Motueka is the perfect place to begin your tour of the award-winning food and drink the Nelson Tasman region is renowned for. A place of abundance with extraordinary conditions for growing crops, the area is dotted with an array of roadside stalls, iconic restaurants, apple orchards, wineries, craft breweries and the Sunday artisan market, all coming together in celebration of what nature can provide.
As you come off of the coastal highway and enter Motueka, you’ll spot a place called Toad Hall to your left. Toad Hall is deeply loved by locals and visitors for their selection of gelatos, sorbets, and most notably their real fruit icecreams, which are made from locally grown berries. There is also a Townshend Brewery Tap Room on-site where you can try some delicious craft beer from a genuine real ale brewery. You’ll be able to taste the difference of natural brewing, as the depth of flavour from a small batch fermentation process tantalises your tastebuds.
As you progress down the high street, the next stop on your list is the Smoking Barrel, which is famous for its delicious selection of smoked meats and handcrafted filled donuts. With everything from strawberry and white chocolate through to peanut butter buttercream, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to sweet treats. Sit back and relax in their quirky alfresco garden, or on one of the comfy couches indoors whilst you polish off a naughty donut or two.
Before you make your way to Kaiteriteri for an afternoon on the golden sands, you'll pass through Riwaka, home to one of the regions extraordinary boutique vineyards. Here, in the heart of wine country, you can savour the unique and distinctive flavours created by limestone soils from a tasting selection at the Riwaka Estate cellar door, Alternatively, if wine isn't your thing, the Hop Federation Brewery is located nearby. Here you can learn all about the subtleties and complexities of delicious craft beer in their tasting room, from none other than the enthusiastic brewers who create them.
Upon your arrival in Kaiteriteri, you’ll be amazed at the colour palette that lay before you; lush green headlands envelop turquoise waters, culminating at the beachfront in a dusting of golden sand.. the perfect place to spend the afternoon reminiscing on the taste of our delicious regional cuisine.
Spend the night overlooking the bay in a beachfront apartment, watching from your balcony as the sun descends into the horizon, before retreating to your comfy bed to dream about what the next day will bring. The next morning, treat yourself to a sharing platter downstairs at Kai, yet another place that loves to celebrate local artisans with delicious regional olive oils and cheeses featuring on their menu. Pair your platter with some local wine, beer or cider, and you have everything you need to kick your day off the right way.
See below for the list of operators featuring in this itinerary ↓
