HISTORY

Nelson/Marlborough Region.

Nelson/Marlborough Region

Nelson

Ringed on three sides by mountains and National Parks, with the sheltered Tasman Bay at its entrance, Nelson harbours a diverse range of people, lifestyles and businesses.

The city of Nelson stands on the eastern side of Tasman Bay at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand and is the administrative centre for Nelson Province. Nelson received its name in honour of the 1st Viscount Nelson and Admiral of the fleet that defeated both the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Many of the roads and public areas around the city are named after people and ships associated with that battle. Trafalgar Street is the main city street.

Nelson Province is one of the regions of New Zealand and is administered as a unitary authority. It is positioned between Marlborough to the east and Tasman District to the west.

Many people believe Nelson has the best climate in New Zealand, in that it regularly tops the national statistics for sunshine hours, with an annual average total of over 2400 hours.

Nelson Province has good beaches and a sheltered harbour. The harbour entrance is protected by a natural breakwater known as The Boulder Bank, which also reduces the effects of the tide on Nelson city's beach, Tahunanui. This allows for some of the safest sea bathing in the country.

Nelson is surronded by mountains on three sides with Tasman Bay on the other. It functions as the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park, the Kahurangi National Park, and Rotoiti and Rotoroa in the Nelson Lakes National Park. It is a centre for both ecotourism and adventure tourism, and has a high reputation among caving enthusiasts due to several prominent cave systems around Takaka Hill and Mount Owen.

For a detailed view of Nelson's climate, economic overview, population, employment, education, housing, and councils, please visit the Nelson Regional Economic Development Agency (EDA) website.

Kaikoura

Meaning “meal of crayfish”, Kaikoura forms part of the Alpine Pacific Triangle.  In Maori lore the peninsula was the place where Maui braced his foot when he fished up the North Island and was named Te taumanu o te whaka a Maui ; the thwart of Maui's canoe. The name Kaikoura, meaning "meal of crayfish", was given by Tamaki-te-rangi when he stopped over to eat here while chasing his runaway wives. It is likely that Kaikoura was first settled by the Waitaha followed by the Ngati Mamoe and then the Ngai Tahu tribes. 

In 1843 Captain Robert Fyfe, reputed to be Kaikoura's earliest European settler, established "Waiopuka", the first shore whaling station near where his house, built in 1860, still stands on it's whale bone piles. Other whaling stations soon followed at South Bay but after 1850 whale numbers steadily declined and the exploitation of them became uneconomic. Today all marine mammals are protected in New Zealand and the whales are hunted with cameras instead of harpoons. Sheep and goats were introduced to the area by Fyfe in 1849 and in 1854 he was joined by his cousin George, who leased an area north of Kaikoura known as the "Mount Fyffe Run" thus Mount Fyffe got it's name and farming began in the district.

Overland routes to Kaikoura were extremely difficult to travel with rough country and many river crossings. As a result most people and freight traveled by sea despite the often perilous coastline with it's changeable weather, resulting in many shipwrecks. The remains of an old chimney near Fyffe House are all that is left of the former custom house, the official port of entry and the main link with the outside world for many years. With land access being improved by the construction of roads and bridges the old port was closed in 1949. The Christchurch to Picton Railway, a major accomplishment complete with 21 tunnels, was opened during 1945.

Like many rural areas of New Zealand, Kaikoura suffered from the economic downturn of the 1980's but is now on the road to recovery.

Tourism got a boost in 1989 when whale watching began. This has brought about an increased awareness of the areas varied and unique wildlife along with an amazing mixture of geological features providing scenery equal to or better than that seen anywhere.

Marine activities are now the backbone of this seaside town, with everything from dolphin and whale watching, to surfing.  Walking tracks, vineyards, horse treks, hiking, scenic flights and Maori cultural tours are also available.  Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and snow-capped mountain ranges, Kaikoura is scenically breathtaking.