The Teetotal-Big Bush Trail Area is located just west of St Arnaud and includes a number of trails of varying length and difficulty. The trails begin on Teetotal Flats, which are former river terraces of the Buller River, and climb through the beautiful beech forest of Big Bush Conservation Area. Big Bush is a 15,660 ha expanse of original native beech forest. Big Bush was described by surveyor Charles Hursthouse in 1859 as a ‘black forest region unfit for man nor domestic beast’, and to this day it remains largely untouched.
If any layers fail to load, try clearing your cache and refreshing the page.
Teetotal-Big Bush Trail Area connects to St Arnaud via two tracks; Village Link (walking, trail running and MTB) and Moraine Walk (walking and trail running).
1 hr 5 min from Nelson
Teetotal Flat car park and camp site is located 2 min west of St Arnaud along State Highway 63. St Arnaud is 75 km southwest of Nelson. At the car park there are toilets and an information panel with a map and trail details. The car park is also used for the nearby ice skating rink.
You can also get to the car park from St Arnaud by following the track that begins at Rotoiti Lodge Road runs alongside State Highway 63, around the base of Black Hill.
An easy loop track starting and finishing at Teetotal Flats car park. The track heads northwest across the grass flats and through patches of matagouri and kānuka trees, and completes a loop around the ice skating pond.
| Length | 3.5 km | Trail Type | Shared track |
| Uses | Walking, trail running and MTB | Direction | Either |
| Physical Difficulty | Easy | Technical Difficulty | Easy |
Sidewinder Track makes it its way through beech, kānuka and grass clearings. It can be completed in either direction and is it suited to both biking and trail running. The western end gives access to the bottom of Flying Moa.
| Length | 2.5 km | Trail Type | Shared track |
| Uses | Walking, trail running and MTB | Direction | Either |
| Physical Difficulty | Easy | Technical Difficulty | Advanced |
Rattler Rim heads provides easy travelling between Douglas Hill and the western end of Sidewinder, winding through clumps of manuka trees and grass clearings above an old terrace of the Buller River.
| Length | 3.2 km | Trail Type | Shared track |
| Uses | Walking, trail running and MTB | Direction | Either |
| Physical Difficulty | Easy | Technical Difficulty | Easy |
Kaka Track provides the most straight-forward access to Big Bush Track and the other downhill tracks that descend from the ridge. The track climbs though beautiful beech forest with mossy undergrowth. The track is well-graded and suitable for walking and riding.
| Length | 1.8 km | Trail Type | Shared track |
| Uses | Walking, trail running and MTB | Direction | Either |
| Physical Difficulty | Moderate | Technical Difficulty | Intermediate |
Flying Moa descends from Big Bush Track to link with the western end of Sidewinder. It is an intermediate-grade track that winds downhill through lush beech forest, and aside from a few technical turns it shouldn’t provide too many dramas for most riders. Combine Flying Moa with Kaka Track and Sidewinder or Rattler Rim to form a nice loop.
| Length | 2.2 km | Trail Type | Singletrack |
| Uses | MTB | Direction | Downhill only |
| Physical Difficulty | Moderate | Technical Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Start Elevation | 850 m | Finish Elevation | 600 m |
Big Bush Track is the original DOC tramping track that traversed the ridge that runs parallel to Teetotal Flats, with all other recently developed MTB trails branching off it. It is an integral part of any circuit in the trail area.
| Length | 4.4 km | Trail Type | Tramping track |
| Uses | Walking, trail running and MTB | Direction | Either |
| Physical Difficulty | Easy | Technical Difficulty | Intermediate |
Expert-grade singletrack that descends from Big Bush Track to Skating Pond Loop.
| Length | 1.3 km | Trail Type | Singletrack |
| Uses | MTB | Direction | Downhill only |
| Physical Difficulty | Moderate | Technical Difficulty | Expert |
| Start Elevation | 860 m | Finish Elevation | 605 m |
Advanced-grade singletrack that descends from Big Bush Track to Skating Pond Loop.
| Length | 1.9 km | Trail Type | Singletrack |
| Uses | MTB | Direction | Downhill only |
| Physical Difficulty | Moderate | Technical Difficulty | Advanced |
| Start Elevation | 870 m | Finish Elevation | 610 m |
The Teetotal-Big Bush Trail Area is located just west of St Arnaud and includes a number of trails of varying length and difficulty. The trails begin on Teetotal Flats, which are former river terraces of the Buller River, and climb through the beautiful beech forest of Big Bush Conservation Area. Big Bush is a 15,660 ha expanse of original native beech forest. Big Bush was described by surveyor Charles Hursthouse in 1859 as a ‘black forest region unfit for man nor domestic beast’, and to this day it remains largely untouched.
1 hr 5 min from Nelson
Teetotal Flat car park and camp site is located 2 min west of St Arnaud along State Highway 63. St Arnaud is 75 km southwest of Nelson. At the car park there are toilets and an information panel with a map and trail details. The car park is also used for the nearby ice skating rink.
An easy loop track starting and finishing at Teetotal Flats car park. The track heads northwest across the grass flats and through patches of matagouri and kānuka trees, and completes a loop around the ice skating pond.
| Length | 3.2 km |
| Trail Type | Shared track |
| Uses | Walking, trail running and MTB |
| Physical Difficulty | Easy |
| Technical Difficulty | Easy |
Sidewinder Track makes it its way through beech, kānuka and grass clearings. It can be completed in either direction and is it suited to both biking and trail running. The western end gives access to the bottom of Flying Moa.
Rattler Rim heads provides easy travelling between Douglas Hill and the western end of Sidewinder, winding through clumps of manuka trees and grass clearings above an old terrace of the Buller River.
Kaka Track provides the most straight-forward access to Big Bush Track and the other downhill tracks that descend from the ridge. The track climbs though beautiful beech forest with mossy undergrowth. The track is well-graded and suitable for walking and riding.
| Length | 1.8 km |
| Trail Type | Shared track |
| Uses | Walking, trail running and MTB |
| Physical Difficulty | Moderate |
| Technical Difficulty | Intermediate |
Flying Moa descends from Big Bush Track to link with the western end of Sidewinder. It is an intermediate-grade track that winds downhill through lush beech forest, and aside from a few technical turns it shouldn’t provide too many dramas for most riders. Combine Flying Moa with Kaka Track and Sidewinder or Rattler Rim to form a nice loop.
| Length | 2.2 km |
| Trail Type | Singletrack |
| Uses | MTB |
| Direction | Downhill |
| Physical Difficulty | Moderate |
| Technical Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Start Elevation | 850 m |
| Finish Elevation | 600 m |
Big Bush Track is the original DOC tramping track that traversed the ridge that runs parallel to Teetotal Flats, with all other recently developed MTB trails branching off it. It is an integral part of any circuit in the trail area.
| Length | 4.4 km |
| Trail Type | Shared track |
| Uses | Walking, trail running and MTB |
| Direction | Either |
| Physical Difficulty | Moderate |
| Technical Difficulty | Intermediate |
Expert-grade singletrack that descends from Big Bush Track to Skating Pond Loop.
Advanced-grade singletrack that descends from Big Bush Track to Skating Pond Loop.
Teetotal-Big Bush Trail Area connects to St Arnaud via two tracks; Village Link (walking, trail running and MTB) and Moraine Walk (walking and trail running).
Updated 26 August 2020