​​Nelson and Abel Tasman - located on the western tip of New Zealand’s South Island - are renowned for their golden beaches, significant art community and quality wine and seafood.

 

The south island's Nelson Tasman region is New Zealand’s sunniest region offering inspirational landscapes in a vibrant creative environment allowing visitors to mix with local artists and craftspeople, participate in their workshops, visit their studios and enjoy their art tours. The region delivers kilometres of golden sand beaches while protected national parks enable year-round wildlife, nature and outdoor adventures including swimming, rock climbing, sea kayaking, white water rafting, mountain biking, horse trekking, surfing and sailing.

 

Māori are known to have first settled in the Nelson area about 800 years ago. Coastal & riverside villages were built enabling them to make the most of the regions abundant seafood, fertile soil and favourable climate.

The Nelson area is known to Māori as "Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka a Mauior" 'the tip of the nose of the canoe of Maui’. According to Māori legend, Maui the demi-god used his fish hook to catch and raise the North Island - "Te Ika a Maui" or ‘the fish of Maui’ - from his waka (canoe). 

Pre european traders found Nelson’s central location an ideal stopover point. It was here that Māori from the North Island passed through on their way to trade for greenstone, while Māori & Pacific traders came in search of tool making mediums such as agillite.

 

Nelson is renowned as one of New Zealand’s leading wine regions.  The area produces award winning pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling, pinot gris, gewürztraminer and sauvignon blanc.  Of the 26 family-owned wineries within Nelson many offer cellar door experiences and vineyard tasting tours where visitors can sample different wine varieties and witness their production. 

 

Nelson is Australasia’s largest fishing port exporting fresh seafood annually. Other local specialities include beer and fruit making Nelson a source of quality cafés and restaurants serving local foods. 

Nelson hosts two marine reserves, three national parks and an extensive coastline providing havens for some of New Zealands protected nature and wildlife. 

 

 

Nelson/ Tasman consists of 8 main townships, all within one region.

 

Please click on the region below to go to the area applicable, within the box you'll find the towns relative to the region in question. Travel distances within the region average between 30mins to 1hr.