On Holiday on the South Island — Nelson

Where should I go next? The most common advice the past three years was simple. Go to the South Island! Everybody says it’s more awesome than the North Island. But apart from a skiing holiday in Queenstown, I haven’t traveled there yet.

So my partner and I decided to go there over the holidays. We will go to Nelson, then walk the Abel Tasman Coastal Walk. Then we will take the bus to Franz Josef and go on a hike on the glacier. Finally we take the train from the West Coast to Christchurch.

Our tour

Our first stop was Nelson, a small town on the northern coast of the South Island. Its main street, Trafalgar Street goes from north to south through the city centre. In the middle, on top of a hill, stands the cathedral.

Around town you may do some walks in the parks. In Branford Park you can walk to the centre of New Zealand, conveniently located on a hill where you have a view on the surrounding landscape.

Centre of New Zealand

Looking east, you see the Maitai river valley.

Maitai river valley

Looking west you can see Port Nelson, and the ocean. The lighter blue colour is Nelson Haven, separated from the ocean by a natural barrier called Boulder Bank.

The ocean, and Port Nelson

From there you can walk along the Maitai river to the town centre. For much of the length there is a narrow park along the river banks.

Maitai river at High Street

Hardy Street foot bridge

Next up is the Abel Tasman Coast Track, one of the great walks of New Zealand