If you are in Nelson on a Saturday, not to be missed is the Nelson Saturday Market, held in Montgomery Carpark from 8:00am to 1:00pm.  Not only will you find a wonderful array of local produce – fresh fruit and seasonal vegetables, freshly baked bread, cheeses, smoked fish, homemade peanut butter and much more, but also on offer are some fine arts and crafts from local artists.  Colourful pottery, paintings, photography, locally designed clothing and hand crafted jewellery are available from the many stalls.  Enjoy a good coffee, sample some local and international cuisine and spend a leisurely morning browsing and wandering the markets! Fantastic!

For further information about Nelson’s Saturday Market have a look here .

The Boulder Bank of Nelson stretches for 13km from The Glen to Nelson.  Boulders from The Glen have been swept along by sea currents over a period of 10,000 years to form this internationally renowned geological feature, one of very few of its type in the world.

The bank originally extended all the way to Haulashore Island but passage into the harbour proved to be difficult to navigate so in 1906 a “cut” was made in the bank to allow safer shipping access. 

It is possible to walk the length of Boulder Bank.  It is an uneven exposed walk but I found it very interesting and I enjoyed the different perspective looking across to Nelson.  Along the way there are the historic baches perched precariously, a wooden “wigwam” and towards the end is New Zealand’s second lighthouse, constructed in 1862.

To access the Bank, drive for approximately 10 minutes from Nelson towards Picton on SH6.  Turn left onto Boulder Bank Drive and continue to the end where there is a carpark.  Unfortunately the Haulashore Ferry is no longer running so its difficult to organise to be picked up at the other end – so for now, you have to turn around and come back the same way.  Remember to take drinking water and wear sturdy shoes!

Paul and Fiona are your hosts are Almond House Backpackers.  Its a great privilege for us to meet so many fantastic travellers from all corners of the globe.  Its our aim to make you feel happy and safe during your stay with us!  We love living in Nelson and are happy to share all of our local knowledge to help our guests make the most of the time they spend in the region!  We’re looking forward to meeting YOU!

One of my favourite Nelson walks is to the Centre of NZ!  Is it really the Centre of New Zealand?  Well, geographically its not quite – but its not too far off either!  If you include Stewart Island, the true centre is a point in the Spooners Range in the Golden Downs Forest which you drive through on your way south to Murchison.

However, the top of the hill was used as a survey point in the late 1800’s.  At the time, there were isolated surveys for each province.  When it was decided to connect these up, John Spence Browning, the Chief Surveyor for the Nelson Land District was chosen to do the job, starting from his home base. Browning took the track to the summit of Botanical Hill and made this the starting point – and this led to the story that the spot was selected because it was the centre of New Zealand!

From Almond House Backpackers it is a ½ hour walk to the top of the hill – and from the top you will be rewarded with great views of Nelson and the district with the Western Ranges in the background.

Our friendly reception staff will greet you with a warm welcome and make sure that your stay in Nelson is enjoyable.  We are happy to help arrange top quality sightseeing and activities including kayaking, tramping in the National Parks, wine tours, bike tours, bone carving workshops or any other activity you may be interested in!  We’ll tell you where to go and what’s on in Nelson so you make the most of your time here!

There’s plenty of space for everyone to cook with 2 fully equipped kitchens and an outside bbq area.  Help yourself to free tea, coffee and sugar along with herbs and spices and cooking oil.  Our sunny garden is perfect for alfresco dining!

Grab one of our guest bikes and explore the area!  There’s plenty of bike trails close to Almond House Backpackers to choose from, whether you want to explore the urban area, peddle down to the beach, or test out your skills on a mountain bike trail.  If you are travelling with your own bike, Almond House Backpackers also has secure bike storage so you can relax and feel safe with us!

Our backpacker twin/single room is a private room with 1 set of bunks.  There is lots of wardrobe space, a bedside table and reading lights.  All of our rooms have their own heater and extra blankets are provided in winter.  Sunny views looking up to the Centre of NZ help make this a cosy comfortable room!

Our spacious share rooms have only four beds – ensuring there’s plenty of space for everyone!  All of our beds have innersprung mattresses and are fully made up with clean fresh linen and snuggly duvets – so you’ll enjoy a great nights sleep!

A big fan of Marilyn’s distinctive colour and vibrant style, we commissioned Marilyn to paint the mural which has become our logo and is proudly displayed by the pool in our garden courtyard for all of our guests to enjoy.

If you are interested in Marilyn’s work a good starting point is her fantastic website !