Picturesque Nelson is New Zealand's oldest city with a population of 40,000, it has a compact commercial centre dotted with art & craft galleries, cafes, restaurants and a cathedral.

Visit the parks and gardens or cool off at the safe sandy beach. The waterfront and foreshore are successfully being upgraded to become an attractive area of the city.

300 full time artists operate in the district, their work can be seen and purchased direct from their studios, some display their wares at colourful street stalls that expand into a full scale outdoor flea market operating every Saturday from the Montgomery Square.

The Suter Art Gallery is the third largest gallery in the south island and is well worth a visit.

September is the peak of the arts & crafts year with the Arts Festival happening all month. The premier Art Show is the Wearable Art Awards scheduled for mid September.