Nelson & Bays

Travel writer Lisa Jansen visits Nelson and finds the town is much more than the gateway to Able Tasman and Golden Bay
There’s something very satisfying about arriving at the end of a road, and when it’s SH60, you get the extra reward of finding yourself in charming little Collingwood, says Pamela Wade.
Visitors to this tiny South Island village might think all the action is down at the lake until they take a look around town and dip into St Arnaud’s secret charms.
Paul Owen parked up at Pohara in Golden Bay to learn about this ancient land’s history, and why this remote area is a mecca for RVers. 
Lisa Jansen starts at the top of the South Island and keeps going up, as she explores some of the more off-grid attractions beyond the better-known delights of this treasured region.
A quick 48-hour stopoff across the strait to Nelson was 
enough to give Vivienne Haldane the break she was looking for.
Peter Janssen’s magnificent book, A New Zealander’s Guide to Touring Natural New Zealand, is structured geographically around itineraries – 22 in the North Island and 25 in the South. Each takes in several sites within one area, describing their natural beauty and listing good short walks or detours that show off the scenery at its best. In this extract, he covers the road trip from Motueka to Farewell Spit.
The Nelson Tasman region, at the top of the South Island, has so much to offer, it’s worth planning an extended stay. Here are 8 great things to do while you’re there...