Location: Motueka
Top Things to do in Motueka
The 6 Best Things to Do in Motueka, New Zealand
The town of Motueka in the South Island of New Zealand lies close to the mouth of the Motueka River, on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is, after Richmond, the second largest centre in the Tasman Region, with a population of 7125 (2006 census). The Motueka Ward had an estimated population of 10,900 at 30 June 2009.
Restaurants in Motueka
1. Ngarua Caves
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 147 reviews
Reviewed By Christina J
The caves are beautiful and are absolutely worth a visit if you are in the area. A 30 minute tour is just 20 NZD per person and you learn loads about the caves, New Zealand, and the surrounding area. You even get to hold a Moa bone! Lee (or Leigh?) is such an enthusiastic, knowledgeable tour guide and makes the experience even more fun. At one point, she even sang in Maori to demonstrate the acoustics in the "cathedral" area.
Wear sturdy shoes and light layers as the cave is cool. Headlamps are provided. Definitely bring your camera! Also, note that you have to climb a ladder through a small hole on the way out.
I would highly recommend a visit!
2. Jester House Cafe and Tame Eels
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 162 reviews
The Tame eels at Jester House have been an attraction for 20 years. They are naturally occuring stream fauna in many streams in New Zealand but their numbers have deminished due to habitat destruction and over fishing.This is your chance to get upclose and handfeed these suprising creatures
Reviewed By curtley10 - New Plymouth, New Zealand
awesome place, feeding the eels was the highlight for the kids, and the rest of the grounds were fun to explore as well. a little bit pricey maybe nearly $100 for lunch (4 of us). Food was delicious though and the service awesome.Thanks for coming and enjoying the Jester House Experience, and your kids had such a great time feeding the eels, and you enjoyed your food and service. We hope we see you all again soon. :)
3. Baton Run Adventures Ltd
Overall Ratings
5 based on 39 reviews
Join Fiona on a one to five day horse trek through Nelson's untamed back country, located at the top of New Zealand's South Island 50 minutes from Abel Tasman National Park. Baton Run Adventures offers an experience well off the beaten track and we'd love to share this corner of the world with you.We like to keep trips small (five people or less) and personal, so you will be well looked after while still experiencing a sense of adventure. Come and explore five unique Valleys bordering the Kahurangi National Park. Spend a day on a beautiful well trained horse and wrap it up with a stay in our Backcountry or Alpine accommodation.The ultimate adventure with the personal touch!
Reviewed By bandwfx - Towson, Maryland
My wife, daughter and I spent the day horseback riding in this beautiful location. The horses were well mannered, and the scenery spectacular. We crossed a number of creeks and saw tailings from the gold mining days, which reminded me of northern California. Our guide and owner Fiona was very pleasant and competent with an eye on safety at all times. Her assistant Jasmine was equally capable. Lunch was spread out in a beautiful location. It consisted of fresh meats, cheeses, and bread. At the end of the day Richard had set 3 sheep aside and let us try our hand at sheering sheep. All in all it was a wonderful experience for anyone seeking the outdoors.
4. Motueka i-SITE Visitor Information for the Abel Tasman region
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 48 reviews
The Motueka i-SITE team offers friendly advice and reliable information to help you get the most from your stay in our region. Our sales consultants are fluent in English, German,French and Dutch and are passionate about living and playing here. We have unforgettable New Zealand experiences right on our doorstep and holiday makers and adventure-seekers have always found our area to be full of memorable surprises. Our golden sand Beaches and crystal clear waters are world class and just waiting for you visit. In addition, we can also take care of your accommodation, activity and transport bookings for the rest of New Zealand. i-SITE enjoying helping you...
Reviewed By NewZealandCarver - New Zealand
Staff and info available first class. We had no problems with answers to our questions and accommodation options explained very well and indicated on a local map for us.
5. Wreck of the Janie Seddon
Overall Ratings
4 based on 22 reviews
Reviewed By Val L - Nelson-Tasman Region, New Zealand
Janie Seddon is certainly worth a visit whether you are a photographer or not. A view of this shipwreck on full tide, or low tide, sunset or sunrise is all a changing scene at its best. At the beachfront a few blocks from Motueka township so you really don't have to go very far out of your way if passing through.
6. Dunbar Estate
Overall Ratings
5 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By Bous13 - Auckland, New Zealand
We stopped at the Dunbar Estates Cellar Door, Cafe & Vineyard enroute from Kaiteriteri to St Arnaud. We were delighted to find a warm welcome from the new owners, John and Jenny Dunbar and their new team, at the cafe, a short walk from the carpark. Formerly Rabbit Hill, this location is picture perfect, with the cafe just off the road, nestled beside the vines growing their signature wines.
Unfortunately, being the “sober” driver I wasn’t able to take advantage of the wine tastings, however my travelling companion found the Pinot Gris, was especially good. To make sure we could enjoy the wine later, several bottles were purchased from the Dunbar Estates selection, so we could enjoy the spoils from this vineyard when we weren’t driving.
For lunch I had to take advantage of the owner’s Otago influence, as Cheese Rolls ( an Otago/Southland) specialty) were on the menu. I used to tuck in to these whenever I could, when I lived in Dunedin. For total decadence, request an extra slice of butter on the heated roll - yum! These are a must try, and a great healthy snack for any occasion. I had them as an entree to my lunch, followed by the Quinoa Salad, with a slice of Salmon, from the cabinet rather than the menu. Don’t be deceived by the size of the bowl this is served in. It’s really a meal on it’s own, although it still fits the bill of “healthy and light”.
While there’s not a huge menu to choose from, there’s enough variety, so that if you’re vegan, gluten free etc, you’ll find something suitable to eat.
I was delighted to finally be able to order a spicy Chai Latte and enjoy this. In our travels all over the South Island for the previous week, I’d tried unsuccessfully to obtain this drink. Most cafe’s create it with the syrup which is far too sweet for my pallet. My Chai Latte was served in a decent sized mug too.
I understand the location at 1469 Motueka Valley Highway, Ngatimoti is just the right distance for cyclists to ride up the West Bank of the Motueka River, for a coffee break, before they return to Motueka, so I’ll look forward to coming back in to this area with my bike sometime.
This is a place you don’t want to be in a hurry to leave, because on a fine day, you can hang out under the umbrellas, or there’s also a lovely grassy lawn, under a big tree. If the weather’s a big rough, there’s also plenty of Seating inside. Because, we were meeting family in St Arnaud, we had to unfortunately press on, but we’ll be back.
