Nelson
What to do in Nelson?
Nelson Tasman. It sounds like the name of someone lined up to fight David Tua, but actually it's what they call the district at the top left of the South Island (or 'north west', if you've got a background in geography).
Let's start with the scenery: Abel Tasman is New Zealand's only coastal national park, with beautiful golden-sand beaches you can only get to by walking or paddling. Kahurangi National Park features several locations from Lord of the Rings (although to be fair, by the time Peter Jackson has finished it'll be quicker to list the places that haven't been in his movies). Kahurangi's also where you'll find the amazing Heaphy Track - recently opened to mountain biking, with a special instruction to please not run over the snails. Don't you love living in New Zealand sometimes?
Nelson is one of the world's top ten white water rafting destinations, or if that's a bit full on, choose a quieter spot of the river to try fly fishing. It's not just for experts - the Anatoki Salmon Farm will set you up with a rod for free, and you only pay for what you catch. Yes, if you go home empty handed, it won't cost you a thing.
Sparkling lakes, golden beaches, snow capped mountains, deep dark caves … we could go on, but we're mindful that some people don't really give a toss about nature. That's okay, we get it. Maybe we can trick you into some nature loving. Here, let's pop into one of Nelson's 20 craft breweries for a delicious pint of beer … HA! It was made using hops grown locally thanks to the sunny weather, AKA NATURE.