Saturday, July 12, 2014

Nelson - The City with the Oldest, Largest and Only

South Street
Oldest fully restored street in NZ
Since shifting to the Nelson region 18 months ago, I've noticed Nelson is a place that likes its claims more than any other city in New Zealand.
Everyone here seems to be able quote these claims - and frequently do.
When I have found a new one that I think is fairly obscure and unlikely to be widely known, I tell it to a local. "Oh yes," they say. "That's right."






So here is my current list of Nelson claims:
  • World's Largest, Natural, Boulder Bank
  • The Oldest, Wooden Theatre in Use in the Southern Hemisphere - the Theatre Royal
  • Largest Fishing Port in the Southern Hemisphere
  • Largest Camping Ground in the Southern Hemisphere - Tahunanui Motor Camp
  • The Longest, Urban Beach in New Zealand - Tahunanui Beach
  • The Largest, Purpose Built Modellers Pond in New Zealand
  • The Oldest, Fully Restored Street in New Zealand - South Street
  • The Oldest Secondary School in New Zealand - Nelson College
  • Oldest Pub still Operating out of its Original Building in New Zealand - The Moutere Inn
  • Home to the First Rugby Game in New Zealand
  • Only Place in the World you can pay to control a Stunt Plane
Tahunanui Beach
Longest Urban Beach in NZ
Theatre Royal
Oldest Wooden Theatre in use in NZ
Further additions  - Thanks Spanky 

  • Largest MDF Plant in the Southern Hemisphere
  • Oldest Church in the South Island - St. John's Wakefield

And my personal favourite:

  •  The Oldest Public Letterbox still in Daily Use in New Zealand





Any others just let me know.





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5 Favourite Sights Seen

  • 1996 Watching tropical lightning turn night to day, outside a little wooden church in a small village in Sabah.
  • 2004 Flying down the Rainbow Valley at 8000ft in a cessna on a clear blue day.
  • 2003 Seeing and hearing Michael Schmacher rolling out of the pit garage in his Ferrari in Hungary.
  • 2009 Chancing upon 100 or more dolphins just off the Kaikoura Coast swimming around, jumping out of the water, doing somersaults and generally having fun.
  • 2006 Finding a pool at the bottom of a waterfall in the bush at Kaikoura that was full of playing baby seals.