Itinerary 2 - Action & Adventure

Day 1 - Introduction To Nelson City & Get Up To Speed:

• Arrive in Nelson City and check in to Shelbourne Villa

• Allow a short time to orientate yourself in Nelson's City Centre - this will be a good opportunity to refresh yourself with coffee and a light snack at one of the inner City cafes that are within 5 or 6 minutes walk of your accommodation. There are plenty of options, but our favourite and the closest, is the Morrison Street Cafe
  

• Time to speed things up - take a 20 minute drive north of Nelson to Happy Valley Adventures which is located on Cable Bay Road.  Here you will can indulge yourself in a wide variety of adventurous activities. You can choose from:

    * Four wheel motor biking on a variety of trails

    * Fly the Skywire - reach speeds up to 100kph

    * Paintball

    * Guided horse trekking

• As an alternative to land based fun, head 40 minutes west from Nelson to the Motueka Airfield where you can Tandem Sky-Dive.  This is certainly a great way to appreciate the Nelson and Abel Tasman Region's amazing sea to mountains landscape.  During your decent you will see; magnificent views of two National Parks (Abel Tasman and Kahurangi), blue oceans, golden beaches, meandering rivers and the Southern Alps, which are snow-capped in winter.  On a clear day you will also see some of the North Island's volcanic peaks on the horizon.

• Return to Shelbourne Villa and freshen up before dining at one of Nelson's Inner City  or waterfront restaurants. 

Day 2 - Get Active In The Abel Tasman National Park:

• Breakfast and depart Nelson for Kaiteriteri or Marahau, in time to enjoy a day of exploration and activity in the Abel Tasman National Park.  Drive time is approximately 1 1/4 hours

• From Kaiteriteri or Marahau you will have a wide choice of  1/2 and full day outdoor activities:

    - Sea kayaking - full & half day

    - Catamaran sailing

    - Tours by water taxi or launch

    - Hiking or just picnic on the beach

    You can also combine two 1/2 day activities

• Hikers can choose between a range of easy and challenging walks, ranging from around 2 1/2 hours to a full day. The walking track takes you through picturesque coastal and bush scenery.  The water taxi service into the park is flexible and will do drop-offs and pick-ups at beaches to fit in with the length of walk you wish to undertake.

• Your activity provider will return you to your departure point in time for you to be back in Nelson by late afternoon.

• On the return journey to Nelson, why not stop off at the sea-side township of Mapua - here you will find several restaurants where you can take your evening meal.

Day 3 - Plenty of choices to fit in with your interests:

• Breakfast at Shelbourne Villa in time to stretch your boundaries further via a choice of:

    - Mountain biking

    - Horse Trekking

    - Take to the sky in a microlight

    - Click here for more options

• If you have had enough action and want to slow the pace down a bit, there is also the option of taking a full or half day tour of Nelson's boutique wineries.

• Alternative, to refresh body and soul before moving on from Nelson, allow some time to visit a Day Spa, or, just for the ladies.

• To finish the day we suggest dining at Nelson's award winning Hopgood's Restaurant.  You won't need to get back into a vehicle - Hopgood's is only a short 5 minute walk from Shelbourne Villa.  The menu show-cases fresh organic local produce.  The wine list also has a local emphasis.  You will also have the opportunity to sample beers from a number of the Region's award winning boutique breweries.