Here’s a quick reference to our posts about Nelson…
Arriving in Nelson
To pick up where I left off after Abel Tasman National Park, we’d just realized there were no spots to anchor in Kaiteriteri Bay. We now had no choice but to head 20 miles to the city of Nelson, where we planned to finish the season. The problem with this sudden change of plan was that we hadn’t looked into weather for that area…
Nuzzling Up to Nelson
We weren’t completely sold on Nelson before going there to stay but as soon as we settled in, our ambivalence began to vanish. We actually bonded with this place very quickly as it ticked nearly all our boxes for a great home base…
More Reasons to Love Nelson
There are basically two essential components for us to love a chosen “home base,” (a place we stay put for a few weeks). The first I’ve covered: feeling comfortable and happy at the marina (or moorage, anchorage, etc.). The other is having a pleasant town or city nearby…
Nelson Markets
It’s always nice when a town has great markets. Here in Nelson, we had two big Countdown Supermarkets. In New Zealand, many independent supermarkets are becoming Countdowns so they often end up just down the road from each other…
Noshing In Nelson
Anyone who follows our blog won’t be surprised at what’s coming next: food! This really is the make-it-or-break-it factor on how much we bond with a town…
Nelson’s Parks and Gardens
Parks and gardens lend an undertone to the feeling of a city, even if you never get around to visiting them. I’ve definitely noticed the nicest cities always have beautiful parks, and places that lack them….
Nelson Wineries
Like most cities in New Zealand, Nelson has its own nearby wine country. It covers an area just outside Nelson starting in the small neighboring city of Richmond and stretching north along the rolling Moutere Hills.
Over the Mountains to Golden Bay
As far as day-trip excursions go, Nelson has an embarrassment of riches. This is wonderful for people who live here but can be frustrating for a visitor with limited time….
The Green Valleys of Golden Bay
From Nelson, it’s a nearly 2-hour drive over the mountains to the Golden Bay region, an area where flat grassy plains lie between the mountain ranges of Abel Tasman and Kahurangi national parks…
The Grove Scenic Reserve
Our first stop in Golden Bay was the Grove Scenic Reserve. The small, overgrown parking area was a sign that not many people come here…
Artsy Takaka and the Wholemeal Cafe
Our lunch stop took us to Takaka, Golden Bay’s biggest town, which isn’t saying much. Downtown Takaka sits along the main road and is only a few blocks long, consisting mostly of small businesses, shops, and eateries…
Te Waikoropupu Springs Scenic Reserve
Te Waikoropupu Springs boasts some of the clearest water in the world, second only to Blue Lake (in Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand) and the sub-glacial waters of Antarctica…
The Beautiful and Bizarre Labyrinth Rocks Park
Our final destination for the day was a place called Labyrinth Rocks Park. It wasn’t in my guidebook nor in the local brochure guide I had; so I must have stumbled across this on the internet. I certainly know what caught my attention: it’s a karst geology extravaganza!…
Final Days in Nelson
When we first came to Nelson in April, I worried about finding a weather window to the tropics by the time our visa expired near the end of May…
Wonderful Wine Country in Blenheim, Part 1
With our next possible weather window a week away, we decided to take advantage of our extra time in Nelson and visit an area we hadn’t yet gotten to: Blenheim…
Wonderful Wine Country in Blenheim, Part 2
After a rest at the hotel we headed out again, driving amidst the endless vineyards on the Wairau plains. Our first stop was a winery called Gibson Bridge…
Wonderful Wine Country in Blenheim, Part 3
The actual town of Blenheim covers a large area but is so laid back that it feels much smaller than it is…
Wonderful Wine Country in Blenheim, Part 4
After breakfast, our first stop was Lawson’s Dry Hills which turned out to have some excellent wines, the pinot gris and gewurztraminer especially…
The Drive Back to Nelson
The drive between Blenheim and Nelson is lovely, but this particular run was the emotional equivalent of being tossed off a sunny lounge chair into a cold pool…
Good-Bye Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds
I wasn’t exaggerating when I said we’d be leaving before dawn. These were the last views we had of Nelson. Note the expression on Rich’s face in the final photo: that’s not happiness to be leaving…