Discover Motueka

Motueka offers a range of options for a stay: the Great Taste Trail, historic sites, a digital lounge cinema and a weekly market. Natural areas nearby are also among the possibilities you can consider when choosing your destination. Which of these takes centre stage depends on whether you are primarily interested in cycling and walking, local history, local offerings or bird habitats.

Great Taste Trail: routes and use

Tasman's Great Taste Trail passes through Motueka and can be used on foot or by bicycle. The coastal section covers 33 km between Māpua and Motueka, and 16 km between Motueka and Kaiteriteri. These two distances give you a specific comparison of the route sections connecting Motueka with these places.

The trail is for cyclists and pedestrians and includes Grade 1, 2 and 3 sections. The different grades are just as useful for orientation as the respective route lengths; the information describes different aspects of the trail. Beyond the Tasman District, the Great Taste Trail is part of Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail.

Local history and culture

The Motueka District Museum is housed in a heritage-listed building dating from 1913. The Motueka Saltwater Baths are the only surviving tidal saltwater baths in New Zealand. For a long time, they were a focal point for family recreation and community life. Swimming, picnics, camping and fairs were part of their historic role.

Another kind of offering is the Motueka Recreation Centre, which includes an ice rink, netball courts and a climbing wall. Since 2003, the Gecko Theatre has been a digital lounge cinema in Motueka. The town thus brings together different themes: a historic museum building, the social history of the baths, leisure facilities at the Recreation Centre and cinema.

Sunday market and café culture

The Motueka Sunday Market takes place every Sunday in the car park at Decks Reserve. It includes farmers' markets, craft markets and second-hand markets; offerings also include artisan specialities, freshly baked bread, artworks and musical entertainment. The market thus brings food, second-hand goods, crafts and music together in one place.

Motueka also has a vibrant café culture, with a strong focus on good food and sustainability. Together with the market, it offers a local perspective on food and artisan goods that differs from the town's historic and cultural sites.

Nature nearby

The Motueka River delta can be accessed from Staples Street, north of Motueka, or via the shoreline from the old Motueka Wharf. Also north of Motueka is the internationally recognised Motueka Sandspit, an area for resident and migratory shorebirds. The delta and the sandspit offer different nature experiences: two access points are specified for the delta, while the sandspit is known for its importance to shorebirds.

The wider setting: Tasman District

Motueka is located within the wider destination of Tasman District. Its coastline stretches for more than 700 km of open coast and estuary shoreline. The district's abundance of water also includes more than 14,300 km of rivers and streams, as well as 81 lakes, alpine lakes, wetlands, aquifers and springs. These figures describe the Tasman District as a whole, not individual features of Motueka.

If you are looking for hotels in Motueka, the different highlights can help you decide on a destination: the trail sections offer specific route lengths, while the museum and baths provide historic points of interest. The market, café culture and nearby natural areas add further aspects to consider for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Parapara, Brightwater, Takaka, Owen River, Richmond, Kikiwa, Upper Moutere, Nelson Lakes National Park

For the wider travel overview: Tasman District.