Things to do in Marlborough & Nelson
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Shoreline
A spiffy, modern cafe-bar-restaurant right on the beach. Punters chill on the sunny deck, lingering over panini, pizzas, pasta or fresh fish, but you can also just pop in for coffee and a jumbo muffin. Erratic winter hours; take-away booth out the back.
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Neudorf
Moss-covered barnlike complex; gorgeous pinot noir and some of the country’s finest chardonnay.
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Fyffe House
Kaikoura’s oldest surviving building is Fyffe House. Built by Scotsman George Fyffe, cousin of Kaikoura’s first European settler, Robert Fyffe, it started life as a small cottage in 1842 (with whale vertebrae for foundations) and was completed in 1860. There’s plenty to see inside and out, including the original brick oven, historical displays and gardens.
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Indian Café
This open-plan, saffron-coloured Edwardian villa houses an Indian restaurant that keeps the bhaji raised with impressive interpretations of Anglo-Indian standards, such as chicken tandoori, rogan josh and beef madras. Share the mixed platter to start, then mop up your mains with one of 10 different breads.
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Hislops
This snappy, feel-good cafe maintains its reputation for fresh, wholesome food. Start the morning with fruit salad and toasted muesli, then come back at night for organic meats plus great seafood, veg and vegan choices. The caramelised-pumpkin and blue-cheese salad is delicious.
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Waterways Boating Safaris
It’s a boat tour Cap’n, but not as we know it. Buzz around majestic Keneperu Sound in your own craft, while learning about the area’s ecology and history. A unique and fun way to see the Sounds. Two people per boat and a maximum of five boats per guide. BYO lunch.
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Beach House Café & Bar
Serving the best brunch and coffee in town, this chipper roadside cafe garners more than its fair share of the passing trade. Sit on the front terrace or back deck and reconstitute with green eggs and ham, fish and chips or seafood chowder. Good counter food, too.
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Pelorus Mail Run
Popular full-day boat cruise through the far reaches of Pelorus Sound on a genuine NZ Post delivery run. Bookings essential; BYO lunch. Picton pick-up and drop-off available.
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Gecko Theatre
When the weather closes in, pull up an easy chair at this wee, independent theatre for interesting art-house flicks. Cheap tickets ($9) are available on Mondays and Tuesdays.
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Rosy Glow Chocolate House
No Collingwood visit would be complete without dipping into Rosy Glow Chocolate House. Chocoholics will go nuts for handmade confection produced with love.
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Dolphin Encounter
Here’s your chance to rub shoulders with pods of dusky dolphins on three-hour tours; wet suits, masks and snorkels are provided. Limited numbers, so book in advance.
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Mayfair Theatre
Resembling a pink liquorice allsorts, this seafront picture house screens almost-recent releases.
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Toad Hall
Locally grown fruit, organic veggies, frozen yoghurt and ice cream.
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Slip Inn
Feel appropriately maritime in this surprisingly slick restaurant and bar in the thick of the marina. Its signature dishes are the mussels, as well as beer-battered blue cod, pizza, pasta specials and home-made dessert. Good for a cruise-by beer-stop, too.
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Founders Heritage Park
Founders Heritage Park, near the waterfront 1km from the city centre, houses a replica historic village with a bakery, chocolatier, museums, and more importantly Founders Brewery & Café, NZ’s first certified organic brewery. Take a tour, or sip the finished product over a cafe lunch: Tall Blonde, Red Head, Long Black, Generation Ale and Fair Maiden brews. If you’re only visiting the brewery there’s no admission charge to the park. Also on-site is a weekly farmers market.
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Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre
Blenheim’s ‘big attraction’ has always been its wineries, but the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre has blown the wine out of the water. Aided by the creative geniuses that brought us Lord of the Rings (Peter Jackson, Wingnut Films and Weta Workshop), this amazing collection of original and replica Great War aircraft is brought to life with a series of dioramas depicting dramatic wartime scenes such as the death of Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron. Remarkable memorabilia and photographic displays deepen the experience. It’s powerful stuff. There is a cafe and shop on-site.
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Hot Mama's Cafe
Hot Mama's Cafe This breezy, open-fronted food room is the funkiest café in town, and the best spot to down a few local lagers to boot. Repair last night's damage with a Hangover Brekkie (eggs, bacon, spicy sausage etc), or close out the day with a Hardcore Prawn or Bombay Chicken pizza before adjourning to the bar, hip lounge area or balmy courtyard. Plenty of laughter; excellent wine list; live bands, jam nights and DJs on summer weekends.
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Double Decker Experience
The Double Decker Experience is a handy way to get around and see the sights too. The bus departs the Suburban Bus Lines/InterCity depot twice daily and loops in and around Nelson, passing (among other sights) Founders Park, Isel Park, the World of WearableArt Museum, Tahunanui Beach and Nelson's waterfront. Stay onboard for an entire circuit, or get off at an attraction on the morning loop, then jump back on the afternoon service.
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Whale Watch Kaikoura
With knowledgeable guides and fascinating ‘world of whales’ onboard animation, Kaikoura’s biggest operator heads out (with admirable frequency) in boats equipped with hydrophones (underwater microphones) to pick up whale soundings. It’ll refund 80% of your fare if no whales are sighted (success rate: 98%). Sailings may be cancelled if the weather turns to custard, so if this trip is a must for you, allow a few days flexibility.
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Mussel Inn
Halfway between Takaka and Collingwood, this earthy tavern-cafe-brewery is a Bay institution. A totem pole with crucified mobile phones heralds the mood: this is no place for urban trappings, just excellent beer, wholesome food (mussels, seasonal scallops, fresh fish and steak), open fires and live music. Try a handle or two of ‘Captain Cooker’, a brown beer brewed naturally with manuka, or the delicious ‘Pale Whale Ale’.
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Wither Hills Farm Park
For grand views across the Wairau Valley and out to Cloudy Bay, you can tour the 1100-hectare Wither Hills Farm Park which could take from 30 minutes to all day. The two main entrances are at the top of Redwood St and the Taylor Pass Rd; pick up a map from the i-SITE or check the information panels at the gates. Ask about fire bans in high summer. You can hire bikes from the Spokesman to tour this park.
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Christ Church Cathedral
The enduring symbol of Nelson is the art-deco Christ Church Cathedral, lording over the city from the top of Trafalgar St. Work began in 1925 but was delayed, and arguments raged in the 1950s over whether the design should adhere to original plans or embrace modern trends. The architectural hybrid was finally completed in 1965 and consecrated in 1972, 47 years after the foundation stone hit the dirt.
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Edwin Fox Maritime Museum
The Edwin Fox is purportedly the world’s ninth-oldest wooden ship (who counts these things?). Built of teak in Bengal, the 48m, 750-tonne vessel was launched in 1853. During its chequered career it carried troops to the Crimean War, convicts to Australia and immigrants to NZ. The Edwin Fox Maritime Museum has maritime exhibits including the venerable old dear, preserved under cover.
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Happy Valley Adventures
Strap yourself onto a ‘skywire’ and soar through the air at Happy Valley Adventures, a 15-minute drive north-east along SH6. The 1.65km-long Skywire (a chairlift/flying-fox hybrid) dangles you up to 150m above the native forest; rides cost $85/55 per adult/child. Quad-bike tours start at $80/20 per driver/passenger for one-hour forest rides, and 2½-hour horse treks cost $95.
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Lambretta’s
Feeding what seems like half of Nelson, Lambretta’s is a continually busy diner-style joint with ample seating inside and out. Family friendly, the big-eatin’ offerings include breakfast, lunch and dinner (pizza, pasta, salad) and hearty counter food along the lines of humongous muffins, pies, filled croissants and sandwiches. Good coffee, too.
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