5 minute read
Road Trip - Journey through Motueka
Nelson to Motueka
Nelson to St Arnaud/Nelson Lakes National Park via SH 6 - 1hr 18min, 87.5km
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Nelson to Murchison via SH 6 - 1hr 42min, 124km
Nelson to Richmond to Māpua to Motueka via Waimea Rd, SH6 & SH60 - 52min, 52km
© AA Traveller 2021
Leave Nelson via scenic coastal Rocks Road and head towards Tasman and the smaller service town of Richmond. A growing population is pushing Richmond’s boundaries out into the Waimea Plains where viticulture, horticulture and orcharding shape the landscape.
Continue north and turn off the highway to the pretty coastal village of Māpua. Boutique shopping and great dining overlooking the estuary might hold you up for a while but getting back on the road leads north to Motueka, gateway to Abel Tasman National Park.
Lake Angelus winter, Nelson Lakes National Park
© Jack Austin / nelsontasman.nz
HIGHLIGHTS
RABBIT ISLAND has a glorious forest fringed beach. Just 10 minutes out of Richmond it is an island escape with 2km of gently shelving sand and a network of bike tracks – perfect for the family.
MĀPUA’S WATERFRONT With the flourishing Tasman Great Taste Trail cycle route leading through here, Māpua has a good buzz. The wharf area has been tastefully recreated and is a great spot for dining and watching the world bike by. The plucky jump into the rushing tidal waters from the jetty and others travel across it on the ferry to Rabbit Island.
NELSON LAKES NATIONAL PARK offers some spectacular scenery in which to tramp,or just enjoy some peaceful leisure time (but remember to take insect repellent).
MOTUPIKO A little town doing big things. Stop here for honey, bee products and health foods;consider camping, too.
SKI RAINBOW This gorgeous club ski field nestled in the St Arnaud Range is a family orientated place with ample rental gear and runs to suit all abilities.
HÖGLUND’ S ART GLASS Browse the glassblowing studio gallery of artists Ola and Marie Simberg-Höglund whose works combine their Swedish heritage with a Pacific influence.
SEIFRIED ESTATE WINERY The warm summers and temperate winters are ideal for growers of all kinds. Wineries flourish around Richmond, where in the 1970s the Seifrieds near Richmond, and the Finns of Neudorf Vineyard,established their now world-famous labels.
ALCHEMY ARTS CENTRE Richmond is the home of MacMillan’s Pottery, with both beautifulc reations and the chance to decorate your own works or master the potter’s wheel.
UPPER MOUTERE Ceramic artist Katie Gold has a gallery near the village centre and on Neudorf Road notable sculptor Michael MacMillan’s range now also extends to creative homewares.
SKYDIVE ABEL TASMAN operates from Motueka’s small airfield. Those brave enough to leap enjoy some of the country’s most beautiful views, stretching to the North Island.
ONETAHUTI BAY A glorious kilometre long stretch of sand with a tidal stream overlooking Tonga Island.
WHARARIKI BEACH Defined by a series of caves, rocks and arches, the beach is long and there are dunes and rock pools.
FORSTERS MOUTERE HILLS A slice of paradise next to an equally gorgeous vineyard, and easily Māpua’s best-kept secret.
JANIE SEDDON SHIPWRECK Left to the elements in the 1950s, this historic wreck clings to the silt beneath its rusted belly on Motueka Wharf. Walk up to it at low tide.
Tarn at Nelson Lakes National Park
© nelsontasman.nz
NELSON LAKES - SIDE TRIP
WILD & BEAUTIFUL Magnificent mountains and stunning lakes, with St Arnaud village a great base from which to explore.
Call in to the Department of Conservation’s Nelson Lakes Visitors Centre to learn more about the geology, flora and fauna of the area.
Take a hike – there are stunning tramps in this magnificent part of the Southern Alps, from short walks to challenging multi-day hikes, including the Lake Rotoiti Circuit, or the more challenging track which climbs to serene Lake Angelus.
Take a boat trip across the lake for a short walk to Whisky Falls.
Hire kayaks and head out into the blue.
• Leap in from the jetty.
• Picnic on the water’s edge.
• Hire ice-skates from the water taxi operator at St Arnaud for some winter ice-skating at a nearby pond.
• Take a winter trip to Rainbow Ski Field.
Cyclists near winery on Tasman’s Great Taste Trail
© George Guille Media
NATURE & ADVENTURE
The 174km Tasman Great Taste Trail begins with a flat section from Nelson to Richmond then loops to Motueka and inland to Tapawera, returning north along a disused railway line. The terrain and scenery includes vineyards, beach-lined pine forests, an alpine valley and a tunnel. Bikes can be hired in Nelson, Richmond and Māpua and several operators offer transport and collection services.
MURCHISON - SIDE TRIP
JET BOAT DOWN THE BULLER RIVER or have a go at white-water rafting.
Visit the MUSEUM to learn more about the area’s history, including the devastating 1929 earthquake.
Pan for gold in the BULLER RIVER – visitors can hire pans and shovels from the i-SITE.
Go fishing for BROWN TROUT. There are also great fly fishing lodges in these parts.
Walk across New Zealand’s longest SWING BRIDGE or zipline over the river below.
Visit the NATURAL FLAMES EXPERIENCE, where a natural flame has been burning nonstop in the forest for a century.
MARUIA FALLS A wide, 10m waterfall, created following the 1929 earthquake.
White-water rafting in Murchison
© www.nelsontasman.nz
MOTUEKA
Sunny, creative Motueka has a lively atmosphere. You’ll fall hard for its quirky bohemian-style boutiques, crystal shops and health stores, and even harder for the cafés and bakeries which have a European feel. The coastal front boasts a fabulous swimming spot in the form of the Motueka Saltwater Baths and a popular walking track joins the beach with the golf course.
Teepee at Lift Off Abel Tasman Motueka Festival
© Lift Off Abel Tasman
