All that you need under the sun
And while Wellington might think they’re the champions of craft beer, all of New Zealand’s commercially grown hops for beer brewing come from the Nelson region, and consequently they have the highest number of craft brewers too.
What else can I do there?
If beer’s not your tipple, visit some of the region’s wine cellar doors or join a wine tour - the region gains more awards for its wine than its production volume might suggest.
Spend a morning at the World of WearableArt and Classic Cars museum.
The now very large-scale WOW show began in Nelson in the 1980s as a fundraiser but moved to Wellington in 2005. Nelson kept the museum, complete with more than 70 of the incredible costumes, a cafe and world-class showcase of classic cars.
As well as the beaches and lakes there’s also a lovely river, the Maitai, which has some great summer swimming holes.
With all that great weather and stunning scenery, the best place in Nelson to be is outdoors, whether it’s on the roads, tracks, rivers, lakes or sea, in the air with a spot of skydiving or even underground via cave canyoning.
Who lives there?
The population of Nelson city is nearly 50,000, with closer to 100,000 for the whole region.
Some 800,000 people passed through the region last summer (December to March), according to Nelson Tasman Tourism, from day trippers to longer stay visitors.
Where can I live?
For historic homes both big and small and a community feel close to town, try The Wood. The Port Hills command incredible sea views and equally high prices.
Toi Toi and Washington Valley are touted as more affordable upand-coming suburbs.
Tahuna sees you walking distance from the beach, and outside of the city area, areas such as Mapua, Wakefield and Stoke have villagey charm, shops, cafes, parks and all the essentials.
The average house price is currently sitting around $450,000.
Best time of year
Many locals would say the ‘‘shoulder’’ seasons and winter, as summer is hot and very busy, making parking difficult, roads congested and there are crowds for everything from dining out to grocery shopping
The off season brings clear, crisp days and reasonable temperatures, while anything touristy will likely be happy to welcome you in. Winter days can be frosty, but the sun still shines here more than most places.