It is impossible to sum up all the attributes that the Top-of-the-South provides in a few short pages. All New Zealanders know about its long hours of sunshine, the good food and wine and its reputation for producing some of the nation’s best artists. It hardly seems fair that the area should also have wonderful beaches, huge national parks, native forests, lakes, mountains and some bizarre natural landforms such as the Boulder Bank and Farewell Spit.
Locals are quick to tell you that it also has within its boundaries, the very centre of New Zealand. Although this fact is disputed, there are many who firmly believe that the geographical midpoint of the country is the trig on Nelson’s Botanical Hill. Smart alecks reckon it’s only the point of origin for the initial survey of Nelson. Others point out that even if that were so, the core of the country isn’t confined to a survey mark: New Zealand’s heart beats steadily throughout the whole Nelson region.
They have a point. Nelson consistently rates as New Zealand’s sunniest spot and outdoor activity is a way of life throughout the year. This benign micro-climate also smiles on the sea. The Nelson region lays claim to being the seafood capital of the country, with Port Nelson yielding a high proportion of the total New Zealand catch of fish, scallops, crayfish, and mussels. Fruit and vegetables grow in abundance. Grapes hang heavy on the vines. Nelson wineries produce some of the country’s best wines and are open most of the year for tasting and casual dining.
As well as all that, the area supports the sort of individualistic pursuits that no one could exactly call art but are of a highly creative nature. There are many people in Nelson who pay more than lip service to doing their own thing and it lends to the place a feeling of optimism and opportunity.
And, I have always been smitten by Golden Bay’s marvellous entanglement of forests, beaches, mountains and estuaries. The eastern part of the bay lies between the great wilderness area of Kahurangi National Park at one end and the Abel Tasman National Park at the other. On the west coast there are wild sculptured beaches and rocky promontories, mudflats and mangroves, forest and farmland, and the purest water in the world at Waikoropupu Springs.
The biggest dilemma that Golden Bay residents have is what to do for a living. There is no one much to employ you if you don’t employ yourself. Necessity encourages enterprise and Golden Bay has a high number of self-employed people. There are candle makers, begonia growers, salami makers, bush-walking guides, a lily grower, artists, possum hunters, wood carvers, flax weavers, eel keepers and a cactus grower who hopes to make his fortune producing a local version of mescal.
In summer, the Nelson area is crammed with people who come for a share of the good life. If you prefer peace and quiet, the best time to go is when the crowds have dwindled. Plan to stay a while to make the most of the wonderful walks and beaches, the gardens, the intriguing historic sites, the seafood, cheeses, homemade breads and olives and locally produced wines.
The longer you stay in the region, the more obvious it will become that you too have found a slice of heaven.
