Escape to Nelson
PHOTO: Nelson Cathedral
In the geographical centre of New Zealand, between the hills and the sea, lies Nelson; the country's second oldest city with a population of almost 43,000.
There's plenty to see and do in this beautiful region with its marvellous combination of wide open spaces, beaches, art, craft, restaurants and wineries. Whether it's outdoor action and adventure that presses your buttons, or just ambling around the local markets, bric-a-brac shops, galleries and cafés; there are enough activities to suit all energy levels, tastes and pockets.
Outdoor adventures
Three magnificent national parks are within easy reach of the city; Abel Tasman, Kahurangi and Nelson Lakes. Each of these national parks has its own distinctive landscape, vegetation and wildlife. Abel Tasman National Park, named after the Dutch explorer, is the smallest of the three, and a popular place for sea kayaking, walking and sailing. Several companies take walking and sea kayaking trips or a combination of the two; and paddling into a beautiful secluded beach for a swim and a picnic is pure magic. Nelson Lakes National Park, offers tranquil beech forest, craggy mountains, clear streams and lakes and is a great spot for trout fishing.
The region is blessed with two of New Zealand's Great Walks; the Abel Tasman Coastal Track and the Heaphy Track, which is in Kahurangi National Park. Great Walks are the Department of Conservation's premier walking tracks that pass through some of New Zealand's most magnificent landscapes. The 51km Abel Tasman Coastal Track with its fabulous beaches, lagoons and native forest is a three to five day walk. At 82kms the Heaphy Track is the longest of the DOC Great Walks and takes four to six days to complete. Huts and campsites (for which a fee is charged) on both these tracks must be booked in advance all year round. For those less inclined to hike for days up hill and down dale, there are plenty of picturesque short walks in the national parks and in the region generally.
If walking, kayaking and sailing are not your thing, how about rafting, skydiving, caving or rock climbing? If these activities are just too adrenalin inducing then a nature trail or a wine tour may well fit the bill.
Arty stuff
Nelson is a hotbed of creativity and is home to more than 350 artists and designers. Their work can be discovered in studios, galleries and cafés around the area. Pick up a map from the Nelson i-Site and take an outdoor art and sculpture walk, and do take time to visit the wonderful World of Wearable Art & Classic Cars Museum. Fashionistas will delight in the magnificent but quirky creations on show and the classic car collection will have petrol heads drooling.
Markets and Orchards
The Saturday morning market in Montgomery Square is great for a browse. From 8am to 1pm you will find the locals displaying their hand crafted wares. Everything from sculpture and jewellery to jam and jerseys is for sale. It's also a great place for breakfast; just follow your nose to a stall. Speaking of stalls, orchards are part of the rural landscape around Nelson and it is possible to buy well-priced produce at the farm gate or to pick your own fruit at berry farms just outside the city.
Eating and imbibing
Searching for enjoyable places to have a meal is part of the fun of going on holiday. With more than 100 restaurants and cafés, Nelson has more eateries per capita than most New Zealand cities. The city has a large fishing port and seafood is a delicacy that frequently appears on restaurant menus. There are wineries aplenty too, 23 of them scattered around the Moutere Hills and the Waimea Plains, some with cafés among the vines. It is possible to sample wines at the cellar doors and to meet the makers, but if you want to visit several wineries during an afternoon, consider leaving the wheels behind and joining a wine tour hosted by a friendly local. Beer drinkers need not despair, New Zealand's entire hop crop is grown in the Riwaka Valley and half a dozen micro breweries and brewery/pubs in the area produce a great selection of the amber fluid.
Great time to visit
Each year Nelson hosts 535,000 international visitors and almost three times as many New Zealanders. The most popular time for domestic tourism is during the Christmas school holidays in December/January, while the region's international guests tend to favour February and March. Nelson is a place for all seasons, however escaping the crowds and visiting in late summer while weather is still warm makes perfect sense.
For more information
• Nelson i-Site Visitor Centre, Miller's Acre Centre - Taha o te Awa
77 Trafalgar Street (Corner Trafalgar & Halifax Sts)
Ph 03 5482304 Email vin@nelsonnz.com