Nelson City is at the northern gateway to the Nelson Tasman region which spreads south through the urban hub of Richmond and surrounding fertile and productive Waimea Plains. Further south Murchison and St Arnaud provide access to Kahurangi and Nelson Lakes National Parks.
Following the coastline towards the west will take you though the coastal settlements of Mapua, Ruby Coast, Kina and Tasman to the rural service town of Motueka. An inland route will also bring you here via the lush and rolling Moutere Hills with wineries, gourmet food producers and artists studios at every turn. Golden Bay is nature's playground.
Nelson / Richmond / Waimea
Nelson is New Zealand’s second oldest city and the main urban hub of the top of the South. The art deco Nelson Cathedral stands guard over the city centre, famous for its Saturday Market. Art galleries, stylish boutiques and an outdoor shopping mall making Nelson an interesting and fruitful shopping destination. Nelson’s busy port exports forestry products, and the bounty of the largest fishing fleet in Australasia. Access to and from the port is through "The Cut" – a man-made gap in the remarkable 13 kilometre naturally occurring Boulder Bank with its elegant lighthouse. Tahunanui Beach is a popular swimming spot just 5 minutes from the city centre. 15 minutes north of Nelson city is Hira and the picturesque rural drive to Cable Bay with its sheltered pebble beach and unique causeway to Pepin Island separating the beautiful estuary from the ocean.
"Nelson is a vibrant little city with a palpable energy." – KiaOra Magazine
Richmond is the smaller urban centre, servicing the surrounding large rural population with a large shopping mall, cafés and restaurants, Aquatic Centre, Saxton Field sports facilities, galleries, roadside produce and berry farms.
The regions three national parks are within 90 minutes drive. Some of Tasman region's 25 boutique vineyards and many artists’ studios sit on the outskirts of the district. Local swimming spots in nearby Lee and Aniseed valleys provide fresh water relief on a hot summer’s day, as does Rabbit Island beach for BBQs and relaxation.
Mapua / Moutere Hills / Ruby Coast
Mapua/Moutere Hills/Ruby Coast is the entrance to the Waimea Estuary where the huge tide dramatically fills and drains the estuary and laps at the doors of boutique accommodation. The estuary attracts migratory birds such as godwits, spoonbills, wrybills and blue and white herons.
The hinterland of Moutere Hills, the historic village of Upper Moutere and the Motueka Valley Highway make a great country drive with plenty of opportunities to stop at artists home/ studios , wineries, the local pub, roadside fruit stalls and gourmet food producers, scattered throughout the pristine landscape. Ruby Coast's impressive cliffs plunge to the beach with distinctive ruby red stones.
Tasman and Kina Peninsula
Tasman is the home to artists and orchards and quaint B & B accommodation options. A short detour to Kina Peninsula is worthwhile. A golf course, café, sculpture garden and winery, and scenic reserve look over the stunning beach and Tasman Bay. At low tide look out for the roadside "rock graffiti" as you approach Motueka, spelling out names and messages on the sand flats.
Motueka and Riwaka
Motueka is a town of 8,000 with a colourful Sunday outdoor market, two cinemas and cafes. As the closest town to the Abel Tasman National Park, Motueka is a great place to base yourself and to make the most of supermarkets and high street shopping with plenty of outdoor clothing and equipment suppliers. The Motueka River is famed for its Brown Trout and river-side lodges.
Motueka is the centre of a rich hinterland where orchards, vineyards and hop gardens flourish. Pick-your-own fresh berries in season and catch or buy fish from the waters of Tasman Bay. Motueka produces apples, pears, kiwifruit and hops. It also has a variety of accommodation options for visitors wanting to experience the nearby attractions including fishing for brown trout in the Motueka River or hiking in Kahurangi and Abel Tasman National Parks. The nearby Riwaka Resurgence, off the Riwaka Valley Road, can be reached on foot. The source of the Riwaka River is an underground spring and you can see the water bubbling out of an underground cave.
Tapawera
Tapawera is a small rural town with a population of 600, located in the beautiful Motueka Valley. The surrounding Motueka and Whangapeka Rivers provide some of the best trout fishing in the South Island. The adjacent vast Kahurangi National Park, was formerly known as North-West Nelson Forest Park, and for many years Tapawera was largely a forestry town.
Kaiteriteri, Marahau and Abel Tasman
Located at the Southern edge of the Abel Tasman National Park, Kaiteriteri and Marahau are departure points for many of the activities offered in the Park. The golden sand of Kaiteriteri has become synonymous with summer sun, sea and camping. This iconic seaside paradise has been attracting holidaymakers from all over the country since the 1920s. The newly opened Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park Trail offers kilometres of riding for all abilities right on the edge of the coastal Abel Tasman National Park. Kaiteriteri also provides transportation options into the Abel Tasman National Park and leisure activities to sail, cruise or kayak the waters.
Marahau is the southern gateway to the park. This is where the famous Abel Tasman Coastal track begins. Marahau's long sweeping beach offers safe swimming for the youngest family members and sheltered waters for most of the year. As the gateway to the world famous Abel Tasman National Park, Marahau offers a comfortable and peaceful base. Take a day or extended tramp into the park or explore the golden sand beaches on the turquoise waters of Tasman Bay. There are seals to intrigue, islands to enjoy and lagoons to discover. The backdrop of Marahau village consists of charming rural farms, forestry, lush native bush, birdlife and a sense of peaceful permanence with it's year round community of farmers artisans and tourism operators.
Golden Bay
Many visitors to Golden Bay enjoy a connection with a place that touches the soul. Known for its dichotomous mix of farming industry and alternative culture, it is the characters and stories that make the Golden Bay experience what it is. Takaka is the principal township and is filled with organic cafes, cooperative art galleries, and other quirky retailers. Surrounding Takaka is a rural landscape dotted with small townships and natural attractions.
There's just one road in and out of Golden Bay and those who travel over the "Marble Mountain", or Takaka Hill, are richly rewarded by sweeping views of rugged mountains, fertile valleys as they descend to the ocean. Just before the summit is the unsealed road to Canaan Downs (one of the Lord of the Rings sites). Some 12 kms along this road and after a 40 minute walk from the carpark is 183 metre deep Harwood's Hole. Beyond are the walking tracks of the Abel Tasman National Park and, for mountain bike enthusiasts, the exciting Rameka Track down to Takaka. Take a guided tour through the Ngarua Caves or take the Takaka Hill Walkway through both fantastic marble landscapes and remnant forest.
Once the summit of Takaka Hill is crossed, at 791 metres above sea level, Golden Bay suddenly appears with startling beauty. From Harwood Lookout the zig-zagging highway below leads the eye to the green valley of the Takaka River running north towards the distant sea, while beyond the valley rise the dramatic Tasman Mountains, home to the country's most spectacular alpine meadows. Far below is the village of Upper Takaka, but the road is easier on this side - it's only 15 minutes down.
"The nearly orange sands give Golden Bay its name. The waters are deep and warm, the sunsets unforgettable." - Elle Spain, Julieta Martialay
Nelson Lakes
“At once both grand and intimate.” - The Guardian UK
In this beautiful part of Nelson Tasman are two national park gateways. The alpine village of St Arnaud is on the edge of the Nelson Lakes National Park with many easy and challenging walkways. It's a hikers paradise. This park is also home to the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project which aims to revive populations of kiwi, and other native birds and lizards. The Nelson Lakes National Park can also be accessed from the farming township of Murchison further down State Highway 6.
Murchison
One of several gateways to the huge and diverse landscape of the Kahurangi National Park, Murchison was founded on gold, while nature contributed to the dramatic scenery and deep fast flowing rivers. The accessible paddling areas and reliable river flows, are responsible for the area's reputation as the white water capital of New Zealand. These rivers also are renowned for world class Brown Trout fishing and fly fishing where you can see the fish in the water as you cast. The surrounding craggy ranges offer good walking, hiking and mountain biking options.
