Nelson City - South Island, New Zealand

The streets of Nelson are grid patterned and you cannot miss the imposing Christ Church Cathedral atop a small hill looking down upon Trafalgar Street and overlooking the sea. The city is an interesting mix of old and new architecture. The famous Nelson Market comes alive every Saturday from 7am to 1pm at the Montgomery Square.

The sizeable arts and crafts community of Nelson is in full force displaying a wide variety of artistic items ranging from home made candles to exquisite pottery. There is enough food in the form of heaps of meals, fresh fruit, coffee and cakes to keep you going as you browse through the interesting stalls.

On the corner of Hardy and Trafalgar Streets is the Nelson Provincial Museum open throughout the week. This is a definite must see place on your Nelson itinerary. The museum has two floors and the ground floor traces the origins of Nelson dating back to the Maori days and most events are cleverly combined with modern day multimedia technology to give a very interesting perspective.

The Suter on Bridge Street is another public art museum ensconced in the beautiful environs of the Queens Gardens. This museum was built in 1899 in honour of Andrew Burn Suter, the Bishop of Nelson from 1866 to 1891.

It has a vast repository of displays relating to the local area and also plays host to visiting exhibitions. During the summer season, there are watercolour and oil works by reputed local artists of yore, the likes of John Gully and Woollaston.

Nelson has proof that it is the geographical center of New Zealand in the form of a monument at the top of a small hill off Bridge Street past the Maitai River. It is part of the Botanical Reserve and has a beautiful view of the town.

Incidentally, rugby union which is a national passion in New Zealand, had its first game played in 1870 at what is now the Nelson Botanical Gardens. A kilometre to the north, Founders Park takes you into the colonial past of Nelson in the form of relocated and replica architecture. On Atawhai drive, there is a pleasant diversion in the Miyazu Gardens, a Japanese style garden with pools, statues and cherry trees.

Nelson has a vibrant arts and crafts community and this is evident from the numerous galleries in the city starting with the Red Art Gallery on Bridge Street displaying New Zealand fine art, jewellery, glass and rugs.

The Bead Gallery on Parere Street has an astounding collection of beads, some of them truly exotic at high prices and some dating back to century old Venetian glass trade beads from West Africa for sale at affordable prices.

You can also attend workshops on bead making and bone carving to discover your inherent creative skills. Jens Hansen is a jewelry shop whose claim to fame is the designing and creating of the rings for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies.

One kilometre southwest out of central Nelson is Wakefield Quay, a popular waterfront for strolls and the big kahuna of seafood restaurants including the Boat Shed Cafe where you can savour some of the finest seafood that Nelson has to offer.

Another 2 kilometres down the State Highway 6 (SH6) is the Tahunanui Beach Reserve, a popular weekend spot for the Nelson residents to enjoy the sun and the surf. This is well connected to Nelson city through regular bus services. The suburb of Stoke takes over as you move further out of Nelson.

A further 3 kilometres on SH6 leads to the World of Wearable Art and Collectable Cars (WOW), a showcase of art designed as clothing and collection of shiny automobiles. This show, which started in 1987, has gone on to become an international phenomenon and has been now relocated to Wellington.

The local populace is very proud of the fact that this cultural event started in Nelson and the WOW centre beautifully celebrates and showcases the origins and best of wearable art.

Nelson Activities:

There is something for everyone in sunny Nelson. If you prefer to laze around, then head for the golden sands of local Tahunanui beach or a trip to Kaiteriteri beach.

If you are a high energy activity seeker, then Vertical Limits is a great place for indoor rock climbing or head up one of the local valleys for a dayhike. If the weather is bright and sunny, go for a daylong climbing trip to Payne's Ford in Takaka. You can combine it with a paragliding adventure solo or tandem with experienced instructors available at Takaka.

Just 17 kilometres northeast of Nelson off SH6 is the Happy Valley Adventures, a large farm that can be traversed on quad bikes. You can choose rides depending on your driving skills. There are various rides to suit everyone. There are rides that visit Skywire, a 4 seater cable car ride into the forests beyond and back to the Cable Bay Cafe offering stunning views along the way.

If you are an avid horserider then head for the Richmond Ranges, 17 kilometres southwest of Nelson. As well as superb horse treks from Richmond to Stonehurst Farm, there are horse treks of different durations along the foothills of the Richmond Ranges, all providing endless gorgeous scenery. Though the routes are challenging, the horse treks are tailored to suit all ages and skill levels and there are fully qualified experienced guides to ensure your safety along the way.

To the west of Nelson, towards Waimea Plains and Motuere Hills, are some of the finest wineries of New Zealand. Some of the famous ones are Glovers, Grape Escape, Kahurangi Estate, Neudorf and Seifried Estate.

The combination of Nelson sun, the pure spring water and special soil produces world-class wines. Interspersed with the wineries are private art galleries where artists display their own exhibits be it paintings, glass blowing, woodturning, ceramics or sculpture.

From Richmond to Motueka, SH60 is a picturesque drive showcasing mindblowing scenery and expansive sea views. Mapua is a nice town along the way with nice restaurants, galleries, kayaking trips and gateway to Rabbit Island, one of Nelson's most popular beaches.

On the way to Motueka, Waimea Inlet provides great wine tours of the region. The pride of place for arts in this region is Hoglund Art Glass, New Zealand's world standard glass centre with a gallery displaying their magnificent glass creations (primarily tableware).

They can be quite expensive but a consolation is the seconds shop where glassware with blemishes is sold at low low prices. The Bronte Gallery is another artistic highlight in this region. It is owned by Daryll Robertson, an internationally recognised ceramic artist.

Nelson has a lot to offer and you will be delighted that you spent a fair few days uncovering the secrets of this amazing place. Looknbook can provide you the best Nelson travel experience and help you book your Nelson accommodation and Nelson activities to give you a very special and memorable experience.