media & trade • story angles & themes

For further story angles or information, please contact

Astrid Fisher,
Nelson Tasman Tourism
+64 3 545 6853
astridf@nelsonnz.com

Food and wine - Slow food, indigenous flavour

Nelson is slow food: indigenous flavours, seasonal, vine-ripened produce washed down with a superb vintage. Basking in high sunshine hours and enjoying a crisp Mediterranean-like climate for much of the year, the Nelson area produces a delicious array of gourmet processed and fresh foods.

There are now olives, juices, chutneys, chocolates, breads and fresh fish to tempt the discerning foodie's palate and to complement local wines. Golden Salami is a European-style salami produced in Golden Bay using a traditional, slow curing process, while Stafford Lane Estate offers fine olives and their own tasty olive oil. Hellish Relish chutneys from Nelson Naturally and a range of naturally manuka-smoked fish, mussels, chicken and vegetables from Naturesmoke round off a healthy lunch, and to top it all off Rosy Glow Chocolates produce both the chunkiest and smoothest of handmade chocolates.

 Focus on environmentally sustainable tourism

The Nelson Tasman Region is one of three regions recently selected to take part in the national Environmentally Sustainable Tourism project. The project encourages regions to develop a sustainable tourism charter for local businesses and provide experts for practical improvements, which could include energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, water quality and conservation.

Nelson lifestyle …. Celebrations and festivals

Celebrate Nelson's unique lifestyle and culture 'up close' through local festivals and events. The Nelson Arts Festival is held annually in October and showcases a kaleidoscope of local and national talent. The Sealord Summer Festival offers mainly free family fun over the summer holidays. Opera in the Park brings out the picnic rugs on a balmy February evening and if you've an eye for classic design don't miss the Antique and Seresin Estate Classic Boat Show on Lake Rotoiti in March. The Winter Music Festival hosted by the Nelson School of Music warms up in July.

National Parks – 'Living Treasures'

Nelson's 'Living Treasures' are three unique and geographically diverse national parks within 90 minutes of Nelson City.

Abel Tasman National Park

The Abel Tasman is a coastal wonderland of crystal clear turquoise waters, brilliant blue sky, rocky headlands, lush native bush and golden beaches. You can walk the coastal track (3 - 4 days total, guided or freedom) or explore by cruise boat, sailing catamaran, water taxi or sea kayak, where you have the added bonus of face to face encounters with marine wildlife and birds. The Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand's smallest (22,350 hectares) and has the only coastal walking track of its kind in New Zealand.

Marahau is its southern entry point, where you'll find accommodation of all types, sea kayaking operators who offer guided trips, Māori cultural experiences and independent hire, seal swimming operators, catamaran sailing, horse trekking operators and cafes.  Marahau and Kaiteriteri Beach, famous for its three safe golden-sand beaches, are the main departure points for cruise and water taxi vessels.

Don't forget to explore the human history of the park. From early Māori habitation, through to European exploration and settlement, the park reveals a colourful and extensive history. Many of those who operate tourism businesses in the Abel Tasman National Park have historic links to the land. The Wilson family are direct descendents of original European settlers in the area, with 7 generations of association with this unique coastal area. The family now offers guided walking and kayaking as well as cruises in the park. At Awaroa, the Wilsons have faithfully rebuilt the original family home on the waterfront, where guests are treated to a living history, told through their own family stories and eyes of the first Māori and European settlers.

Nelson Lakes National Park

South of Nelson City, the northern-most peaks of the Southern Alps rise in Nelson Lakes National Park. This 102,000 hectare park is centred on two beautiful alpine lakes, Rotoiti and Rotoroa, both surrounded by steep mountains and fringed to the shore by dense beech forest. There is a great variety of fresh water habitats in the park. A significant feature of the park is the amazing protected Rotoiti Recovery Programme area on the edge of Lake Rotoiti.

There are wonderful lakeside tracks and short walks in the area, including the Black Valley Walk, Peninsula Nature Walk, Mount Robert, St Arnaud Range Track, Lake Rotoiti Circuit and Whisky Falls.

Kahurangi National Park

Kahurangi National Park is the classic national park: huge, wild and rich in the plants and animals that make New Zealand unique. Formed in early 1996, its 451,000 hectares include the most remaining natural lands in the north-western South Island. Motueka, Takaka, Karamea and Murchison are the park's gateway towns. Kahurangi National Park is the backdrop for scenes in the movies The Lord of The Rings – notably the barren slopes of Mount Owen and is also home to The Heaphy Track, a 4-5 day track and one of the Great Walks of New Zealand.

Wellness

The Nelson Tasman Region is at the forefront of the health and wellness movement in New Zealand. The lifestyle draws highly skilled practitioners from all over New Zealand and the world. From everyday practical 'self-help' health management to unashamed luxury, the region offers the full spectrum of treatments and services in contemporary spas, studios, workshops and classes.

Nelson Art Pass

Three of Nelson's outstanding art experiences have joined together to offer the Nelson Art Pass. This offers an interactive day visiting The World of Wearable Art and Collectable Cars Museum, Hoglund Art Glass Centre and MacMillans Hand Thrown Ceramic Studio. For the creative spirit, there is the option to add a class in ceramics or glass-blowing.

A copy of the Nelson Regional Guide Book – Art in its Own Place is also included in the pass, complete with trails and maps. This quality book offers a wide array of inspiration for art trails, studios, galleries and shops to be called upon.

Nelson - Birthplace of WearableArt

Art taken off the walls to adorn the body is the spectacular vision on show at the World of WearableArt and Collectable Cars Museum. The show has moved to Wellington but the spirit remains an integral part of this vibrant region and a visit to the museum is an excellent starting point for any exploration of Nelson. WearableArt exhibitions are changed three times a year. The classic car gallery features gangster cars, vintage cars and roadsters! The retail gallery offers paintings, unusual collectables and jewellery.

Earth Matters – Farewell Spit

Farewell Spit is like no other place on earth. The longest natural sandbar in the world, stretching out 35km from the very tip of the South Island, and growing each year, it is an area of remote beauty and changing landscapes.

The Spit has the highest level of conservation protection possible in New Zealand. A wildlife sanctuary since the 1930s, the Spit is home to over 90 species of birds, many of which migrate the 12,000 km each year from the Northern Hemisphere for our summer months.

Paddy Gillooly and his family have been taking people out onto the Spit since 1946 when the lighthouse was still manned. The lighthouse is automated these days but visitors keep coming – drawn by the special qualities of this unique spot and by the deep historical and natural knowledge shared by Paddy and his hand-picked local guides.

Where the action is - Murchison white water

It has been called the white water capital of the world. With five wild, tumbling rivers running through its hinterland, Murchison draws white water rafters and kayakers from around the globe for its annual white water festival, the TEVA Buller Festival, held in March.

The Buller, the Mangles, the Maruia, the Gowan and the Matiri rivers have adrenalin-pumping rapids and whirlpools to meet all skill levels. The emphasis is on fun and participation, with events and live music throughout the weekend. Adventure company Ultimate Descents who organise the event, also run a local outdoor centre and café, as well as group and guided kayaking, rafter, river bugging, heli-rafting and sledging down local rivers.

Feed the soul - Creative Tourism

Creative Tourism is an exciting new concept which offers visitors to the Nelson Tasman region the opportunity to try their hand at a wide variety of creative workshops which reflect New Zealand's diverse culture.

A collective of artists and creative people from around the region have come together to offer a range of hands-on experiences ranging from two hours to four days. Visitors learn a new skill sitting alongside the artists, often in the artist's own home or studio, and at the end of their workshop take home a unique souvenir.

Design and carve your own bone pendant, tour an olive grove and create your own blend of oil, collect and cook local seafood or take a Māori journey through the region.