Welcome to Nelson
Nelson has the warmest climate and highest sunshine hours in New Zealand.
Here you will find:
Warm climate, warm people
a mild climate and sunny clear days in all four seasons
outdoor activities to enjoy in all four seasons
New Zealand's 10th most populous city with 55,000 people including
migrant groups from UK, Germany, America and further afield
Māori occupation dating back 800 years
Three national parks, three distinct adventures
Abel Tasman National Park: golden sands, coastal bays, and lagoons,
travel by foot and water taxi only
Kahurangi National Park: rolling tussock downs, wild river gorges,
karst outcrops and spectacular cave systems
Nelson Lakes National Park: the northernmost Southern Alps,
tranquil beech forests, craggy mountains, clear streams, fields
of tussock
and alpine flora. Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotoroa areas for picnicking
and boating.
Beaches to mountains in a single vista, in a single day
Diverse landscape
Region covers five distinct geographic areas: urban, coastline,
rolling horticultural, mountains, alpine lakes and rivers
compact geography means most activities are within 1-2 hours
drive of Nelson
Arts capital of New Zealand
Festivals in every season: Nelson Arts Festival, summer festival,
Nelson School of Music's Winter Festival
Artisan markets
Studios and galleries to visit
Arts and crafts to dos abound
more 'working artists' per capita than anywhere else,
350 in region
Birthplace of New Zealand Rugby
Nelson is proud to have played a defining role in New Zealand
Rugby history. We
hosted the first ever game under recognised Rugby
rules in May 1870
is the birthplace of the father of New Zealand Rugby,
Charles Monro
is home to New Zealand's first rugby club, the Nelson
Rugby Football Club
Read more about Nelson as the birthplace of New Zealand
Rugby.
Follow these links on the Council website for more information
about Nelson, New Zealand.
Where is Nelson?
Statistical information about Nelson
Travelling to Nelson
Places to go, things to do and see
From festivals and events to historic places in Nelson
to walks and other recreation, Nelson offers so much
in the
way of a
visitor destination.
Learn
more about what you can do when you visit Nelson for
RWC 2011, New Zealand.
A rich and varied region
Nelson
Nelson city is the port and business centre of the
Nelson Tasman region. From Murchison in the south
to Golden
Bay in the west,
the many distinct communities
provide an appealing sense of ‘small town’ familiarity, within
a range of geographical diversity.
For visitors to the region, or for locals, there are
as many reasons to explore the landscape as there
are settlements
tucked away
in beautiful locations.
Nelson was founded in 1842. As one of New Zealand’s
earliest European settlements. The city is home to
New Zealand’s
oldest school of music and oldest state
secondary school, Nelson College. Nelson city is known for
contemporary arts and crafts,
with an innovative commercial sector, supported by the strength
of primary production in the rural hinterland. Nelson
is a
popular lifestyle and
holiday destination for international visitors and
Kiwis.
The central business district of Nelson city has a
compact layout and is simple to navigate and enjoyable
to walk.
Sea views, historic buildings,
Queens Gardens,
the Cathedral, the Maitai River, Rocks Road and Tahunanui Beach
are all striking features of the city.
With a population of around 43,000 Nelson is well
served with health and hospital services, excellent
educational
facilities from early
childhood to tertiary,
extensive sports and recreation areas and a range of shops,
theatres, galleries
and restaurants, all boosted by a healthy tourism industry.
Farming, forestry and horticulture offer opportunities
for rural living
on lifestyle blocks
and in outlying townships.
Richmond
Richmond has a rapidly growing population, currently around
12,000, and falls within the boundaries of the Tasman District
Council,
one of New
Zealand’s
fastest growing districts with a population of around 45,000.
Richmond has two primary schools, an established state co-ed
college, a
Catholic primary
school, and a Catholic co-ed college. It also has an expanding
retail base, including the region’s largest shopping mall,
an aquatic centre,
cafés,
library, retirement complexes, and health services.
The low mountain range rising behind Richmond forms part of
Mount Richmond State Forest Park. Adjacent river valleys with
excellent
swimming spots
are popular for picnics, walking and mountain-biking.
Brightwater and Wakefield
Brightwater and Wakefield are further west of Richmond, both
with growing populations sitting now at around 2,000. They
are strong
communities
with excellent primary
schools, all within an easy commute to Nelson.
Nelson Lakes National Park
Further south, Lake Rotoiti, Lake Rotoroa and the surrounding
mountain ranges form the Nelson Lakes National Park, a popular
area for
alpine tramping, skiing, bird watching, fishing, boating and
picnicking. About 200 permanent
residents
live in the township of St Arnaud, where there is a lodge style
hotel,
an
outdoor education centre, a nearby ski area, and a Department
of Conservation office
with their nature recovery project.
Murchison and Buller
Murchison has a population of around 700. Outdoor adventure
and tourism activities now feature strongly alongside farming
in
this mainly
rural economy. The
town has an information centre, a new hospital, the recently
opened Murchison Sport,
Recreation and Cultural Centre and a shopping centre with motels
and cafés serving Christchurch-Nelson travellers. Walkways
around Murchison
explore
vantage points, old gold workings and beech and podocarp forests.
The Buller River is a rugged and scenic river providing some
of the best kayaking, white water rafting and trout fishing
in the
country.
It flows
from Lake Rotoiti
through mountainous country to the Tasman Sea on the West Coast.
The river valley is mainly native beech forest with some rimu
and rata.
Mapua and Ruby Bay
The coastal highway from Nelson to Motueka passes through the
main apple growing area of the region, past vineyards and olive
plantations.
This
route has numerous
studios, galleries, cafés and wineries. Rabbit Island offers
a large picnic area and 11km of sheltered sandy beach with
safe swimming.
At the southern end of Mapua is a picnic area and the Mapua
wharf. This was once a busy part of the coastal shipping network
but
is now home
to cafés,
a small museum, art gallery, aquarium and boutique shops. Mapua
is a growing residential area with a population of more than
2,000, its own
school,
medical centre and small shopping mall. Tourism operators offer
boat
trips and tours
on the Waimea Inlet.
The coastal highway continues along through the settlements
of Ruby Bay and Tasman, past the tidal flats of the Moutere
Inlet.
Kina Peninsula
lies on
the far side of the inlet and has a picnic ground and boat
launching area, while
there is a reserve at Ruby Bay for picnicking and camping.
The alternative route between Nelson and Motueka is the Inland
Highway, which cuts across the Waimea Plains and the Moutere
Hills, which
are the two major
winegrowing areas in the region with many attractive wineries
to visit.
Motueka
Motueka and the smaller townships at Brooklyn, Riwaka, Marahau
and Kaiteriteri add another 1,200 to the regional population.
Surrounded by hop gardens
and orchards, Motueka’s population swells during the apple-picking
season (February
to May). Kaiteriteri Beach is famous for its golden sands,
attracting thousands of visitors each summer.
Marahau offers cafés and services for kayakers and other visitors
heading into the Abel Tasman National Park. The Motueka Valley
is one of the
main entry
points to Kahurangi National Park.
Golden Bay
The population of Golden Bay is around 5,000 including the
rural areas and smaller townships, with 1,200 in the main town
of Takaka.
Just
out of Takaka
is the famous clear water Waikoropupu (Pupu) Springs and in
the other direction is Paynes Ford, with some of the best limestone
crag climbing
in Australasia.
While dairy farming is still a mainstay in the local economy,
tourism is growing, with cafés, craft outlets and homestays
now
serving
many visitors
to the region.
Golden Bay is known for its natural, healthy lifestyle and
its strong sense of community.
Gold was discovered in the Collingwood area in 1856, sparking
New Zealand’s first gold rush. Now, with a population of around
200,
this seaside
township has a general store, pub, cafés, galleries, a new
heritage centre and
a range of accommodation and tour operators offering guided
trips to Farewell
Spit.
Farewell Spit, or ‘Onetahua’ in Māori, is an internationally
important bird sanctuary with more than 90 species of sea bird.
Every spring,
hundreds of
thousands of waders, including godwits, knots, curlews and
turnstones, arrive from Siberia to join other birds, whose
permanent home
is the Spit. Access
to the Spit is restricted, but there are walking tracks to
the base of the dune area and four-wheel-drive tours make regular
trips out
to the
lighthouse.
Puponga Farm Park at the base of Farewell Spit combines farming
with the protection of archaeological sites, rare native plants
and natural
features.
There is
a café, a former pa site at Puponga Point, and dramatic West
Coast surf beaches such as Wharariki.
Whanganui (Westhaven Inlet) is a large estuary on the West
Coast, now protected as a reserve, with its surrounding coastal
forests.
The road
continues
along the shoreline of the inlet to the small settlement of
Mangarakau.
This information is taken from: http://www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz/visit-nelson-host-city/
Top Things To Do In Nelson
http://www.recommended.co.nz/places/top-things-do-nelson/19/114
The Suter Art Gallery
http://www.thesuter.org.nz/
Natureland Zoo
http://www.natureland.co.nz/
Sights and Activities in and around Nelson
http://www.nelsonnz.com/sights.and.activities
Summer in Nelson
http://summerfestival.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz/
Rugby World Cup
http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/
Abel Tasman National Park
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/national-parks/abel-tasman/
Wilsons Abel Tasman National Park
http://www.abeltasman.co.nz/
Kahurangi Estate Vineyard
http://www.kahurangiwine.com/
Live, breathe and experience New Zealand with the ultimate travel guide
http://www.destination-nz.com
Looking for accommodation and services elsewhere?
Quality Accommodation in Paihia, Bay of Islands, New Zealand
http://www.anchoragemotel.co.nz/
Luxury Accommodation, Barossa Valley, South Australia
http://www.abbotsfordhouse.com/