Kerr Bay Campsite
Located in Nelson Lakes National Park and St Arnaud area in the Nelson/Tasman region
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Introduction
Kerr Bay Campsite is next to Lake Rotoiti, surrounded by beech forest, with a boat launching ramp nearby.Access
- Campervan
- Car
- Caravan
Landscape
- Forest
- Rivers and lakes
Facilities
- Boat launching
- Cookers/electric stove
- Dump station
- Non-powered/tent sites
- Powered sites
- Shelter for cooking
- Shower - hot
- Toilets - flush
- Water from tap - treated, suitable for drinking
- Wheelchair accessible
Activities
- Bird and wildlife watching
- Boating
- Fishing
- Kayaking and canoeing
- Mountain biking
- Swimming
- Walking and tramping
Seasonal restrictions
Fires are not permitted at any time. See fire rules on conservation land.
Dog access
Kerr Bay Campsite is 500 metres from the St Arnaud village shop.
The campground is open all year around. Bookings are required all year.
Campsite zones
There are six camping zones, each with varying numbers of sites.
Powered Sites with hardened surfaces:
- Bellbird
- Fantail
- Robin, and
- Tui zone.
Grassy zone suitable for tents:
- Kaka zone.
Kiwi sites are suitable for campervans and provide a gravel surface with some grass around the sites.
Facilities and services
A day shelter provides kitchen and cooking facilities – no pots, pans, cutlery.
The ablution block has:
- hot showers that are token operated. You can get tokens from the Visitor Centre during open hours (9 am - 4 pm daily during winter).
- toilets
- full access shower/toilet, and
- washing machine and clothes dryer.
There is a sewage dump station opposite the cooking shelter.
Fees
1 May to 18 October
Non-powered site
- Adult (18+ years): $20 per night
- Child (5 - 17 years): $10 per night
- Infant (0 - 4 years): free
Powered site
- Adult (18+ years): $23 per night
- Child (5 - 17 years): $11.50 per night
- Infant (0 - 4 years): free
19 October to 30 April
Non-powered site
- Adult (18+ years): $25 per night
- Child (5 - 17 years): $12.50 per night
- Infant (0 - 4 years): free
Powered site
- Adult (18+ years): $28 per night
- Child (5 - 17 years): $14 per night
- Infant (0 - 4 years): free
Additional fees
Tokens required for showers: $1 each
Passes
The DOC Campsite Pass can be used at this campsite except between 19 October to 30 April inclusive.
Campsite Pass bookings must be booked online before occupying a site. If you do not book, bookings may be made by a visitor centre and will incur a $10 service charge.
There's a $3 fee per Campsite Pass user to book a powered site.
Bookings
Bookings are open for stays up to 30 June 2025.
All bookings are first-come first-served. We do not have waiting lists for bookings for future seasons or facilities that are already booked-out.
Bookings are required mid-December to 30 April. Book well in advance for the Christmas holiday period, classic boat show and powerboat regatta weekends, and Easter.
A $10 service fee applies to phone and in-person booking. This is a limited service – book online first. An in-person booking is dependent on there being space available.
Your booking will be for a site, which will be allocated/selected on arrival.
The campsite is located beside Lake Rotoiti, Kerr Bay just off SH63 on Kerr Bay Road. The site is not suitable for vehicles greater than 7 m in length.
The campsite is near the St Arnaud township, which is 1 hour 30 minutes by road from Nelson or Blenheim.
Location
NZTM2000 coordinates: E1587370, N5371777
Latitude: -41.80577, Longitude: 172.84795
Campsite rules
- The camp is within Nelson Lakes National Park, park by-laws apply.
- No domestic pets are allowed.
- Sites must be vacated by 11 am on the day of departure.
- Speed limit in the camping areas is 5 km/hr.
- Excessive noise in the campgrounds after 11 pm will not be tolerated.
- No fires.
- Jet skis are prohibited.
The management reserves the right to cancel tenancy at any time if park by-laws or these regulations are contravened and under such circumstances will not refund any fees paid in advance.
Rubbish and recycling
Nelson Lakes National Park is reducing waste to be more sustainable and has a ‘pack-in, pack-out’ policy. Take your rubbish and recycling with you.
Kerr Bay and West Bay campsites at Lake Rotoiti have no rubbish or recycling.
Waste transfer stations are located at the following centres:
- Murchison – 41 Matakitaki West Bank Road, Murchison 7077
- Richmond – 14 Fittal Street, Richmond, 7020
- Blenheim – Wither Road Extension, Blenheim 7201
All drone use must be authorised by DOC
You must have a permit to fly a drone on public conservation land.
Services offered at the Visitor Centre include walk and tramping information, maps, hut bookings and tickets, fishing licences and retail sales. Interpretive displays explain the landforms, history and wildlife of the area.
Contacts
| Nelson Lakes National Park Visitor Centre | |
|---|---|
| Phone | +64 3 521 1806 |
| nelsonlakesvc@doc.govt.nz | |
| Address | View Road St Arnaud 7072 |
| Hours | Visitor centre hours and services |
| Whakatū/Nelson Visitor Centre | |
|---|---|
| Phone | +64 3 546 9339 |
| nelsonvc@doc.govt.nz | |
| Address | Millers Acre/Taha o te Awa 1/37 Halifax Street Nelson 7010 |
| Hours | Visitor centre hours and services |
