Let us take you back to 1866…
This is the time of the gold rush in the South Island. There are gold strikes on the West Coast, in Golden Bay, and up the Wakamarina Valley near Canvastown, drawing prospectors from all around the world. Fresh fortunes come in fast, and these rags-to-riches goldminers like to spend up big!
Nelson has all the energy of a wild west town. The main way to get to Nelson is by boat, so the port is really busy, with the main route into town coming along Haven Rd and into Bridge St. At the other end, Bridge St leads off to the Botanical Gardens and the Maitai Valley, which has a walking trail along the Maungatapu Track to Canvastown and beyond to Picton.
Nelson’s population is around 5,000. The buildings are mostly timber with hotels on each corner along Bridge St, where it crosses with Trafalgar and Collingwood streets. There’s a variety of shops and stores, dining rooms, guest houses and even an oyster bar. Business is booming, and so are the bankruptcies. It’s a town on the rise, with all the chaos that comes with it.
