Laid-back to near-horizontal, Takaka is the business centre for the Golden Bay area, and the last town of much import as you head towards the South Island’s northwest corner. The local community of rootsy artists and bearded, dreadlocked types rubs shoulders with hardened farmers and crusty fisherman in harmonious equilibrium: the bike shop sells guitar strings; the pub serves chai.
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The hugely popular, meandering Queen Charlotte Track offers gorgeous coastal scenery, isolated coves, luxury accommodation and pristine campsites. The coastal forest is lush, and from the ridges you can look down on either side to Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru Sounds. The 71km track connects historic Ship Cove with Anakiwa, passing through privately owned land (40% of the track) and DOC reserves (not national park). Access depends on the cooperation of local landowners; respect their property by utilising designated campsites and toilets, and carrying out your rubbish. DOC charges a $5 ‘Track Tribute’ fee through the summer season, payable at Picton i-SITE. See Sleeping & Eating below for accommodation and camping charges.
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About 10km northeast of Takaka is pint-sized Pohara, a beachside resort with a population that quadruples over summer. It’s more ‘yuppified’ than other parts of Golden Bay, with large modern houses cashing in on sea views, but an agreeable air persists and there’s some great accommodation here.
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Half-asleep in winter, but hyperactive (with 2000 ferry arrivals per day) in summer, Picton clusters around a deep gulch at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound. It’s the main marine access point to the South Island, and the best place from which to explore the Marlborough Sounds and tackle the Queen Charlotte Track. The vibe here is touristy and transient, but there are some great hostels, decent watering holes and plenty of good eateries.
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The Nelson region, extending west into the Tasman region, is a top destination for travellers to NZ – and for locals too. With more sunny days than anywhere else in the country, brilliant beaches and superb national parks (Kahurangi, Nelson Lakes and Abel Tasman) there’s plenty here to keep you occupied (or to lull you into sun-soaked sedation). The region is also home to a progressive, offbeat community of artists, hippies, winemakers and entrepreneurs, hellbent on keeping keep things ‘eco’ and sustainable.
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Pristine Nelson Lakes National Park surrounds two mirrorlike glacial lakes – Rotoiti and Rotoroa – fringed by beech forest and flax with a backdrop of forested mountains. There’s an unexpected hint of Fiordland about the place, minus the crowds – an unusual sense that you’re well off the tourist trail!
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Hailed as one of NZ’s most ‘liveable’ cities (that most vague of adjectives), Nelson is a bright, optimistic, worldly town, arranged around a flat grid on Tasman Bay. An alternate-lifestyle epicentre, Nelson’s streets are dotted with beautiful Victorian houses, many of which contain Buddhist centres, naturopaths, yoga studios and galleries. Artsy, dreadlocked wanderers mooch between cafés and coffee-carts, ducking into the Bridge St bars or poetry readings in bookshops. Beyond the urban fringe the coast and hills offer a plethora of activities, both relaxed and adrenalin-charged.
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Along the way from Motueka to Abel Tasman, you’ll find the coastal towns of Kaiteriteri (where you can swim at the safe, clean beach or start a kayak trip to the Abel Tasman National Park) and Marahau which is the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park.
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The looong, gun-barrel-straight main street of Motueka (pronounced Mott-oo-ecka, meaning ‘Island of Wekas’) is itself unremarkable, but the town makes a handy pit stop en route to Golden Bay and the Abel Tasman and Kahurangi National Parks – in summer it’s a busy place. There’s a free-wheeling community of craftspeople in the hills around here, and the town has pubs, banks, supermarkets and some excellent cafés. Motueka is also the heart of a green-tea, hops and fruit-growing area; apples, grapes and kiwifruit are harvested from March to June. Pick up a bag of a dozen kiwifruit by the roadside for $1!
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The Marlborough Sounds are a crazed geographic omelette of inlets, headlands, peaks, beaches and watery reaches, formed when the sea flooded into deep valleys after the last ice age. Parts of the Sounds are included in the Marlborough Sounds Maritime Park – a series of small reserves punctuated by private land. To get an idea of how convoluted the sounds are, Pelorus Sound is 42km long but has 379km of shoreline! With your own wheels, the wiggly, atmospheric 36km drive along Queen Charlotte Dr from Picton to Havelock is a great Sounds snapshot (even on a rainy day).
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