Top 5 outdoor adventures around sunny Nelson - summer 2021

The top of the South Island is a beautiful location for a summer holiday. The Nelson region boasts an array of outdoor activities, with stunning beaches and scenery, breathtaking hikes through native beech forests, cycling trails, kayaking and lovely vineyards to visit for a glass of local wine or lunch.

On top of that, the Nelson region has some of the best weather in the country, holding the record for most sunlight hours in New Zealand for the last two years (and who wants summer without plenty of sun?).

If you’re exploring the upper South Island this summer, here are our top five destinations and outdoor activities in the Nelson region – plus the best places to stay if you’re traveling in a motorhome or tent.

Nelson city

Nelson city itself is well worth a visit. Sitting right by the ocean, Nelson has amazing beaches perfect for swimming and paddle boarding, with stunning views over the wider Tasman bay. The city is also surrounded by hills covered in pines and native bush, making for some fantastic local hikes for all fitness levels. One hike we particularly recommend is the Centre of New Zealand walk, which is a short hike up Botanical Hill - you’ll find a sculpture at the top that signifies it as the geographical centre of New Zealand.

Nelson also produces some of the best New Zealand wines, with dozens of local vineyards between the Moutere Hills and the foothills of Richmond. Many of these wineries have open cellar doors and small restaurants, and are within cycling distance of the city (the Great Taste Trail is a loop track which takes you past a number of vineyards, as well as beaches, artist studios and food stops).

With multiple private campsites around Nelson and Richmond, you’re also sure to find a picturesque location to spend the night.

Kaiteriteri

Located an hour’s drive from Nelson, Kaiteriteri is a beautiful little beach town situated at the foot of the Abel Tasman National Park. You can stay at the Kaiteriteri Reserve Campground in a tent or motorhome, with the golden sand just a stone throw away. 

Kaiteriteri has amazing swimming and kayaking locations, as well as some of the most stunning walks in the country - our favourite being the leisurely walk into Split Apple Rock Bay. As the name suggests, this walk has some amazing views of the Split Apple Rock formation located in the centre of the bay.

Abel Tasman National Park

Located fifteen minutes’ drive from Kaiteriteri and an hour from Nelson is Abel Tasman National Park. If you’re at the top of the South Island, Abel Tasman should not be missed. With golden sand beaches, clear water, lush native forest and fur seals, this is arguably New Zealand at its most tropical.

While the area is most famous for the multi-day Abel Tasman Coast Track, one of New Zealand’s nine Great Walks, there are plenty of shorter hiking and exploring options. One shorter trip that we highly recommend is the hike to Cleopatra's pool. The walk begins at Torrent Bay and offers amazing views and swimming when you arrive at the stunning fresh water pools. To get there (and to other bays and sections of the track) you can kayak or take a water taxi to one of the many secluded golden sand beaches.

The national park has a number of DOC campsites and huts available to book (although they do fill up quickly!), and the close proximity to Kaiteriteri makes it the perfect day trip if you’re based at the Reserve Campground.

Golden Bay

Two hours from Nelson, across the beautiful Takaka Hill, is Golden Bay. As the name suggests, Golden Bay is best known for its long beaches with golden-white sand. The scenery and beaches in the area are truly breathtaking, and because it’s a bit off the beaten track you can often escape the crowds and find a small bay entirely to yourself.

Golden Bay is also home to the Te Waikoropupu Springs, which is the largest cold water spring in the southern hemisphere and contains some of the clearest water ever measured on the planet. You can visit the springs via an easy 45 minute loop walk.

Check out the Golden Bay public campground or stay 3 minutes’ walk from Pohara Beach with Campable.

Farewell Spit

Farewell Spit is located at the western-most point of the top of the South Island. At 34 kms long, it’s one of the longest natural sand spits in the world and boasts incredible views across the Tasman Sea and back towards Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds.

These views, along with breathtaking sand dunes and rock formations, make it a natural attraction not to be missed in the Nelson region. You can drive to Farewell Spit (just leave your vehicle at Puponga village and then walk to the dunes), or you can take advantage of the Eco tours that depart from Collingwood, a short five minute drive from one of Campable’s private beachside campsites.

Book your Nelson motorhome trip with Campable

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