Nelson is the centre of intensive horticulture with market gardening and vineyards being the main features of the rural landscape. The port is important for the export of  apples and pears, and there is a substantial timber industry in the district. The long hours of sunshine in the area make it one of the most popular summer destination for New Zealanders, and there are many sandy beaches. The Harbour View  Lodge  has a great view of a marina; left.

This is not a statue in a garden; it is Hamish, the resident white heron   ( kotuku) waiting outside the Smokehouse cafe's kitchen window waiting to be fed. The bird spends about six months of the year here. Go and see if he is there, and have a meal at what is the top restaurant in Nelson province, just 22 kms from Nelson itself on the wharf at Mapua.