Nelson Official Visitors - NZOA Annual Scientific Meeting 2013

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Maori culture
maori occupation goes back to the 14th
century. there are six indigenous iwi of te tau
ihu (nelson tasman): ngati tama, te atiawa,
ngati koata, ngati kuia, ngati toa and ngati
rarua. there are three marae (meeting places)
in the region: Whakatu marae in nelson, te
awhina marae in motueka and onetahua koriri
marae in golden bay.
European heritage
dutch explorer, abel Janszoon tasman’s 1642
voyage of discovery is the earliest known
contact between maori and europeans. a
heritage-listed memorial in golden bay marks
the tragic meeting which resulted in the death
of four sailors and tasman’s departure from
the region now named after him.
european settlement of nelson occurred in
1842. evidence of the lifestyles these early
settlers lived can be found at broadgreen
historic house, isel house or Founders heritage
park. 40 minutes drive from nelson city is the
historic village of sarau – originally settled
by german immigrants. now named upper
moutere, this is a charming village with
historic buildings, surrounded by orchards
and vineyards.
golden bay and murchison were both
productive gold mining sites, a fact which
can be evidenced to visitors today.
Heritage sites:
• The Christ Church Cathedral in Nelson, built
mainly from takaka marble (at the end of
trafalgar st, overlooking the city centre).
• The historic St Pauls Lutheran Church in the
historic village of upper moutere.
• The Botanics Reserve – site of the first game
of rugby in new Zealand on 14 may, 1870 .
• South Street: a protected historic residential
precinct on the cusp of the city centre.
• Mapua Wharf, from where the region’s prolific
apple crop was once exported. today the
wharf buildings and coolstore house
galleries, cafes, specialty shops and more.
Museums:
• Town Acre 445 is the location of The Nelson
provincial museum showcasing the cultural
and natural history of nelson tasman.
• Golden Bay Museum, Commercial
street, takaka, golden bay.
• Collingwood Museum, Tasman
street, collingwood, golden bay.
• Murchison Museum, 60 Fairfax
street, murchison.
Culture connections:
• Interpretative walking, kayaking and cruising
tours showcase the maori and european
history of abel tasman national park.
• Learn to carve bone with a local artist.
• The Founders Heritage Park is a collection
of historic buildings and transportation
depicting early settlement in nelson.
• Pick up self-guided heritage walking maps
from nelson city council customer service
centre to explore a variety of easy walks
around the central city and greater nelson.
VISITOR GUIDE 2013 • 17