Sunshine Capital
A driving, cycling, and kayaking trip around the Nelson-Tasman region of New Zealand.
Originally published in Lodestars Anthology’s New Zealand issue, 2018
Abel Tasman National Park. Photo: Liz Schaffer
“Nō ō mātou whenua tūpuna”.
Translated from the Māori language, it means “from the land of our ancestors”.
It’s a theme that recurs time and time again when visiting New Zealand, a place where an almost unbreakable connection to nature, history, and the local community seems to define everything from the country’s food industries, to its artisans, adventure tour guides, restaurateurs and hoteliers.
It also happens to be the motto of the first vineyard we find ourselves sipping wine at on day one of a 10-day jaunt through the Nelson Tasman region on the northern tip of the South Island. Frequently referred to as the Sunshine Capital of New Zealand, Nelson and its neighbouring areas of Motueka, Mapua, and of course the Abel Tasman National Park have long had a reputation as being a hotbed of creativity, fine foods, and of course - wine.
“Everything that we do is about the land”, says the charismatic Jonny Hiscox from Aronui Wines, a Māori-owned vineyard, and our first stop on a full-day tour of the region led by the well-versed Rod Malcolm of Vintage Wine Tours.
A far cry from most wine tastings I’ve previously experienced (which usually take place sitting perched against a novelty wine barrell in an air conditioned cellar door) we’re right amongst here. We’re standing atop a hill overlooking rolling vineyards, glasses of golden, buttery chardonnay swirling in our hands, and boots on our feet to keep our feet dry from the thick mud underfoot.
Originally from the UK, Jonny has just given us a 5-minute welcome speech in fluent Māori before continuing in English to tell us about the deep respect their winemaking process maintains for the land they’re using.
“On the land that we’re not using for viniculture, we’re trying to return it to its natural state, pre-European settlement,” he explains.
“We’re always thinking of what we can do to make it a good place for future generations to come. It’s about improving it and making it sustainable. Although we’re not certified organic or anything, the sprays that we use on the vineyard are all organic sprays. This year we’re going to move away completely from herbicides. It’s a holistic approach to how we manage the resource here.”
He pauses to take a sip from the glass of chardonnay he’s also been swirling as he speaks.
“And hopefully we make some shit hot booze as well.”
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Later that day, we’re speaking with Lou Kelly of Kina Beach Vineyard, who agrees that respect for the land in the area is what’s so important to their winemaking. Yet she draws her inspiration from the landscape in a slightly different way.
A voracious traveller, she’s visited 19 Greek islands, and is about to hit her 20th. The day we visit, the sun is beating down on us and we can smell the faint saltiness of ocean air drifting up from the vineyard’s namesake, Kina Beach, just down the road. She tells us she picked the spot for a good reason.
“The sunshine, the stunning blue water. It’s the closest thing to Greece that I could find in New Zealand,” she says.
Ruby Bay, nearby artist Graeme Stradling’s studio. Photo: Liz Schaffer.
Strolling along the picturesque pathways of her property, which also boasts a historic guest cottage built from the remnants of a 1920’s school building, she points to some trees which seem like they’re about to topple over with the weight of all the ripe figs, apples and pears hanging from them.
“Please, take some fruit with you - we have too much!” she says with the earnestness of a Greek yiayia urging you to eat more, even after you’ve told her you’re full.
After a quick lunch at Jester House Cafe, the spot that almost every local will insist you try at least once, our final stop on our intro wine tour is Brightwater Winery, where owners Gary and Valley Neale jump straight into giving us the full tour of their winemaking equipment and processes. While the complicated art and science that is winemaking is truly impressive, something else Valley tells us is even more memorable.
“If we run out of something like yeast and it’s late on a Sunday night, we can just run over to the next winery down the road and borrow a few bags”, she says of the spirit of sharing that defines the area.
“You just wouldn’t get that in Marlborough!” she laughs, taking a subtle dig at New Zealand’s more stereotypically well-known (and clearly more competetive) wine region.
It becomes instantly clear that we’ve stumbled upon an where everyone is actually nice to each other - and their land.
Later that evening, we settle into our gorgeous, cozy log-cabin-style accommodation at Awatea Tasman Bay, but not before enjoying one last glass of wine for the day with the lively owners of the property, John Hutton and Scott Starling. They tell us how the high-ceiling houses have been built entirely of wood to withstand earthquakes, and talk us through their multiple impressive collections of knick-knacks from around the world, displayed tastefully throughout the main guesthouse on the property.
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The following day, after having borrowed a couple of bikes from Rose Griffin at The Gentle Cycling Company, we’ve made headway along the picturesque Great Taste Trail northeast from Nelson, across Rabbit Island, onto the Mapua ferry, and as far as Mapua Wharf. Once a rundown industrial area, the wharf has seen a total transformation in recent years, and the old warehouses and sheds that cover the serene boardwalk are now occupied by stylish restaurants, mini art and jewellery galleries, boutique stores, cafes, wine bars, and a brewery.
The view from Mapua Wharf. Photo: Liz Schaffer.
Later that evening, Debbie Lavery joins us for a few glasses of wine at Jellyfish Cafe and Bar, the restaurant she owns with her husband. We’re sipping large glasses of vibrant, rose-gold coloured Middle Earth Pinot Gris as we chat, joke and exchange travel stories. Soon, we’re savouring Sicilian seafood soup, followed by giant bowls of linguini filled to the brim with fresh mussels and clams, and perfectly seasoned with chilli, white wine and lemon.
After generously offering up her car for us to borrow for the following day, Debbie describes how she fell in love with the small slice of waterside paradise that is Mapua Wharf, and confirms the fierce community spirit that sees the entire industry banding together to support each other rather than compete.
“We’re always running across the road to grab bags of flour or lemons from each other if we’ve run out”, she says of her neighbouring cafes.
“And we’re happy for people to come and sit here and eat their food from anywhere else.”
Encouraged by Debbie’s suggestion, the following night we grab a large parcel of fish, chips and crab sticks from The Smokehouse Cafe, which offers up probably some of the best takeaway seafood you’ll ever have in your life (a big call from this chicken-salt addicted Aussie). We carry our bounty over to eat on the outdoor chairs and tables of the Golden Bear Brewing Company. As we unwrap our goods, I keep subconsciously checking over my shoulder, almost expecting to be asked by a staff member to take our food elsewhere. My big-city brain is clearly struggling to comprehend - I’m used to “no external food allowed” signs plastered all over the front of almost every Sydney establishment.
But far from being kicked out, shortly afterwards while lining up for a drink at the bar, a friendly man turns his back on the group of people he’s just put in stitches of laughter, and strikes up a conversation with us. He first ensures we’re being served by playfully jibing to the bartender to “get over here and pour us some beers dude!” Eventually, we find out that it’s Jim Matranga, who co-founded the brewery with his wife Anne in 2008 after moving over from America. He recommends I try a pint of their IPA that has just been kegged earlier that day, and we all cheers to the gods of hops, yeast and water.
The following day, after a wholesome feed of free-range eggs benedict and potato rostis at Alberta’s, we make a morning pit stop past the Mapua Village Bakery to pick up some hot cross buns for the road. We’ve got a little way to cycle on our journey further north of Mapua, and a few artists to meet along the way.
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They say that nutrient-dense clay soil can be one of the best soils to grow wine and food in, and the Nelson region has plenty of it. But it hasn’t just been the winemakers and apple growers that have been drawn to the area by the land over the past few decades.
“This area has always been a very strong arts-related area and a liberal thinking place,” says screen printing artist Graeme Stradling. UK-born and New Zealand-raised, Stradling has been living in the area for over 25 years, and runs his light-filled studio and gallery from Ruby Bay, just north of Mapua.
Graeme is someone you could listen to for hours on end. He regales us with tales from when he first moved to Nelson, falling in with the artist community here, and finding himself being personally mentored by none other than Toss Woollaston - one of the most prolific New Zealand painters of the 20th century.
“There’s always been this overflow of interesting, gentle, creative, nice people coming here,” he says.
I immediately think back to our wine tour on our first day, when we visited the Old Post Office, a cafe and home of the Woods & Co. Gallery in Upper Moutere village. All the food and artwork on the shelves comes from within a 20 mile radius (and in most cases, much closer). The friendly, community spirit here is so strong that a modern-day bartering system has arisen. Not only do local artisans and small-batch food producers all buy each other’s work, they often trade goods with each other based on what’s available. Art for firewood. Jam for flour.
But despite the huge diversity in types of works made in the area now - from embroidery, painting and screen printing, to collage, homewares, jewellery art and more - it all started with the potters.
“In the early 60s, European potters came here first because they realised that this was the place with the really good clay”, says Graeme.
One such artist we meet later that day is the animated Steve Fullmer, a US-born potter who’s been running his gallery from the front of his house and studio since 1976, and is famous for his cartoonish depictions of beagles, whales and polar bears.
“You know I’ve never seen a real whale!” says Steve when we ask him the significance of the cold-climate creatures that dominate so much of his work.
“But I’ve seen quite a few documentaries. They’re all in trouble, and I don’t know who to call, or how to get mad at what’s going on,” he laments.
“It’s just shockingly sad how close they are to just being eaten away out of our history. But I at least hope that somehow by making them, and if you end up with one in your home, you’re not going to be one that goes out and hurts them. Hopefully people are adjusting their attitudes.”
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Towards the end of our trip, we find ourselves sea kayaking around the edges of Abel Tasman National park, through giant boulders and along tall cliffs, and past herds of baby sea lions frolicking along the rocky beaches. We’re suddenly reminded of the beauty of our surroundings, and why people like Steve and Graeme and almost everyone who moves to New Zealand seems to develop an overwhelming respect for all things in the natural world.
The author hiking through Abel Tasman National Park. Photo: Liz Schaffer.
Thankfully our previous night’s accommodation has left us well prepared for all of the paddling and slack-jawed nature appreciation.
The luxurious health retreat Split Apple Retreat, run by husband and wife powerhouse Lee Nelson and Anne Pen Lee, was perhaps the perfect way to spend one of our last nights in the region.
Walking through the property, you couldn’t be blamed for thinking you’d accidentally stumbled into a museum of ancient and contemporary Asian art and furniture. Lee is a keen art collector and has been collecting for the past 30 years, with some his pieces dating back thousands of years.
Anne Pen’s passion is food and nutrition. She tells us where she gets her inspiration from for her fresh, healthy recipes that she cooks daily for all her guests.
“I plan everything I cook on the day, based on whatever ingredients I can get fresh that day”, she tells us over dessert, as we tuck into a decadent, moist chocolate cake which we only later find out doesn't have a single gram of flour, sugar or butter in it.
“I also believe passion is important,” she continues.
“100 people can cook exactly the same food but it will always taste different. When you cook food, your heart is in there.”
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There’s another Māori word that Jonny Hiscox had explained to us on our first day in New Zealand: “pono”.
It loosely translates to “integrity” or “doing what you say you will”, and it’s an ideology that almost everyone we’ve met during our stay here seems to uphold in everything they do.
From supporting fellow artisans and businesses, respecting the land you’re on, and welcoming visitors with the enthusiasm that you’d welcome a family member, or an ancestor, it would indeed seem like the ancestors might be smiling on the land that the Nelson Tasman region has become.