A splendid place for a picnic or a couple of days camping, Kidds Bush lets you enjoy the incredible beauty of Lake Hāwea.
Kidds Bush is a popular picnic and camping area on the shores of Lake Hāwea. The beach is covered with flat pieces of schist - perfect for skipping across the placid waters of the lake. The camp, which is run by the Department of Conservation, has toilet and barbecue facilities. Opposite the picnic area is the start of a 30 minute nature walk through mountain beech forest. If you have more time available, you can walk to the Sawyer Burn Hut. The track leads up through native forest before opening onto a sub-alpine grass spur with superb views of Lake Hāwea, the beech forest and nearby high country stations. Walking to the hut and back will take around six hours. To find Kidds Bush, drive west from Lake Hāwea township on State Highway 6. At "The Neck", where Lakes Wānaka and Hāwea almost meet, take the only road on the right.