Visiting Nelson on the South Island of New Zealand

From Picton to Nelson

The windy road to Nelson, New Zealand

The bus ride from Picton to Nelson was outrageously beautiful.  About an hour outside of Nelson, the road turned into a hairpin-y,  nausea-inducing ride through tree-covered mountains cradling fog in their nooks.  I was blessed with nice weather during my two days in Nelson.  I am told that this is the warmest winter on the record books for the South Island of New Zealand.  Lucky for me.

Nelson, New Zealand

Nelson is the oldest city on the South Island, established in 1841.  The Maori have lived in the area since at least the 1400’s.  It is on the shores of Tasman Bay and is surrounded by national parks and outdoor wonders.  The city is comprised of about 40,000 people and many artists.  Turn-of-the-century homes rest on little hills beside the port.  If beer is your thing, it’s also the only place in New Zealand where hops are grown, making it the craft-beer capital of New Zealand.  Nelson also carries the claim to fame of being the geographical center of New Zealand.

I took a walk around the port and around downtown. I sampled the beer that Nelson is famous for but I must admit my palate was unimpressed.   When it comes to beer, I only seem to recognize two flavors: bitter (bad) and not-bitter (ok).  And yet I keep trying, like a mother trying to give peas to her child.

Nelson is on the edge of Abel Tasman National Park and that is where I intend to go tomorrow.

Photos of Nelson: