Scenes from Nelson (and Mapua)
Nelson lies on the central northern coast of New Zealand’s South Island. It is supposed to be the sunniest place in all of New Zealand. And it was for our first day, providing the perfect backdrop to relaxing next to our campervan, drinking our newly acquired limited edition Sprig & Fern Harvest Pilsner and chopping up fresh veggies from Nelson’s Wednesday farmers market for salsa. Day two, the rain started (and pretty much didn’t let up for the rest of our days in New Zealand, save for a brief reprieve in Rotorua). Good thing Nelson is a quaint little town with historic old buildings housing shops and cafes. And furthermore that it lies in a hop growing region and has a thriving craft beer culture (like at the Free House, above. Craft beer in a church – we Pittsburghers can get on board with that). We forgave Nelson for its transgression in raining on us in the sunniest part of New Zealand.
By the way, if you are ever in New Zealand and you’re thirsty, you may want to check out some of the more notable beers we tried. It’s a hard job vetting beers but someone’s got to do it. New Zealand excels in hoppy pilsners and pales ales. We really liked Sprig & Fern’s Harvest Pilsner (from Nelson, see below); Harrington’s the Rogue Hop Organic Pilsner (from Christchurch, recommended by a neighbor Ohioan now living in Motueka); Emerson Organic Pilsner (from Dunedin); Townsend Old House ESB on cask (from Upper Moutere, near Nelson); and the Moa range of beers (from Marlborough).
At the Mapua harbor, a little town on the way from Motueka to Nelson
Also in Mapua
I.loved.this.beer. I say loved in the past tense because unless I happen to be in Nelson again in April, this one bottle we picked up from the brewery is it for me. The Sprig & Fern is a local brewery with over 20 craft beers. The Harvest Pilsner was released days before we arrived and they expected to sell out within the week. It was crammed full of local hops, brewed on the very day they were picked. The result is a hoppy, crisp pilsner with an aromatic fruity aroma - sort of like the sauvignon blanc of beers. I was in love; Sean thought it was good but had too many fruit notes for him.
Downtown Nelson, centered around the cathedral