Around Nelson

Though Nelson's a bustling city, it retains a rural feel. With Tasman Bay before it and the foothills of the Bryant and Richmond ranges behind, open countryside and vineyards are within easy reach. State Highway 6 south from the city winds through the outlying suburb of Stoke and through to Richmond, a good-size neighboring town. The commercial and civic center of the Tasman District, Richmond has a good library and a modest shopping mall—the only one in the region.

Just south of Richmond, State Highway 60 branches west off State Highway 6, heading toward Mapua, Motueka, and Golden Bay—all friendly rural backwaters. There's a wealth of vineyards along the coastal strip toward Motueka, plus idyllic farms, hop gardens, and craft galleries and serious art studios tucked into the many valleys that run inland. Follow the inland route through Upper Moutere on your return. If you carry on south without turning to Motueka look out for the Birth Place of Ernest Rutherford, on the right as you're leaving the small town of Brightwater. Just five minutes south of Richmond the elaborate, atom-shaped monument remembers this local boy's contribution to the world of nuclear science.