain. |
| Toilets: Public Toilets are located in the two car parks. |
| Dogs: No |
| Mobile phone coverage: No |
| Date this tramp was last walked: 2007 |
| Track quality: The tramping track starts off on a well formed lightly gravel track. After the turn off to the trig, 15 minutes, the track turns in to a typical NZ bush track. |
| Shops/restaurants: Just the Pelorus cafe. |
| Hazards: The main road is very busy during the summer. Watch out for heavy freight trucks. |
| Transport: Buses run from Picton to Nelson daily. |
| Water: Clean drinking water taps are in the camping grounds and at the cafe. |
| Accommodation: See the accommodation map below |
| Driving Instructions: Pelorus is on the main road to Nelson from Blenheim or the other way around. Pelorus is 55k east of Nelson and 51k west of Blenheim. Whichever way you drive, you will not miss Pelorus Bridge. First of all, there is a one way bridge to cross, plus there will be cars and people running all over the place, especially in the summer months and on the weekends. If you are driving to Nelson form Blenheim, turn left in the car park. The toilets are down the back and to the right of the cafe. |
| Camping on track: No camping on the walking tracks within the reserve. |
| Track highlights: Cool, clean green native bush. The same can be said for the river, cool, clean and drinkable. |
| Area & Track History: The valley was the site of a massacre of the Ngati Kuia and Ngati Apa tribes by the Maori chief Te Rauparaha, who came from the North Island coast, west of Wellington. The first Europeans to arrive in 1843 found a few remaining Maori people producing flax for Te Rauparaha. The original route to Nelson went through the reserve site and over the Maungatapu Saddle. Later, the path that the road follows today was discovered, and a bridge was built across the Pelorus River around 1860. The Pelorus Bridge location was set aside for a future township, but in the early 1900s this was changed to preserve the area's natural beauty. The present bridge was built in the 1950s. |
Map of Pelorus Bridge, Water Falls Tramp :
This is a dynamic map. You can zoom in and out using the "+" and "-" buttons, drag the map to see surrounding areas and click on the flags to see each position on the map
Accommodation near Pelorus Bridge, Water Falls Tramp:
This is a dynamic map. You can zoom in and out using the "+" and "-" buttons, and drag the map to see surrounding areas
Detailed track description for
Pelorus Bridge, Water Falls Tramp:
Pelorus Bridge, Water Falls Tramp - Start
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If you are driving from picton to Nelson, turn left in to the main car park. There is a good information board, just inside the cap park. Just before the cafe, on the left is the start to the track. When you walk in to the caravan park turn to the left and follow the tree line to the next sign and on your way to the falls.
Pelorus Bridge, Water Falls Tramp - Track Point 1
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Pelorus Bridge, Water Falls Tramp - Track Point 2
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Pelorus Bridge, Water Falls Tramp - Track Point 3
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Pelorus Bridge, Water Falls Tramp - Track Point 4
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Pelorus Bridge, Water Falls Tramp - Track Point 5
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