4 minute read
ROAD TRIP: A journey through Motueka
Nelson to Richmond to Māpua to Motueka via Waimea Rd, SH 6 & SH 60 52min, 52km
SIDE TRIP: Nelson to Murchison via SH 6 1hr 42min, 124km
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SIDE TRIP: Nelson to St Arnaud / Nelson Lakes National Park via SH 6 1hr 18min, 87.5km
Leave Nelson via scenic coastal Rocks Rd 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.
Walking along the shore, Mārahau
abeltasman.com
HIGHLIGHTS
RABBIT ISLAND
This 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 mountain bike tracks –perfect for the family.
MĀPUA’S WATERFRONT
With the flourishing Tasman Great Taste Trail cycle route leading through here and recent regeneration, Māpua has come to life over the past few years. 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
This gorgeous park offers some spectacular scenery in which to tramp, or just enjoy some peaceful leisure time (but remember to take insect repellent).
MOTUPIKO
Motupiko is a fine example of little towns doing big things. Stop here for honey, bee products and health foods and consider camping here, 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.
Snow boarding at Rainbow Ski field
Rainbow Ski field
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, as well as the Finns of Neudorf Vineyard, established their now world-famous labels.
ALCHEMY ARTS CENTRE
Richmond is the home of MacMillan’s Pottery, which doesn’t just display the beautiful creations made here but enables visitors to decorate works or even learn how to use the potter’s wheel.
UPPER MOUTERE
Ceramic artist Katie Gold has a gallery near the village centre and on Neudorf Rd notable sculptor Michael MacMillan’s range now also extends to creative home wares.
SKYDIVE ABEL TASMAN
Operates from Motueka’s small airfield. Those brave enough to leap enjoy some of the most beautiful views in New Zealand including of 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.
Sky diving above Abel Tasman
Skydive Abel Tasman
SIDE TRIP: Murchison
Murchison’s rich history and natural features make it well worth exploring.
1. JET BOAT DOWN THE BULLER RIVER or have a go at white-water rafting.
2. Visit the MUSEUM to learn more about the area’s history, including the devastating 1929 earthquake.
3. Pan for gold in the BULLER RIVER – visitors can hire pans and shovels from the i-SITE.
4. Go fishing for BROWN TROUT.
5. Walk across New Zealand’s longest SWING BRIDGE or zipline over the river below.
6. Visit the NATURAL FLAMES EXPERIENCE, where natural gas emanating from the ground has been burning for nearly 100 years.
Buller River Swingbridge
www.nelsontasman.nz
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.
Great Taste Trail Kaiteriteri
Virginia Woolf
SIDE TRIP: Nelson Lakes
Get ready for 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 that climbs to serene Lake Angelus.
Take a boat trip across the lake for a short walk to Whisky Falls or 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.
Whisky Falls at Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes
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 Salt Water Baths and a popular walking track joins the beach with the golf course.
Motueka Sunday Market
