Nelson

Travel Advice for Seniors: Nelson

Welcome to the South Island of New Zealand! We took the InterIsland Ferry from Wellington to Picton in the morning, and upgraded to better class seats which proved worthwhile as there was a very nice breakfast buffet followed by a tea buffet onboard, just in case you didn’t get enough sweeties with breakfast! It was a very pretty voyage and sailing through Queen Charlotte sound was lovely. Thankfully it was a smooth four-hour sail, no sea-sickness pills needed!

Our purpose in stopping by Nelson was to go to the large flea market that is held on Saturdays. Yes, we also like to attend flea markets, farmers’ markets and craft fairs in foreign countries! Call it a trip-treat! Some of the vendors at markets allow bargaining and with some, the prices are fixed (note it’s always worth an ask if you are buying volume!). But regardless, you get to see a large variety of local goods and talk to the local people who produce the goods if they aren’t too busy. And if it’s a piece of artwork or a craft that is made by the owner of the stall, a lot of times you can ask them to sign and date the item for you, making a very nice memento or gift for a friend.

We arrived Nelson early afternoon and had a chance to chill a bit and look over the neighboring Christ Church Cathedral, which sits high up on a hill and is surrounded by a beautiful botanic garden, chock full of local plant life. We also took the opportunity to visit a very nice restaurant, Hopgoods & Company, which was a short walk away. The restaurant featured a fixed menu of chef-crafted specialties. It was pricey, but very good. Reservations are recommended unless you go early.

The next full day was a day trip to the famous Abel Tasman National Park. It was about an hour and a half bus ride from Nelson.

Abel Tasman National Park is a wilderness area along the Tasman Bay known for the Abel Tasman Coast Track, a long trail winding over beaches and across ridges. The water is very clear, and a water taxi carries you to various stops at the park for hiking, picnics, etc. We rode the water taxi full circle, and it was an enjoyable ride, but this is a taxi and not a cruise vessel and its primary purpose was shutting people and not tourism. Abel Tasman NP is also home to fur seal colonies, Little blue penguins and bottlenose dolphins. It is really set up for hiking and picnics, and the hiking looked fairly up hill to get to the trail, so if you don’t want to do go hiking or kayaking, then take a picnic along and enjoy the day.

 It was a little cool outside when we visited so we didn’t spend much time on the beach and ended up back in town a bit early. As stated, pack a picnic so that you can at least get off the boat a bit and enjoy the scenery. Just making the loop on the water taxi is okay, but you miss a lot of time to really enjoy the park.

Next day was the Nelson Market! There were quite a few vendors, and it was a lot of fun walking through, chatting, bargaining and picking up some locally crafted items. We also took the opportunity to walk around the downtown area and found a New Zealand Dollar Store, of all things! This proved to be an excellent source of inexpensive gifts.

When we travel, we like to bring home small gifts which we put in gift bags for friends and family that are interested in our travels. I like to pick up a bar of nice soap, maybe an inexpensive change purse or earrings and definitely chocolate, coffee, chips and/or candies. Just a taste of the country we visited, usually costing no more than $10 US total.

Friends really appreciate you remembering them on your trip and who doesn’t like food? It’s better than hauling stuffed animals, T-shirts or even wine around the country and then home for people who don’t care to hear about your trip.  We learned this lesson long ago. Food for those who aren’t really interested in your trip, but whom you don’t want to face empty-handed and a gift bag of nicer inexpensive gifts for those who are interested. Win-win!

Where we stayed: Heritage Rutherford Hotel. Nice hotel, breakfast was included. Located right across from the Nelson Market and walking distance from nice restaurants. 

How we got there: InterIslander Ferry from Wellington to Picton, chauffeur from the Ferry terminal to hotel. This was part of a four-week private tour through New Zealand. We began in Auckland and ended in Queenstown.

General Accessibility Information: Major tourist sights, hotels and transportation in most major cities are accessible. Further, some parks or parts of parks are accessible. Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements.See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.