You will find one of NZ's most beloved brewery-taverns halfway between Takaka and Collingwood. The Mussel Inn is rustic NZ at its most genuine, complete with creaking timbers, a rambling beer garden with a brazier, regular music and other events, and hearty, homemade food (snacks $6 to $19, dinner $30). Try the signature Captain Cooker, a brown beer brewed naturally with mānuka.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Takaka attractions

1. Collingwood Museum

5.81 MILES

This tiny unstaffed museum fills a corridor of the former council office with a quirky collection of saddlery, moa bones, shells, sewing machines and old…

2. Te Waikoropupū Springs

7.01 MILES

Around 14,000L of water per second bubble up from underground vents here, making it the largest freshwater spring in the southern hemisphere. It's also…

3. Golden Bay Museum

8.64 MILES

This small museum's standout exhibits include a diorama depicting Abel Tasman’s 1642 landing, and some dubious human taxidermy. Ask about the albatross,…

4. Anatoki Salmon

9.16 MILES

Here's your chance to catch a salmon and have it smoked for lunch or prepared as super-fresh sashimi. Rods and instructions are provided, but the fish…

5. Grove Scenic Reserve

10.65 MILES

Between Pōhara and Takaka (signposted down Clifton Rd), you will find this crazy limestone maze punctuated by gnarled old rata trees and tall pencil-thin…

6. Rawhiti Cave

12.17 MILES

The ultimate in geological eye-candy around these parts are the phytokarst features of Rawhiti Cave, a 15-minute drive from Takaka (reached via Motupipi,…

7. Separation Point Lookout

15.52 MILES

The lookout at Separation Point, at the northern end of Abel Tasman National Park, has panoramic views of Golden Bay and the Tasman Sea.

8. Farewell Spit

16.6 MILES

Bleak, exposed and positively sci-fi, Farewell Spit is a wetland of international importance and a renowned bird sanctuary – the summer home of thousands…