Golden Bay in a Day

Our Golden Bay In A Day tour offers travelers the opportunity to experience the tremendous natural beauty of some of the region's most popular attractions, including the stunning Golden Bay.

The tour begins with an 8:30 AM departure from Nelson and will pass by the Waimea Plains and the historic Upper Moutere before continuing on to Takaka Hill. From here, travelers will embark on foot across the marble rock outcroppings dotting the terrain into the scenic forests in order to reach a stunning vista that allows for a magnificent view of Nelson below. Then it’s back to the touring van for a drive to some of the most celebrated scenic overlooks in the area which includes Fisherman Island, the Abel Tasman and the Kahurangi National Parks, and the spectacular Golden Bay.

One of the more fascinating stops on this tour is at Te Waikoropupu Springs, the largest cold-water spring in the entirety of the Southern Hemisphere which contains the clearest, most pristine water ever measured on the planet. This is one of several unique attractions found in Golden Bay. The Te Waikoropupu Springs are considered to be “wahi tapu”, a location held in high cultural and spiritual regard by the Maori who originally inhabited this area. Rich with mining lore, the area around the spring is also where you can witness that various stages of re-vegetation using beech and podocarp trees and, most importantly, endemic plant species.

On the eastern edge of Golden Bay, the tour will pass magnificent limestone formations that have been created over thousands of years of geological development. The route will also include a brief visit to the Abel Tasman memorial lookout, a location that carries special significance for the Maori, the Dutch and the nation of New Zealand as a whole!

Travelers will enjoy a gourmet, leisurely lunch on Tata Beach composed of local, fresh produce. The beach includes spectacular views of a mussel farm, nearby Wainui Bay, the popular golden sands of Ligar Bay, and the Abel Tasman National Park. Following this satisfying meal, travelers will embark on their final short walk of the day into a hidden and remarkable limestone formation shaped by erosive undersea currents and home to a unique collection of plant species.