Nelson Bays
The Nelson and Tasman regions, sometimes collectively referred to as top of the South or Nelson Bays are situated at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand.| Tap on a place to explore it |
Photo: Dilaudid, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Photo: Javiersanp, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Essential Destinations
Top destinations include Nelson and Abel Tasman National Park.
Nelson
Photo: AlasdairW, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Nelson is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island. It is in a region often known as Nelson Bays or the "Top of the South" and is actually slightly north of the capital city of Wellington in the North Island.
Abel Tasman National Park
Nelson Lakes National Park
Photo: Zoharby, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Nelson Lakes National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand, at the northern end of the Southern Alps. It was created in 1956. The park contains beech forests, multiple lakes, snow-covered mountains and valleys created by glaciers during the ice ages.
Destinations to Discover
Explore places such as Golden Bay and Kahurangi National Park.
Golden Bay
Photo: Knipptang, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Golden Bay is a very beautiful, relatively untouched and quiet area at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand that is often missed by travellers.
Kahurangi National Park
Photo: Kiwibrew, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Kahurangi National Park is a national park near the northwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. At 4,520 km² it is the second largest of New Zealand's 13 national parks. Since 2007, the park has been on the tentative list for world heritage.
Motueka
Photo: Samuel J Arnold, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Motueka is a town in the Nelson Bays region of New Zealand's South Island that lies close to the Motueka River. Nearby beaches are very popular with holidaymakers, and the area around Motueka has one of the country's highest annual sunshine-hour indices.
Wakefield
Mapua
Photo: Hollahollaholla03, Public domain.
Māpua is a small town in the South Island of New Zealand. It is to the west of Nelson on State Highway 60 and on the coastline of Tasman Bay. With a thriving wharf and commercial area, Māpua has grown in popularity for visitors, with numbers swelling the region over the summer months.
St Arnaud
Photo: Podzemnik, CC BY-SA 4.0.
St Arnaud is a settlement in the Nelson Bays region in the north of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the gateway to the Nelson Lakes National Park.
Murchison
Photo: Tournasol7, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Murchison is a small township in New Zealand on SH6 between the West Coast and Nelson. It has a small selection of cafes and restaurants.
Nelson Bays
- Type: region
- Description: Informal name sometimes used for the Nelson and Tasman regions of New Zealand
- Location: South Island, New Zealand, Oceania
- View on OpenStreetMap
Latitude of center
-41.13° or 41° 7′ 48″ southLongitude of center
173.2° or 173° 12′ eastWikidata ID
Q14216206
This page is based on Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikivoyage.
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Satellite Map
Discover Nelson Bays from above in high-definition satellite imagery.
In Other Languages
From French to German—“Nelson Bays” goes by many names.
- French: “Baies de Nelson”
- German: “Nelson Bays”
South Island: Must-Visit Destinations
Delve into Canterbury, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Southern Alps.
Explore These Curated Destinations
Discover places selected for their distinct character and enduring appeal.
About Mapcarta. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, except for photos, directions, and the map. Description text is based on the Wikivoyage page “Nelson Bays”. Photo: Javiersanp, CC BY-SA 3.0.