Motueka accommodation from AU$119

Motueka is surrounded by orchards and farm that grow fruit and hops, tobacco and green tea. The French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville was the first European to visit the coast in 1827. In 1841, Captain Arthur Wakefield led the New Zealand Company to their settlement site at Kaiteriteri, north of Motueka.

Things to do

Discover the long secluded beaches and lush forests of Abel Tasman National Park, the perfect place to switch off your smart phone and de-stress. It’s the home of New Zealand’s most popular Great Walk: the Abel Tasman coast track, where you can spend a few days wandering the peaceful coastline. If you don’t feel like leaving civilisation behind for that long, have a day in the sun at Kaiteriteri Beach or wander one of Abel Tasman’s shorter walking tracks.

While Abel Tasman is NZ’s smallest national park, Kahurangi is its second largest. With a name that aptly means "treasured possession", it’s full of walking tracks that lead to beautiful and unusual sights. There’s Heaphy Track, one of NZ’s "Great Walks" that takes in everything from tropical rainforest to tussocked countryside. Other natural delights of this park are "the marble mountains" (Mt. Owen and Mt. Arthur), unusually shaped rock formations and beaches backed by palm trees.

In Motueka itself, you can check out the range of art and craft galleries. Drop into the Motueka Museum to learn about the history of both Maori and European settlers. Local parks like Memorial Park are great spots for an easy walk.

Shopping and dining

High Street is Motueka’s commercial centre, and it has some great clothing boutiques, speciality stores and other shopping options. Motueka’s dining scene is also centred around this area, and you can tuck into a meal at one of its interest (and interesting named) cafes or a local restaurant or bar. On Sundays check out the Motueka Markets in the Decks Reserve car park.

Getting here

Motueka is just a 35-minute drive away from Nelson Airport, and you can get a domestic flight to Nelson from Wellington or Christchurch. Our flights to Wellington and flights to Christchurch will take you some of the way so you can follow your own path in Motueka.