A little town that sparkles
If you’ve ever been to Abel Tasman National Park, chances are you’ve driven through Motueka. And, like me, you probably didn’t realise you were making a sizeable mistake.
Motueka is one of those provincial uncut gems that’s become a lot more polished in recent years.
There’s The Boot accommodation, a world-class doughnut cafe, saltwater baths, a historic wreck, lively markets, and it’s even home to the highest tandem skydive in New Zealand – you’ll jump out of a plane much higher than Aoraki/Mt Cook.
Here are six reasons you need to include Motueka on your next trip to Nelson.
The Boot cottage
Just 10 minutes outside Motueka, near the village of Tasman, is a fairy-tale love boot. Yes, you read that right, it’s a two-storey boot cottage.
Jester House is like a real-life version of Alice in Wonderland. The Boot is nestled in a chestnut grove, overlooking native bush, which you can view from your second-storey Juliet balcony.
The ground floor is centred around a roaring open fire, with a small kitchen and bathroom full of contrasts. You have a composting toilet alongside heated floor tiles.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more unique place to spend the night.
The town is crazy about doughnuts
If you have a soft spot for doughnuts, The Smoking Barrel is unmissable.
The popular cafe pumps out more than 400 doughnuts a day, with its latest creation being the cheeseburger doughnut. Yes, it’s a full burger, including meat patty, hermetically sealed inside a doughnut. It’s a feat of food engineering genius.
But the unusual flavours don’t stop there. We’re talking an R18 naughty Snickers with bourbon salted caramel, Bounty Bar, vanilla creme brulee, Caramilk deluxe, and salted caramel popcorn, to name a few.
The Smoking Barrel is run by husband and wife team Josiah and Rachel Smits. The talented pair started the cafe with a focus on slow-cooked barbecue meats, but in recent years the doughnuts have proved enormously popular.
You need to get in early, however, as The Smoking Barrel is sold out by lunchtime most days.
3) Highest tandem skydive in NZ
Most of us will never make it up the peak of New Zealand’s tallest mountain,
Aoraki/Mt Cook, but the second-best thing is perhaps jumping out of a plane at almost twice the height.
Skydive Abel Tasman, which calls Motueka’s little airport home, runs the highest tandem skydive in the country at
20,000 feet (6096 metres) above sea level. This is almost twice the height of Mt Cook, which stands at 12,220ft (3724m).
To get to that altitude, you’ll have a
40-minute scenic flight, although coming down is much quicker, with an 85-second freefall.
If 6096m seems a little high, there are lower altitudes available at much cheaper rates.
If you prefer staying inside your aircraft, head to the nearby hangar at Nelson Tasman Air. The airline is offering a discounted $99 scenic flight of Abel Tasman.
Sunday Market
The Motueka Sunday Market is popular with locals. It’s a blend of craft and farmers’ market.
The stalls range from fruits and vegetables to licorice, fudge, fresh bread, cheese, and you may even find head and body massages. If you’re in town on a Sunday morning, it’s a must-stop.
Bathing with a difference
The Motueka Saltwater Baths date to 1938. The urban legend (or should it be a rural legend) is that the baths were created after swimmers spotted sharks, and wanted somewhere safe to take a dip.
However, that’s never been proven, and the popular pool is often crowded in summer, so you’ll want to get in early.
An Instagram stop
Chances are you’ve seen the Janie Seddon on Instagram. The rusting wreck is quite the social media star.
However, few realise its fascinating history. The ship was built in Scotland in 1901 as a submarine minelayer, and there is conjecture it fired the first shot of World War II (a warning shot in 1939). The claim has never been substantiated, but that doesn’t stop Motueka claiming it as a piece of history.
The ship was eventually sold as scrap, but couldn’t be cut up easily, so was towed to shore in 1995, where it lies now.