Centre of New Zealand Monument — Attraction in Nelson

I live near the bottom of the Centre of New Zealand and have climbed it many times, but not as many as I should have. I recently climbed it again with a friend and I would have to say that the climb was much easier with interesting chat along the way. There are several tracks and entrance points either from the Botanics Reserve or the Maitai Valley and it is relatively close to the city centre. There are car parks at the bottom. Most of the tracks are in the shade for at least part of the way but I suggest taking a drink bottle. The tracks are quite wide and mostly well kept. The climb is quite steep, especially the last bit before the summit. The view at the top is amazing looking across the township to the port and the sea and mountains beyond as well as up the Maitai Valley on the other side. The information sign showing landmarks and the names of the individual mountains is well done. Lot's of photo opportunities with awesome...

Accidentally found this place because of a sign near the house I was staying in. Out of curiosity I followed it down the street and discovered a great little gem in Nelson!

There is a little monument noting the rugby pitch was the first place rugby was playing in NZ! If you cross the pitch, you will find the beginning of the steep and winding trek up to the top where the “Centre” of NZ is located. The hike up is a bit more strenuous than it first seems and you will need at least 10-15mins, depending on fitness level, to get up there. But, the view is well worth the sweat, groans, and muscle-aches! Turns out the “Centre” is not the actual geographical center of NZ, but rather refers to the where the geographical surveys originate.

Nevertheless, it is a great hike, a beautiful view, and a neat little place to say...

I thought this was somewhere we could drive to, snap a few pics, and be on our way.

It takes about 30-45 minutes to hike up to the top. There are some pretty steep inclines, so I would not recommend the ballet flats I was wearing.

I'm not terribly out of shape, nor am I super fit, and I had to stop a few times on the way up. I was huffing and puffing. I felt better when several other people came up after us also looking like they were dying. The walk down is quite easy.

The views are WORTH IT! We went up in time to watch the sunset. Of course I missed the actual sunset because as we were taking pictures I turned around and my boyfriend was down on one knee!

It was definitely worth the trek, ballet flats and all, and it's a beautiful place to...