Nelson Region highlights

St Arnaud and Nelson Lakes

St Arnaud is at the heart of the Tasman District's winter playground and is the gateway to the Nelson Lakes National Park, you are guaranteed to use a lot of film in this region. Nelson Lakes National Park is found at the northern end of the Southern Alps and about 80km southwest of Nelson, and offers many of the attractions and activities expected of an Alpine Environment. The centre of Saint Arnaud has a petrol station, camping facilities, a village store with postal services, a cafe-restaurant.

Its stunning natural beauty and location, close to the District's only ski fields (Rainbow Ski Area) provide great drawcards. The magnificent National Park, including Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa, offers great opportunities for tramping, swimming, fishing, kayaking and boating.

St Arnaud is an appealing launch pad for a host of outdoor adventures all year round. Rainbow Ski Area in winter offers great alpine ski and snowboard runs as well as fantastic views over the lake, perfect when you strike a bluebird. During summer the hiking trails in the national park and water sports on the lakes make St Arnaud a haven for outdoor pursuit lovers and family groups.

Activities such as eco-tours, gold panning, café endulgence, golf as well as lake cruising and other water sports are provided for your enjoyment.

For the angler, the rivers in the area provide some of the best trout fishing in New Zealand and the surging rivers provide plenty of rushing adrenaline for kayakers and rafters.

The "Revive Rotoiti Mainland Island" project ensures that visitors and locals can see a part of New Zealand which is heavily protected from pests and modification. This project has resulted in many species of native birds growing in numbers. If you are Lucky you may get a glimpse of the threatened kaka and kakariki, while tuis, bellbirds and other species of native bird.

A water taxi service operates from a jetty at the northern end of Lake Rotoiti, and there is a daily shuttle bus service along State Highway 63 with connections to Nelson, Murchison, Greymouth, Blenheim, Westport and Picton. Pickups are from the centre of Saint Arnaud, in Saint Arnaud you will find a very helpful Information Centre providing maps, a range of accommodation options and travel options.

Richmond Ranges National Park

Mt Richmond Forest Park stretches 100 km along the rugged backbone of the Mt Richmond Range from St Arnaud right to the coast. It is the lush the backdrop to Nelson city and dominates the skyline from Blenheim. Over 80% of the area is covered in dense forest with manuka, kanuka, bracken and gorse common around the margins of the park.

This is an ideal tramper's park with easy access roads and 250 km of cut and marked tracks linking 30 huts. The park includes all 5 species of beech in New Zealand as well as the common podocarps; rimu, totara, matai, miro and kahikatea. Rare birds that are present include blue duck, yellow-crowned parakeet, kaka and kiwis.

Discover this beautiful park for yourself - it's by far too good to bypass

Rainbow Ski Area

Located in the north of the Southern Alps overlooking the Nelson Lakes National Park, Rainbow Ski Area is New Zealand's most special ski and snowboard areas.

Rainbow Ski Area is around 90 minutes drive from both Nelson and Blenheim and is well sign posted.

Rainbow Ski has good expert terrain and chutes, 100 metre long Mega Pipe, excellent facilities and grooming, stunning St Arnaud Resort below and is great for families. A spectacular ski experience.

The field is open from June to October and has regular snowfalls along with uncrowded bowls. The highest point is 1,758 metres good for cross-country skiing. Snow ratings are 25% beginner, 55% intermediate and 20% advanced, the skiable area is 350 hectares. Lifts comprise a double chair, 1 T-Bar, 2 learner tows and a ski mat. There is ski and board hire on the mountain. Rainbow has a busy calendar of events throughout the season, and regular race coaching camps and provides children's programmes.

Accommodation at a luxury resort or lodges, chalets, bed & breakfast and backpackers is available in the St Arnaud township.

Rabbit Island

20km west of Nelson, you will find this beautiful 13km stretch of beach, Rabbit Island. A popular spot for all year round for relaxation, great for a picnic. Rabbit Island (Moturoa) is the largest of a group of sandy islands lying in the Waimea Estuary at the head of Tasman Bay only 15 minutes drive from Richmond.

Covered in pine plantations owned by the Tasman District Council and set up as a public reserve. You will find barbecues, dressing sheds and toilets provided. This is the largest picnic area in the district, a great place to hold any get together. The public reserves are only open for use during daylight hours and may be closed during times of high fire risk.

The perimeter road is very popular for walking groups and ideal for joggers. The tidal waters provide for a variety of sea birds, including the white heron and royal spoonbill as well as many other wading birds which can also be seen feeding as the tide moves in and out.

Moutere

Head inland of SH60 (en route to Motueka) to explore this area, it is well signposted, you will find small boutique wineries, often with cafes, and you can flourish in the Moutere's protected, sun-drenched valleys, you will also come across local breweries and roadside produce stands.

Vineyards

The country's eighth largest wine region, over the rolling Moutere Hills and the stony Waimea Plains providing the Nelson region with high quality wineries. Nelson's climate is ideal for the production of world class wine, long warm summers and cool autumn nights produce wines with intense fruit flavours, good acid balance and weight.

Discover what New Zealand's fastest growing wine region has to offer in the most stunning scenic region along with the most sun-filled. Only a two hour drive from Marlborough, or a short flight from Wellington. It is a paradise for potters, painters, alternative life-stylers, foodies and wine lovers. A significant amount of the Nelson region's energy goes into growing, harvesting and eating fresh food and wine.

Amongst the best of Nelson's thirty wineries are:
• Greenhough Winery
• Neudorf Vineyard
• Spencer Hill Estate
• Seifrieds
• Te Mania Estate
• Moutere Hills

The local vineyards concentrate on grape varieties suited to cool conditions, with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir accounting for more than 80% of the grapes grown.

Waimea Inlet and Mapua

Mapua is a popular visitor location, the hub for the Tasman and Coastal Highway areas. Mapua lies at the mouth of the Waimea Inlet, the largest estuary in the South Island, this means the area is home to a vast selection of wildlife, one of the popular attractions is the sea aquarium situated amongst the small shops along the wharf.

A range of cafes sit alongside the Waimea Inlet offering picturesque cuisine experiences. You can also spend plenty of time perusing local arts and crafts around the township.

Being in the centre of New Zealand and at the top of the South Island Nelson lends itself as and easy place to get to from anywhere in New Zealand. Be it by air, sea, or land.