Nelson City Council

This walk takes you through native bush to the source of Nelson's original water supply.

Time: 30 - 60 minutes

Area: Brook Valley

Note: If the river is high or in flood you should not attempt this walk. Children should be accompanied by an adult. Pay attention to the warning sign by the weir.

Start Location: Follow the road through the Brook Valley Motor Camp to the carpark beside the old 1905 water reservoir.

Download the Brook Stream Walk map (37KB PDF)

Route directions

Cross the bridge and follow the track through regenerating native bush - mostly tree ferns, titoki (Alectryon excelsus) and kawa kawa (Macropiper excelsum). As you walk along take every opportunity to look through to the river to appreciate the colours and shapes of the rocks below. An optional steep track up to the Brook Valley lookout deviates up the hill from the main track.

At the end of the main walk (at the top of the steps) are the remains of the weir built in 1909, 500m upstream from the Big Dam. In 1964 and again in 1980 the Big Dam was lowered for safety reasons. This weir became redundant when the floods of 1970 filled the reservoir behind with gravel and other debris. An interpretive panel at the beginning of the walk explains the history of the water supply.

If you feel like a longer walk take the right side of the river upstream, past the direction sign to Dun Mountain and the waterfalls, to the fork in the river and peer round the corner of the left fork to see the small waterfalls. The connection up to Dun Mountain is very steep and should only be attempted by people with a good level of fitness.

The Brook Waimarama Sanctuary intends to 'Return Nature to the Nelson Region' by building a pest-proof fence around the 716 hectare site of Nelson's old waterworks' reserve. The aim is to return it to its natural state, as it was before introduced predators decimated native birdlife. Visit the entrance building to find out more about this practical conservation project.