North and Sound Island Flights

  • Air New Zealand operates non-stop flights to Nelson from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch with connecting flights available from Air New Zealand serviced regional ports.
  • Sounds Air flies Wellington – Nelson (return)
  • Origin Air flies from Palmerston North, Napier, Wellington, 
    Westport, Blenheim and Christchurch to Nelson (return)
  • Golden Bay Air flies from Takaka to Nelson and Takaka to Wellington 
    (return) – an option to depart (on a great scenic flight!) after Tour 3 
    completes

North Island Public Transport

If you have plenty of time!  Overall a great scenic route.

  • Train from Auckland (or a scheduled stop en route) to Wellington (allow a day)
  • Interislander or Bluebridge ferry from Wellington to Picton (3.5 hrs) 
  • Intercity connecting bus from Picton to Nelson (2.15 hrs)

North Island Private Transport

Drive to Wellington – Vehicle on Interislander or Bluebridge ferry – Drive to Nelson

South Island Options: From Otago & Southland

  • Air NZ flies direct from Dunedin to Nelson
  • Air NZ flies from Queenstown to Christchurch, transit, then to Nelson
  • Driving overland (ideally sharing travel costs).

South Island Options: From Christchurch (& north-east localities)

  • TRAIN – Kiwirail’s Coastal Pacific train from Christchurch to Blenheim/Picton – then Intercity BUS from there to Nelson.
  • FLYING DIRECT from Christchurch to Nelson (1 hour)
  • BUS Intercity from Christchurch to Nelson (around 8 hours!)
  • DRIVING to Christchurch then to Nelson – the inland route via Springs Junction is generally faster, and more scenic, than the coastal route through Kaikoura then Blenheim.  Though parts of that route are quite stunning too.

    (Going the Inland Route, its worth taking a leisurely 2 days to do this journey, stopping off at Maruia Springs for a hot mineral pool soak by the raging river beneath the oft-times snowy mountains en route!)