Top Things to do in Nelson
What to do and see in Nelson, South Island: The Best Nature & Parks
Nelson’s thriving arts and music scene has helped to establish it as a destination for free spirits and art-lovers. Festivals, studios, galleries, craft markets… Every cranny of this South Island city seems to buzz with artistic energy. Lord of the Rings fans will flip for the Jens Hansen workshop in Trafalgar Square—Hansen is the goldsmith who designed the “precious” guarded by Frodo in the LOTR films.
Restaurants in Nelson
1. Whispering Falls
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By AlyshaV711 - Nelson, New Zealand
Such a lovely walk. Takes about an hour each way with moderate walking, great for the family and dogs too. One river crossing and a couple of small slips but other than those it's a perfect walk. Little muddy when walking up from the waterfalls to the top picnic area but worth it. Take your togs for a swim in the river and/or under the waterfall. There is one big bridge, one medium bridge and a couple of small ones. Take some snacks, nuts, fruits etc and plenty of water.
2. Blue Lake
3. Founders Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 503 reviews
Reviewed By SueF_NZ - Hamilton, New Zealand
Lots of interesting things to uncover at Founders Park. Buildings are set in beautifully maintained gardens, and easy to get around on foot. An easy 15 min walk from town, and good coffee from the cafe on site. Nice way to spend a few hours.
4. Natureland Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 156 reviews
Natureland is Nelson's zoo and wildlife conservation centre where you can get up close and personal to some unique New Zealand natives like Tuatara and Kea. Hang with the monkeys and get hands on with a range of interesting domestic animals. We are proud to be a community focused charitable trust so come on in and lets have a conservation conversation.
Reviewed By 652stuartb - Auckland, New Zealand
Natureland Zoo is awesome place to visit while your in Nelson, its very reasonably priced and you can buy food to give the animals as you walk around. It’s very kid friendly as they love feeding the animals and there is a playground. Kids and adults will love this alike. A must do.
5. Gardens of the World
6. Brook Waimarama Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 48 reviews
The Brook Waimarama Sanctuary is the largest fenced haven for endangered plants and creatures in the South Island. Close to Nelson city but hidden away, you can immerse yourself in the natural beauty of New Zealand native bush, breathe deeply and engage. There are a number of tracks to explore using a map from the Visitor Centre or utilising the information panels as you come across them. The easiest is the Loop Track which is a charming easy walk of some 45 minutes and accessible for push chairs, wheel chairs and mobility scooters. An extension loop is not quite so well developed but takes visitors further into the beautiful central valley floor or up the ridges. A variety of other tracks that are a little more challenging – some with river crossings and steep terrain – weave throughout the Sanctuary, suitable for different fitness levels. Every visit helps us with our conservation cause - come and experience the hidden valleys of Waimarama.
Reviewed By TheGeorgeGM
Fabulous reserve, close to Nelson city with great walking options. It was surprisingly quiet when we went, considering it was holiday season, but maybe that is because we were there towards the end of the day. We thought we would do the walking loop that indicated a time-frame of 1.5 - 2 hours, but after getting to the turnaround point in 20 minutes, we decided to continue on one of the longer loops. We made it to the champagne pool, which was perfect for a dip. Seeing only a couple of other parties, we felt like we virtually had the reserve to ourselves. The tracks and features are well signposted and the volunteers were very friendly and helpful. Take some insect repellant as there were some sandflies around the visitor centre area, although we did not notice any in the reserve itself.
7. Dun Mountain Trail
8. Queen's Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 323 reviews
Reviewed By patterklan
Art Gallery - Beautiful bridge & Mature trees , lots of shade & ponds Easy flat paths for walking , would be pram & wheel chair friendly.
9. Tahunanui Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 285 reviews
Reviewed By Moana033 - Auckland, New Zealand
Beautiful stretch of beach easily accessible from the main road. Kid friendly waters. There's a hive of activities happening such as kite surfing and paddle boarding. There's so much space that there could be hundreds of people yet you're not in each other's spaces.
10. Railway Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27 reviews
Reviewed By KiwiMilly - Christchurch, New Zealand
Wow this was so fun and an awesome, safe way to get to town and explore. We followed all the way to the market and home again which was great!
