At the northern end of the South Island are the winding sheltered waterways of the Marlborough Sounds. This collection of drowned river valleys is a natural wonder, unparalleled in New Zealand. This is the region of nature's infinite variety.
The city of Nelson is the hub of a region abundant in vineyards making a variety of wines and is world renowned for it’s crispy Sauvignon Blanc. It is also known for delicious seafood and a some of New Zealand best known artists.
Visitors love the way the Abel Tasman National Park mixes physical exertion with beach life – bursts of hiking or kayaking, punctuated by sunbathing, swimming and sedate snorkelling around the characteristic granite outcrops.
Nelson Marlborough – the finer things in life.
Discover the creative paradise that is Nelson – an irresistible blend of lifestyle and stunning landscape at the top northwest corner of the South Island. From the northern edge of the Southern Alps across the fertile plains and out to a great sweep of beaches, our place is beautifully laid out under a generous sun that delivers New Zealand’s highest sunshine hours. To visit Nelson region is to discover azure skies and wide open spaces, beaches and lakes, spectacular national parks and unique landforms, vineyards and gourmet cafés, artists and galleries, entrepreneurs and boutique shopping experiences...a uniquely Nelson way of life.
Nelson region combines the finest elements of the New Zealand experience and delivers them across stunning geography, sun-ripened at the perfect latitude under New Zealand’s highest sunshine hours.
Quick Facts
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| Population: |
Nelson city is the 10th most populous city and geographical centre of New Zealand. Nelson Tasman Region has a resident population of 87,000 (2001)
- Nelson city 43,500
- Tasman district 43,500
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| Climate: |
Nelson city rates consistently as New Zealand's sunniest spot with over 2,500 sunshine hours per year. |
| Cultural Mix: |
Iwi (Maori tribal groups) claim ancestral occupation rights, or rights of conquest over areas in the Nelson Region. These Iwi are Ngati Rarua, Ngati Tama, Te Atiawa, Ngati Koata, Ngati Kuia and Ngati Toa.
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| Famous For: |
- Nelson is New Zealand's second oldest city, settled in 1841
- Home to NZ's oldest state secondary school, Nelson College, est. in 1856
- Home to 22 wineries which benefit from the mild Mediterranean climate
- Unique landscape and wildlife with three spectacular national parks all within 90 minutes drive of each other
- Two of New Zealand's Great Walks are within this region - Abel Tasman Coastal Track and Heaphy Track
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