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Nelson Boulder Bank.
Nelson Boulder Bank

Located in Nelson area in the Nelson/Tasman region

This 8 km walk follows an internationally renowned natural spit of boulders.

Brochures

This track goes from Boulder Bank Drive to 'The Cut'. It takes 2 to 3 hours one way and is an unformed track. You'll be making your way ontop and over large boulders. The Boulder Bank is rough, dry and very exposed, so be prepared for all kinds of weather and wear strong shoes.

Access to the Boulder Bank is from Boulder Bank Drive (off Atawhai Drive (SH6)) or by boat from Nelson. A ferry service is available from Nelson.
  • Be wary of sudden weather changes.
  • If boating in Nelson Haven, check tides and sea conditions before departing.
  • No fires.
  • No camping.

The internationally-renowned Boulder Bank is a natural spit of boulders, formed of the debris of land slips from the Mackay Bluffs, swept southwards by sea currents over 10,000 years. The bank is 13 km long, the last 8 km forming a spit which separates Tasman Bay/Te Tai-o-Aorere from Nelson Haven. It's width varies from 55 m at high tide to 240 m at low tide.

Māori camped on the bank and fished there. They used boulders from the bank - some up to 50 kg - to hammer the rough forms of stone tools from quarries in the nearby hills.

The shelter offered by Boulder Bank was a major factor in choosing the site of Nelson. In 1848 a beacon was erected near the end of the bank and, in 1862, the cast iron lighthouse building that remains today. In 1906 a cut was made in the bank to allow easier passage to Nelson Harbour for shipping. 'The Cut' now separates Haulashore Island from the bank.