Motueka

Sunny Motueka grows fruit, hops and green tea for the rest of New Zealand. There’s a lively café culture and two wonderful national parks close by.

Over the harvest months, Motueka is a busy town. The local pip fruit and hops growers employ seasonal labour which swells the population, and many visitors use the town as a supply point for explorations of the Abel Tasman and Kahurangi National Parks. The town has a small museum and there’s no shortage of interesting places to eat – you can even dine in a converted church in the main street. Motueka also has a lively artistic community, so the craft and art galleries are worth a look. Take a stroll along the waterfront walkway or drive to the Riwaka Resurgence, where the river emerges from a marble cave.

Functional facts: Approx. population 7120, visitors centre, good range of shops and services.