Nelson City
Whakatū
Centre of New Zealand, Nelson
Whakatū
Known as a vibrant and welcoming city, Nelson is (quite literally) at the heart of New Zealand. It’s accessible and highly connected to other main centres. There's more choice than you can shake a cocktail shaker at.
Thought to be named after the winds that swirled through nearby Matangi Āwhio (Auckland Point), which resulted in waka being placed upright on land. It is also known as Wakatū in another dialect. More information can be found on The Prow.
With alfresco dining on cobblestone streets and wonderful waterfront restaurants, complemented by MarchFest in Autumn, Moveable Feasts in Winter and the Cider Festival in Spring. More recently, pop up markets and quirky side street fare has become a feature of the central city with a microbrewery on Collingwood Street and market stalls at Kirby Lane.
The city is an incubator for some of New Zealand’s most successful and most-loved businesses and products, and the contemporary creative energy of some of these businesses is showcased at Nelson’s weekly Saturday Market. The market has been operating for 40 years and is a ‘must do’ activity for visitors and locals. It’s a wonderful way to get a taste of the work of local fashion designers, artisan producers and the surprisingly diverse people who make up our community.
We’re proud of our legacy of artistic endeavours. In fact, Nelson has more working artists and galleries than most other places in New Zealand and is home to three of the country’s cultural treasures: the Suter Art Gallery, the Theatre Royal, and the Nelson Centre for Musical Arts.
It’s hard to beat the view of the city and Tasman Bay from the top of the Centre of New Zealand or the sight of snow-capped hills from Tāhunanui Beach on a crisp, sunny winter morning. And if you’re looking for outdoor adventures, Nelson fits the bill. The Coppermine Trail is just minutes from the city, so it’s possible to hurtle down a hillside one minute and enjoy a latte at a riverside café the next.
From the city’s borders out towards the stunning mountain ranges that form the backdrop to Tasman Bay, Tāhunanui Beach is well-loved by Nelsonians and visitors alike. The bay is a hub for watersports, and no matter the time of year, you’ll find paddleboarders, kite surfers, sailors, and kayakers venturing out into the picturesque horizon as families enjoying fish and chips on the beach watch on inquisitively. Plus, set behind the sand dunes is every child’s dream come true, with playgrounds, bumper boats, trampolines, go karts, a skating rink, a zoo, and even a hydro slide, all within walking distance.
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