2019 Harvest Information
We wanted to give you our list of favourite food/beverage options in our area and a little travel and accommodation advice too. We highly recommend getting out to Abel Tasman National Park (there's 20+ more beaches like the photo there!); having brunch on the waterfront in Mapua; and a glass of Dry Riesling and good cheese at neighboring Neudorf Vineyards. Hopefully this helps you find all the amazing local spots we love and experience our terroir to its fullest.
Farm Events and Lot Selection Preliminary Schedule
1-Apr (Mon) : Upper Moutere - All-day : Lot selection at the farm all day and late afternoon local cheeses + beverages in the hop garden
2-Apr (Tue) : Upper Moutere - All-day : Lot selection at the farm all day and natural + traditional wine tasting event in the late afternoon
3-Apr (Wed) : Upper Moutere - All-day : Lot selection at the farm all day and farm dinner in the evening
4-Apr (Thurs) : Upper Moutere - All-day : Lot selection at the farm all day and event near the farm in the afternoon co-hosted by Freestyle and Garage Project
5-Apr (Fri) : Wellington - Early Evening : Welcome drinks and dinner at Garage Project hosted by Hapi Research, location likely GP Wild Workshop Marion Street
6-Apr (Sat) : Wellington - All Day : Hapi Research Symposium talks and discussion sessions followed by Hapi Invitational Festival with public pouring starting ~5pm, location Te Papa Museum for both
The 1st-4th at the farm we will have lot selection happening, farm tours, winery and pub visits and other events. You are welcome to come for as much or as little as desired. Once we know how many folks are planning to be there each day (and each event) we'll adjust the plans slightly to make sure it's as enjoyable as possible.
Favourites In Nelson
Best Pub : The Free House - 95 Collingwood St, Nelson, 7010
Nice Dinner : Hopgood's - 284 Trafalgar St, Nelson, 7010
Fun Bar/Restaurant : The Urban Oyster Bar & Eatery - 278 Hardy St, Nelson, 7010
Cafes : The Bakers Coffee Shop - 105 Collingwood St, Nelson 7010, The Swedish Bakery - 54 Bridge St, Nelson, 7010
Winery : Greenhough - 411 Paton Rd, Hope 7081
Brewery: Eddyline Brewery & Pizzeria - 8 Champion Rd, Richmond, Nelson 7020
Peanut Butter Maker : Pic's - 18 Elms Street, Stoke, Nelson 7011 (seriously, the tour and tasting is fantastic)
Favourites Near the Farm
Best Pub : The Moutere Inn - 1406 Moutere Hwy, Upper Moutere 7175 (NZs oldest pub; now with an award winning chef)
Nice Lunch or Dinner with a view : The Jellyfish - Aranui Rd, Mapua 7005
Café with a view : Albertas - Shed 4, Mapua Drive, Mapua 7005,
Café with Tame Eels!?! : The Jester House - 320 Aporo Road, Tasman, Nelson 7152
Fish and Chips : The Smokehouse - Shed 2, Mapua Wharf, 7005
Winery : Neudorf - 138 Neudorf Rd, Nelson 7175 (their cellar door is a stunning place to spend a summer afternoon)
Natural Winery : Kindeli/Alex Craighead – 31 Eggers Road, Upper Moutere 7173
Brewery : Hop Federation - 483 Main Road, Riwaka 7198
Cheesemaker : Wangapeka Family Dairy – Corner of McShane Rd & SH 60, Richmond 7081
Abel Tasman National Park
Enjoy a cruise, kayak and/or hike in the stunning Abel Tasman National Park. There's heaps of options to do guided trips or independent ones with Wilsons Abel Tasman, Abel Tasman Aqua Taxi, Abel Tasman Seashuttle or Abel Tasman Kayaks. Many of the options leave from beautiful Kaiteriteri beach, a 30 min drive from the farm.
Accomodation
Honestly, Airbnb and HolidayHomes.co.nz are your best bet. We recommend the area around Mapua, but there are many other great spots. For hotels your options are limited to around Nelson and we think The Sails Nelson and Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco Apartments are vey good.
Transportation
Uber hasn’t yet reached the big city of Nelson, so a rental car is a must. Everything you want to do or see will be easier and more fun with a rental car. Apex.co.nz often has the best deals of the non-dodgy providers and is only a 5 min walk or 3 min shuttle ride from the airport. Hertz, Europcar and Thrifty have locations at the airport and are all good too but usually more pricey.
Travelling from Europe and America
Air New Zealand is usually your best option. Their routes are London, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco to Auckland. All North America and Europe flights come in through Auckland, and from there it is a direct flight to Nelson.
The Premium Economy option on AirNZ is very comfortable with large seats and a healthy recline. Their Business Premier is a full lie flat seat and service is excellent. Regular economy is decent too. They're usually a very reliable option across all cabin classes.
Flights leave regularly from Nelson to Wellington and can be booked on www.airnz.co.nz. Post Hāpi Symposium it is a short 50 minute flight from Wellington to Auckland to connect.
You could book your flight, home city to Auckland return, and then take care of the domestic NZ flights separately or book complex multi-stop itineraries through the https://flightbookings.airnewzealand.com/vbook/actions/intmultistopsearch?internalRevenueSource=cms%20home%20fff%20intl%20multistop AirNZ website.
