Nelson is the Craft Brewing Capital of NZ and is the only place in NZ where hops are grown. Many new hop gardens are being developed at present, due to their popularity with craft brewers world wide. A multi day trip on the Great Taste Trail is a great way to enjoy the landscape, the scenic hop gardens, and to taste the local craft brews along the way.
These breweries are located right on, or very close to, the trail:
McCashins Brewery, Stoke, Nelson
Eddyline Brewery, Richmond, Nelson
Golden Bear Brewery, Mapua
Townshend Brewery, Motueka
Hop Federation Brewery, Riwaka
All these breweries can be visited when cycling the Great Taste Trail Coastal Route from Stoke to Riwaka. This route is described here.
While in the area, we also recommend allowing a day for an out and back ride from Mapua to Upper Moutere and back to visit the Moutere Inn. This is an on road day, on quiet country roads and there are numerous hop gardens in this area which can be seen from the road.