Nelson and Golden Bay

In between leaving Fraedom and starting my new contract Amanda and I jetted south to explore one of the few places in New Zealand we had yet to set foot.

Nelson is in the north of the South Island. It's known for its local arts and crafts stores and art galleries. It's also a popular base for nearby caving sites, vineyards and of course the Abel Tasman National Park.

Nelson was named in honour of the Admiral Horatio Nelson who defeated both the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Many roads and public areas around the city are named after people and ships associated with that battle and Trafalgar Street is the main shopping axis of the city. Inhabitants of Nelson are referred to as Nelsonians.

We had heard only good things about Nelson from everyone we spoke to. Most people saying it was their favourite place in New Zealand and they would move there if they could. After spending just 9 days there it is hard to disagree.

Known as the sunshine capital of New Zealand (a title it regularly contests with Whatakane and Tauranga), with the exception of our day of arrival we were blessed with sunny blue skies - in fact some days were so hot we had to basher up in the shade of a local cafe; eat cheesecake and quaff coffee. Such a chore!

We had a camper van for the duration of our stay and bookended the trip with a couple of days in Nelson, staying at the gorgeous Cable Bay. Great walks and the water there was a taste of things to come; warm and clear.

When not in Nelson, we spent the majority of our time in and around Golden Bay; sampling the local craft beer, testing the coffee and surprisingly good local cafes. We also got a few good walks in and a kayak too.

We spent minimal time the tourist trap that is Kaiteriteri; we explored the Abel Tasman from the other, far less busy end. I did do a spot of mountain biking at Kaiterteri mountain bike park. Which was great; once I returned my rental bike and swapped if for one with at least a little tread on the back wheel!

Highlights have to be the beaches of the Abel Tasman - composed of really fine granite particles the beaches are golden in colour and the sand does not stick to you like normal sand. We also found some great swimming holes, so enticing that even Amanda took a dip on more than one occasion.

And finally, on our last night in Nelson, we caught some live music at a new bar called Rhythm & Brown. An awesome performance by a young Australian blues / bluegrass artist called Minnie Marks. The atmosphere and the variety of the clientele reminded us of one of our favourite venues back in Brighton: The Bees Mouth.