Visiting shoppers impressed with Nelson’s trees, weather and parking

Visitors to Nelson Tasman are finding a lot to love about the region – including some of the very things that provoke the ire of locals.

Cantabrians Alex Galbraith and Emma Quinn were on their way to the Suter art gallery when they spoke to the Nelson Mail on Friday.

Galbraith said the hour of free parking in the central city was “great”.

“In Christchurch that would cost $8,” Quinn added, “it’s much better here than in other places.”

The pair were also struck by the city’s demographics – “everyone’s like teenagers, or in their 40s and up”, Galbraith said.

Auckland seniors Anita and Brian, who asked for their last names not to be used, were on a reconnaissance trip for a potential move to Richmond, and appeared quite smitten with downtown Nelson.

They described the area as “attractive” and a drawcard.

“I just love the atmosphere, the trees, the shopping. Everything that’s in Auckland is here,” Anita said.

“Plus some. Like the quirky shops.”

Their biggest challenge in Auckland was the increase in rates, however Anita noted that rates were also on the rise in Nelson. Their move would be a process of weighing up the pros and cons.

The difference between Nelson Tasman and Auckland house prices would be one of their “prime movers”, Anita said.

While they were enthused about Nelson and Richmond, they had little optimism for the coming year in terms of the economy.

As business owners, their turnover was “absolutely crumbling”, Anita said, predicting that it would be 18 months at least before there was a turnaround of some sort.

“A homeowner [who] can’t pay their mortgage, they’re not going to buy our product.”

University student William Ly, 21, was back in town from Dunedin, where he is about to begin a four-year pharmacy degree. He has plans to head to the Abel Tasman this summer.

While the parking squares were full to the brim on a busy shopping day, Ly scored a park on Trafalgar St as someone pulled out.

“Most times, I’ll be circling three or four times,” he said.

Shoppers have opened their purses more readily over this period than last year, according to electronic card spending data from Worldline NZ, which reported that Nelson’s Boxing Day spending was up 7.2% from 2022 to $2.1 million.

Dunedin man Andrew McGeady was out shopping at Friday lunchtime with his 11-year-old son Ben on the hunt for Xbox accessories.

Together with his wife and English mother-in-law, the McGeadys had travelled to Nelson via Greymouth, staying in an Airbnb in Hope for six nights.

“Nelson’s always a beautiful spot, and the weather is usually pretty good,” McGeady said, adding that the plan was to hit the beaches.

“We’re here just to chill out,” he said.