Nelson

Discover Nelson

Nelson (Māori: Whakatū) is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island. It is in a region often known as Nelson Bays or the "Top of the South" and is actually slightly north of the capital city of Wellington in the North Island. Nelson is the geographical centre of the country and, together with the satellite town of Richmond, has a population of around 50,000 ranking it as New Zealand’s tenth most populous city. It's surrounded by three National Parks and is the smallest city in the world to have its own symphony orchestra.