Front country - easily accessible
Loop
Undulating, small hills only
Native bush
Riverside
Lakeside
Sealed Road
Easy Single Track
Moderate Single Track
Average Uphill Gradient: +4.9%
Average Downhill Gradient: -4.9%
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1:50
Slow
1:25
Moderate
1:00
Fast
From beside the Alpine Lodge follow the signposted trail to Kerr Bay via Black Valley Walk - a lovely warm-up alongside a beautiful stream. Very soon you'll be at Kerr Bay - turn right and head for the water's edge where the bush meets the lakeshore next to a toilet block. From here pick up the Brummer Peninsula Nature Walk.
Follow this beautiful bit of easy single track for 3.7k to West Bay & then turn immediately right on the sealed road. Within a couple of hundred metres and shortly after rounding the first bend you need to turn left on to Moraine Walk - keep a sharp eye out as this is not well marked. This is a lovely section of moderate single track that leads to the river. NOTE: there is one unmarked junction where you need to veer right (if you miss this and end up in the campground then re-trace your steps back to this point)
Once you hit Anglers Walk - the gorgeous bit of trail that follows the Buller River as it empties out of Lake Rotoiti - turn right and follow it all the way to the main road. Turn right on the road, up a short hill on a right-hand bend, then cross the road and look for a gate (may be open, may not.) Go through/over this and head directly away from the road to pick up the Skate Pond Loop MTB Trail. Turn right.
Follow this MTB trail for a little over 1km, then cross to the far side of the car park when you reach it and continue following the Skate Pond Loop Trail until you reach the next junction (only a couple of hundred metres.) Turn right again towards & past the ice skating pond and reach another DoC parking/camping area. Here pick up the Village Link Track and follow all the way back to St Arnaud - NB this is much further than the 1.2km that it says on the signpost! At least 2km I reckon!
The trail spits you out on to a new subdivision - turn left and run on the verge out to the main road. Almost straight ahead of you will be the Alpine Lodge. Well done, it's time for food and a coffee!
Varied trail, beautiful bush, run along the source of the Buller River, MTB trails - a great sampler of what the area has to offer.
If you know of any public toilets near the trail start or on the route, please login and then let us know so we can update this section.
Plenty of parking on the road, or if you intend to eat/drink at the St Arnaud Lodge after your run (you really should!) they'd be happy for you to use their car park.
0 km
0 minutes
Unknown
No
Moderate.
Generally well-marked trail, just follow directions carefully.
Patchy.
Short-sleeved thermal top, Windproof jacket, Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Cellphone, Map
You cold probably access water from the Buller River but better to just take your own as it's not a long run.
Potential for ice & snow in winter. Parts can get pretty muddy after heavy rain.
Watch out for MTB'ers when you hit the MTB trails - they are designated multiple use but there are blind corners to stay aware!
St Arnaud Lodge
St Arnaud
http://www.alpinelodge.co.nz
Great food, beer & coffee and warm hospitality. The open fire is particularly welcoming on cold days.
Trail Legend
Fastest Known Times (FKTs)
You and St Arnaud Sampler
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It's runs like this that make me love Wild Things. A delightfully varied route, on lovely trails, in an interesting loop I never would have thought to link up myself. Highly recommended!
August 22, 2022
Really nice gradients to run through and combines a mix of forest, grassland, river and lake. Can be a bit treacherous under foot with many stones in the trail.
April 17, 2022
This is truly a great sampler of what St Arnaud has to offer. Easy running with a good variety of lake, river, beech, mountain bike tracks. Decent distance but not too strenuous. Good run to do after a days traveling before tackling a big adventure the next day!
January 7, 2019
These overlap with this trail to some degree. You may wish to combine them but please note that to qualify for FKTs on these runs you should record a separate activity for each.
Length: 38.3km
Level: Intermediate - Experienced