No place like NELSON!

Editor Sebastian van der Zwan takes a city break at the sunny tip of the South Island

- Sebastian van der Zwan

BACK TO NATURE

If reconnecting with nature is top of your to-do list, Brook Waimārama Sanctuary is a must-visit on any trip to Nelson. Just 5km from the city centre, this 700-hectare "ecological island" is a haven for endangered native flora and fauna, with tracks through the mature beech forest to suit all abilities, from 30 minutes to five hours.

On my trek up to the stunning waterfall at Forks Crossing, over an historic dam and bridge, I spotted tieke (saddlebacks), ngirungiru (tomtits) and korimako (bellbirds) among other beautiful birds.

Next time, I'll book ahead at brooksanctuary.org.nz for the popular Sunday guided tours, where guests can learn about the history of the valleys, the conservation work that's going on, plus traditional tales about the plants and animals. Kids love the creepy-crawlies lurking in the many wētā hotels.

BIKES&BEERS

Surrounded by hops-growing hotspots, Nelson is rightly known as the craft-brewing capital of Aotearoa. To sample some of the harvest, I picked up an e-bike from the superfriendly folk downtown at Kiwi Journeys (kiwijourneys.co.nz) and followed a map along the Nelson Beer Trail all the way to Rabbit Island, a 20km journey with lots of views of Tasman Bay and places to stop along the way.