Nelson Bays

The Nelson Bays region, officially known as the Tasman Region, at the top of the South Island of New Zealand is famed for sunshine, art and craft and alternative lifestyles, and has a rugged farming backbone. The region includes Tasman Bay, the more central and populous bay, and the more remote Golden Bay to the north-west. It is bounded by the Richmond Ranges, Kahurangi National Park and Nelson Lakes National Park. The Abel Tasman National Park is on the northern coast between Tasman Bay and Golden Bay.

• Golden Bay, over the Takaka Hill from Nelson and a world away, with beautiful golden sand beaches, native bush and solitude
• Nelson Lakes has the largest native eels in New Zealand inside its national park and good alpine skiing centred on St Arnaud

• 🌍 Collingwood – at the northern end of Golden Bay, gateway to Farewell Spit and Heaphy Track in Kahurangi National Park
• 🌍 Kaiteriteri – beach town and popular holiday spot between Motueka and Abel Tasman National Park
• 🌍 Mapua – small seaside town between Nelson and Motueka
• 🌍 Motueka – the largest town outside Nelson and its satellites
• 🌍 Murchison – some of the finest white water rafting and kayaking in the Southern Hemisphere
• 🌍 Nelson – the region's only city, with many galleries, cafes and restaurants fringing its cathedral, and a big safe sandfly-free beach at Tahunanui
• 🌍 Onekaka – small town in the middle of Golden Bay
• 🌍 St Arnaud – village that is the gateway to Nelson Lakes National Park
• 🌍 Takaka – the largest town in Golden Bay
• 🌍 Wakefield – village south-west of Nelson

• 🌍 Abel Tasman National Park – road-inaccessible park, home to NZ's most popular coastal walk.
• 🌍 Kahurangi National Park – famed for Wharariki Beach, the location of one of Windows 10's default lock screens and the country's second-largest national park.
• 🌍 Nelson Lakes National Park – secluded highland lakes.

For those without transport, there is reasonable bus transport around the region.

Sunburn and sun stroke might be the greatest dangers in this region!

For those heading south to Christchurch, there are two options which take roughly the same length of time. State Highway 6 branches just after Murchison lending to Springs Junction. Turning east leads soon to the hot springs complex of Maruia Springs before steadily climbing up the Lewis Pass on the Main Divide of the Southern Alps. Beyond too long the turn-off to the spa town of Hanmer Springs is reached, 1.5 hours from Christchurch. The alternative it to travel to Blenheim and then south on State Highway 1 through the whale watching town of Kaikoura. Both routes take approximately 6 hours.