Golden Bay is an island, not in a literal sense, but because it is encompassed by world class national parks and the Tasman Sea. There are only so many ways a visitor may travel to gain access, its this seclusion that makes Golden Bay special and unique.

This is a place to refresh your soul, it's a retreat from the hustle and bustle of main stream life, a place where the mountains invite you to explore the solitude of their peaks and the warm sea washes away your worries.

You wake to a clear winters morning, the sun glistens off the snowy peaks and warms your back. The day beckons; a gentle morning stroll through native bush to Pupu Springs, café lunch with friends, a relaxing afternoon of golf or tennis and perhaps a sunset kayak, after dinner to compliment a full day.

That's just a single day in Golden Bay. There's many more to come and plenty more to see and do:

• Art galleries
• Crafts
• Fishing
• Eco-tours
• Sailing
• Walking
• Cafés
• Restaurants
• Horse trekking
• Movies
• Farms
• Gardens

A beautiful day to be out on the water.

Head of the Cobb Valley, Kahurangi National Park

There are many trails into the past which explore Golden Bay's rich history. Museums and places of historical importance are scattered throughout the Bay. Each provides a window into the past, illuminating moments in time that have together formed present day Golden Bay.

The people of the Bay form a close knit community embracing a diversity in culture and heritage. Surrounded by mountainous ranges and the Tasman sea, Golden Bay is isolated and its this seclusion which breeds self sufficiency and ingenuity amoungst the community. Artists and craftspeople are inspired by their environment and a slower pace of life gives rise to creative endevours for all to enjoy.

Golden Bay Gallery

View from Tasman Memorial, overlooking Ligar Bay.

Golden Bay is referred to as the Heart of the Parks and it beats with the changing of the seasons. It can be appreciated all year round, each season has something different to offer; piping hot cappacinos in the crisp winter air, sailing in a salty westerly breeze, golf under the yellowing poplars, tramping amongst the first snow melts or soaking up the sun on a golden sand beach.

Here we've simply skimmed the surface of what Golden Bay is about, to find out more you'll have to come and explore.