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The city of Nelson lies at the northern end of the South Island and close to the geographical centre of New Zealand. Nelson is primarily known as the art and culture centre of New Zealand.
Nelson is also known as the birthplace of physicist Lord Rutherford who is credited with splitting the atom. Nelson is named after Admiral Horatio Nelson. The admiral defeated the French and Spanish fleets in 1805 in the battle of Trafalgar. Trafalgar street is the main shopping area of the city.
The Maori name for Nelson is Whakatu which means 'to build' or 'to establish'. Sightseeing options in the city include the Abel Tasman National Park, Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotorua. The Kahunrangi National Park is also another option.
The Nelson Lakes National Park in the city is a popular centre among cave enthusiasts as there are extensive cave systems in the region. The region of Takara Hill and Mounts Owen has the deepest caves in the Southern Hemisphere.
The city hosts various art festivals annually. The Nelson Arts Festival
is a popular attraction for tourists. There is also the World of
Wearable Art museum close to the airport which attracts tourists.
The city has many Victorian buildings which date back to the colonial era. South Street is dedicated to the Victorian buildings and architecture. There are also plenty of reserves and parks in the region.
Some of the notable reserves in the area are Grampains Reserve and the Botanical Reserve. The Natureland Zoological Park is another tourist attraction. The park has wallabies, monkeys, peacocks as well as Kune Kune pigs among various other animals.
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