SCENIC ATTRACTIONS
Nelson Tasman is renowned for its stunning natural landscapes, with diverse geography capturing everything from long golden beaches to untouched forests and rugged mountains.
Walk the sun-drenched sands of Golden Bay or head inland to Takaka and see the impossibly clear waters of New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs. Walk the three-to-five day Abel Tasman track or, for a different view, take a sea kayaking tour around the coast and see a seal colony and little blue penguins bobbing in the water. Taste your way around the region by bicycle on Tasman’s Great Taste Trail or get your daily dose of adrenaline with a visit to one of the region’s world-class mountain bike parks.
Check out Nelson's top scenic attractions below.
1
Wharariki Beach Walk
An easy walk along the most spectacular coastline in the region, passing through farmland and forest.
The track to Wharariki Beach travels over farm paddocks and through a section of coastal forest, before arriving a the beautiful windswept coast. The best time to visit is at low tide, when you can walk the length of the beach and take in spectacular coastlines, caverns, islands, and enormous sand dunes along the way.
2
Nelson Lakes National Park
Home to the beginning of the awe-inspiring Southern Alps, the Nelson Lakes National Park is an enchanting alpine landscape of rugged peaks, forests and stunning glacial lakes.
The beautiful alpine lakes of Rotoroa and Rotoiti form the heart of this 102,000 hectare national park. Both are surrounded by steep mountains and fringed to the shore by native honeydew beech forests, which feed a variety of tuneful nectar-eating native birds. Promising everything from easy lakeside walking tracks to challenging alpine hikes, this national park has something on offer for everyone.
3
Farewell Spit
With open sea on one side and sheltered waters on the other, this massive sandspit has two entirely different faces.
Farewell Spit stretches 34km long, making it one of the longest natural sandspits in the world. A wetland of international importance, it has been a bird sanctuary since the 1930’s and provides a home for over 90 bird species. Bar tailed godwits, knots, curlews, whimbrels and turnstones fly around 12,000 kilometres every northern hemisphere autumn to spend the summer here in the south. The spit also has a gannet colony.
4
Mount Richmond Forest Park
Enjoy short walks through native forest beside mountain streams or climb high above the tree line to alpine meadows and panoramic views.
Mount Richmond Forest Park is the second largest forest park in New Zealand. It is named after Mount Richmond (1760 metres), one of the highest peaks in the park. The park forms a backdrop to Nelson City, the Waimea Plains, and surrounding country. In Marlborough, the mountains are a dominant feature of the Wairau and Pelorus Valleys.
5
Tonga Island Marine Reserve
One of the major attractions of Abel Tasman National Park, Tonga Island Marine Reserve includes sandy beaches, boulder headlands, rocky reefs and small estuaries. The reserve is named for Tonga Island, which is offshore from Onetahuti Beach.
At any time of the year, sea kayaking is a great way to explore the reserve. Sea-kayakers can discover Mosquito Bay and Shag Harbour - beautiful coves that the walking track doesn’t reach. From a kayak you could also encounter dolphins and penguins. Seals are common around Tonga Island, especially during winter when they travel north on their annual migration.
6
Golden Bay
Before you lay eyes on Golden Bay, you'll enjoy an amazingly scenic road journey over the Takaka Hill, known also as 'marble mountain'. As the road leads west, fabulous views of Golden Bay will keep you entertained. The huge, sandy bay is famous for its scallops.