Nelson is surrounded by natural beauty and smaller towns that are a delight to explore. Take your pick from these day trip destinations:
Mapua
Mapua is on the ‘Ruby Coast’ and is a delightful little town with lots to do. Catch the ferry over to Rabbit Island, play some golf or take a walk through the hills. There’s galleries and shops to explore and wineries to visit too.
Collingwood
This is a quiet little town made for rest and relaxation. It’s surrounded by beautiful places to explore, like the Farewell Spit bird sanctuary and the kayak-friendly Ruataniwha Inlet. Overlooking the beautiful Golden Bay, the town is full of beautiful buildings.
Murchison
Murchison is a self-styled ‘white water capital’ as it’s surrounded by lots of rivers perfect for canoeing and kayaking. Rafting, fishing, mountain biking, fossicking, jet boats and more are all popular past-times here. The gold rush town was almost entirely rebuilt after an earthquake in the 1930s, and is a fun place to explore.
St Arnaud
A picturesque village on Lake Rotoiti, St Arnaud is a fly fishing paradise. There are plenty of lakeside walking tracks where you can take in the changing moods of the late and see all the wildlife that flocks to the area.
Takaka
Another beautiful town on the edge of Golden bay, Takaka is chock-full of character. Galleries, museums, a movie theatre, there’s everything you could want for a weekend away here. Go and enjoy a soak in Te Waikoropupū Springs, one of New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, or follow the art trail to see studios and galleries galore.
