Kerr Bay campground is situated right beside the tranquil waters of Lake Rotoiti.
OPINION: Of all my teenage embarrassments, one of the most character-building was having to wear a plastic rubbish bag as a raincoat during a school camp at Nelson Lakes. I may have been a kid who went without, but, if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that outdoor adventure is a great leveller. For this seed of wisdom I can thank a particular Marlborough Girls’ College teacher, Mr Rees. On that school camp, he sparked a love of te taiao/the natural world that grows ever-stronger still. And maybe it’s just nostalgia, but Nelson Lakes is the place where I feel that mauri the most.