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Two Perfect Days in Nelson

Nelson New Zealand is a perfect weekend getaway destination. You can get a direct flight from any of NZ’s three biggest cities, find lodging suited to any budget and then rent a car to enjoy two perfect days. Natural beauty, family friendly beaches, and a long tradition as a lively artists haven have made it a “something for everyone” destination.

During our first year here we had a continuous flow of visitors, ranging from students to seniors with limited mobility. This gave us ample opportunity to learn which local gems are consistent crowd pleasers. We have sorted through our favorites to design the perfect mid-summer weekend visit for first time travelers with a car. (If you are adapting this to off-peak seasons or days, you might want to check opening hours before heading out.)

You will find countless other things to come back for, but here’s the perfect first two day itinerary:

1. Saturday Morning: Explore the CBD; see the Saturday Market; walk in the park
2. Saturday Afternoon: Patio Lunch; immerse yourself in culture; cocktail hour; dinner in town
3. Sunday Morning: Visit the WOW Museum; lunch at Grape Escape
4. Sunday Afternoon: Check out Mapua and Ruby Bay; venture out to Neudorf and Wineries; the Abbey for drinks; dinner in town

1. Saturday Morning

Your first day is learning what the town is about- why is this town with a population under 50,000 so prominent on the tourist maps? Every visit starts with a trip to the Nelson iSite at the corner of Halifax and Trafalgar on the edge of the central business district (CBD). Peruse the brochures to find things that peak your interests and chat with the helpful staff to confirm opening hours, make bookings and get even more ideas. The shoppers should make a quick stop next door for the broadest collection of NZ gifts around, then head down Trafalgar Street to wander the CBD. This little town has an appealing style to it, with a bustling mix of cafés, shops, galleries and museums. Even among the increasing proportion of chain stores, it’s easy to find plenty of locally run businesses ranging from chocolate makers to crafts collectives. When you reach the end of Trafalgar Street, rather than climbing to the nice but not exciting 1970’s cathedral, veer to the right around Trafalgar Square and make your way via eclectic Flame Daisy glass makers to the posh Hoglund Glass showroom in the Rutherford Hotel for an eye opening contrast in glass making styles. Continue onto tiny West Nile Street where you will find a few more shops and galleries, and the entrance to Historic South Street for a quick glance at some cute little restored cottages.

Saturday morning requires a visit to the landmark Nelson Market in Montgomery Square. Flow with the crowds from soap maker to photographer to sweater maker, stopping to sample fudge or indulge in a My Pie! gourmet snack. It might not be the largest market ever, but it’s jammed with over 100 local vendors offering such wide variety that it takes longer than you might expect to explore. While there are a few importers selling commercial or exotic wares, they get lost among the bright, cheerful locals. Everyone notices that even in the highest summer season, a good percentage of the crowd is still locals buying produce and socializing. This gives it a very homey feel even with the sometimes claustrophobic density of tourists.

Now would be a good time to escape the mob for a short walk before lunch. You can stroll along the Maitai River that cuts through town, or visit one of Nelson’s more formal gardens. The Queens Garden next to the Suter Gallery built for Queen Victoria has old trees and flowers and a pond dotted with ducks and eels and the attending fascinated children. It also has a tiny new Chinese Garden at one end. Or you can drive a little north of town to walk the Miyazu Japanese Gardens where bamboo and maples, a tea house and coy ponds create a cultural island. If you decide to lunch at the Founders Brewery, you can sometimes take a restored historic train from the Tui Station at the back of the gardens to the nearby Founders Heritage Park.

2. Saturday Afternoon

Wherever you end up your walk, you won’t lack for good choices for a nice outdoor lunch experience. The Founders Brewery Cafe has a limited but very tasty selection of burgers, sandwiches and salads to accompany the award winning organic brews at primarily outdoor seating. In the CBD, if you are craving pizza, Lambretta’s scooter themed pizzeria on Hardy Street offers top quality and indoor or patio dining. Nearby on Trafalgar, BarDelicious offers extremely fresh, affordable gourmet and a small patio or dining room seating.

After lunch, it’s time to dig more deeply into the art and history of the region. If history is your thing, then the Founders Heritage Park or the Nelson Provincial Museum are the obvious choices. Founders Park is built from many historic buildings relocated from around the town. Within them, you find themed collections arranged into storefronts and workshops. From Apothecary to Fire House, Post Shop to Photographer, it’s fun to see all manner of antiques arranged as they might have been back in the day. The Provincial Museum stewards one of the largest collections of historical photos and negatives in the country, and also typically hosts one or two specialty exhibitions at any given time.

If you are more drawn to the arts and crafts of the region, you’d probably prefer to start at the Suter Art Gallery which has three main exhibition rooms, with two usually dedicated to modern New Zealand art, and the third highlighting their historical collection. We also always enjoy the small Red Art Gallery on Bridge Street and the more expansive Refinery Art Space near the Anzac Park on Halifax.  The iSite has a brochure listing even more gallery and studio options in and around town.

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This article was written on Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 and is filed under Destination. For more articles about: South Island (4), New Zealand (10), Nelson (3)

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