Nelson Travel Guide, New Zealand

 A pocket of creative paradise Nelson, New Zealand - Overview  

Nelson, New Zealand is located at the northern end of South Island at the shore of Tasman Bay. New Zealand’s centre for art and craft, Nelson, New Zealand is popularly recognized for its yearly Nelson Art Festival. The name Nelson was given to the city in the honour of Admiral Horatio Nelson who won the battle of Trafalgar after defeating French and Spanish fleets in the year 1805.  People of Nelson city are commonly known as Nelsonians and many areas and roads of the city are named after the people associated with Trafalgar battle.

 It has a population of about 43000 in the year 2006 which ranks it amongst New Zealand’s ten most populous cities.

It is believed to enjoy the best climate of New Zealand as it is on the top of the list of city enjoying maximum sunshine hours in New Zealand. The climatic conditions are further improved as Nelson, New Zealand is surrounded by mountains on three sides and the Tasman bay on the fourth side.

It is a gateway to most of the talked about national parks of New Zealand and is also a tourist attraction due to its several cave systems which are in and around Takaka Hills and mounts Owen and Arthur.

Nelson, New Zealand also has a great sweep of beaches across its boundaries.

 Culture 

The creativity and cultural heritage of Nelson, New Zealand provides great opportunities to travelers for experimenting with art. There are regular workshops for pottery, sculpture, bone carving, glassblowing, authentic Maori flax weaving and also for cooking. Nelson, New Zealand is house for more than 350 working artists and crafts people which include traditional and contemporary Maori artists.

 Outdoor Activities

 Apart from the national parks and the beaches, Nelson city offers a host of outdoor adventure such as rock climbing, sea kayaking, sky wiring, white water rafting, sailing, mountain biking, horse trekking and seal swimming. These outdoor adventures are by far the most important reasons to draw large number of tourists in New Zealand every year from all parts of the world.

The Nature land zoological park of Nelson, New Zealand is also a favorite destination amongst the kids where they can see wide array of different animals and birds.  Nelson, New Zealand also provides a fine eating experience to all its travelers. There are numerous fine dining restaurants to provide exceptional eating experiences. It also has alfresco cafes, premium vineyards, boutique breweries and not to forget its exquisite locally made gourmet foods.  The economy of Nelson city is mainly rested on its four major industries of tourism, horticulture, forestry and seafood. The biggest fishing port of Australasia, port Nelson is also located here. Apart from these, engineering, information technology art and craft industries are also on growth here.