A few things to keep in mind - days are very short in August, it gets dark pretty early. You might encounter snow and ice, and there's the ossibility that the Milford Road will close for avalanche danger or close early in the day to blast for avalanches. They do their best to keep the road open, but it IS winter. Be sure to have a set of show chains in your trunk. My theory is that if you have snow chains, you won't need them, so it's good insurance

Days 6-8 - You'll be arriving in Picton, which is a two hour drive from Nelson. I've never found Nelson to be a particularly good base for Abel Tasman - it's about a hour's drive away, and there are closer options, such as Motueka, Upper Moutere, Tasman, Kaiteriteri, and Marahau.

However, if the plan is to spend some time in Nelson (as it appears to be) you'll find plenty of wineries in area near Richmond and between the towns of Nelson and Motueka (as in Upper Moutere).

You can download a Nelson area winery map here:

http://www.wineart.co.nz/wineries.htm

On the subject of wineries, you'll also find loads of them in the Queenstown area, and Cromwell, near Wanaka, is home to some lovely wines - they're known for their pinot, but we love the dry Rieslings from that area. We like Mt Difficulty in Bannockburn (near Cromwell) - they're also a great spot for lunch. Amisfield Winery near Arrowtown makes some lovely Pinot Noir and has a highly regarded bistro. You'll be spoiled for choice, but I'm happy to rummage through my notes for more specific suggestions if you'd like.

If you say, you ease your way from the ferry at Picton to Nelson, exploring a bit on the way (the Marlborough wine region is near Blenheim, which is a 25 minute drive from Picton) spend one night in Nelson to check out the city, then work your way towards Abel Tasman the following day, checking out some wineries en route, you could then spend two nights closer to Abel Tasman - that would give you a full day to explore the wineries and scenery between Nelson and Motueka and one full day to explore Abel Tasman Nat'l Park.

I can make some specific accommodation suggestions for Nelson and Abel Tasman, I'll get back with those shortly.

Okay -

We loved this place near Nelson - it's located on a small vineyard in Richmond, outside the hustle and bustle of Nelson City:

http://www.milcrestestate.co.nz/

It's been many years, but we really enjoyed this cottage in Tasman (wine growing region between Nelson and Motueka).

http://www.friars.co.nz/listing.php?p=sch

We also enjoyed this B&B in Riwaka, near Motueka:

http://www.thebluemoon.co.nz/welcome.htm

And this lovely cottage in Upper Moutere:

http://www.maplegrove.co.nz/

If you'd prefer to stay at the doorstep of Abel Tasman, suggest you take a look at Ocean View Chalets in Marahau.

There's also a wide assortment of accommodation at Kaiteriteri and Little Kaiteriteri:

http://www.tourism.net.nz/region/nelson/nelson---kaiteriteri/accommodation

Thank you so much for your suggestions! We will stay one night in Nelson and two nights closer to Abel Tasman. If you have any other suggestions on how to balance out our trip I'd certainly appreciate them.

Do you have an opinion on staying at Mt. Cook vs. Lake Tekapo on the way from Queenstown to Christchurch? Also how far in advance do you think we should book our accommodations?