With an incredibly vibrant and arty community at its heart, Tākaka is known for welcoming visitors as one of their own, and it’s not uncommon to leave having made a bunch of new lifelong friends.
There’s something magical in the air for creative people here, and perhaps that’s one of the reasons it was used for several locations in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies.
There is a wide range of accommodation options to suit every visitor, and we recommend you spend more than a couple of days here to experience everything this remarkable place offers. The incredible views from the top of Tākaka Hill are enough in themselves to justify the journey over from Nelson City, but they are only the tip of the iceberg (or the ‘marble mountain’, so to speak). With Ngarua Caves at the summit and Riuwaka Resurgence at the base, the hill is just a preview of everything still to come.
From the internationally famous live music venue The Mussel Inn, to the culturally significant Te Waikoropupū Springs, the limestone crag climbing at Paynes Ford and the famous string of beaches stretching from Wainui Bay to Whanganui Inlet, Tākaka and Golden Bay do have it all.
What's more, Labyrinth Rocks Parks in the Grove Scenic Reserve is yet another hidden gem that is well worth exploring, especially if you’re visiting as a family, whilst early birds (excuse the pun) can head to Tata Beach before sunrise to watch hundreds of spotted shags flying in from their roosts around the Tata Islands as part of their morning ritual.
Golden Bay is highly connected to two of the region's three spectacular national parks, perhaps the reason for its tagline, 'Heart of the Parks', and for the stunning golden sands that line the bay's eastern side. From Tākaka you can easily access the Abel Tasman National Park with Golden Bay Kayaks, or enter the Kahurangi National Park and the Heaphy Track, all offering a wealth of sightseeing and adventure activities to top off your visit.
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