The top of the South Island is fortunate to have several access points to some amazing fishing and boating activities as good as anywhere in New Zealand. The Nelson boat ramp is the most popular and you only have to visit the ramp at Port Nelson on a fine weekend to see why.

The three-lane ramp provides safe access to Tasman Bay, Abel Tasman and D’Urville Island and is accessible in all weather and all tides. In 2018, 90m of floating pontoons were installed for safer and quicker launching and retrieving. The ramp is concrete all the way down and at low tide it can be a bit slippery under foot, so a 4WD is necessary for heavier boats.

A long dog-leg pontoon provides lots of room for loading and unloading gear and passengers.

There is a $5 charge for a casual launch, or you can purchase an annual pass from Nelson City Council for $103. There are two electronic pay machines above the ramp for casual launching.

The boat ramp has two washdowns, but in summer they do get very busy. Only a tap is provided so you need to remember to take your own hose fittings and hose to wash your boat down. The washdown area is a bit tight when two boats are using it at the same time, so bigger boats are best to use the outside lane.

An on-site washdown is a great facility but gets very busy in peak periods.

A skip bin is provided for fish waste, but no plastics are allowed. This is a big issue as there are no rubbish bins provided for plastic or general waste.

With the growing number of boats in the region, trailer parking is at a premium. On a busy day the carpark is often full before 7:00am and the trailers overflow into Akersten St. Some days people can walk over 1km to get back to their boat, so my best advice is launch early!

There are plenty of trailer-specific parks available to cover all but the busiest days.

All skippers need to be aware of the local navigation safety bylaw which requires all persons on a boat 6m and under to wear a life jacket – the Harbourmaster is often on the water policing this. There is lots of information at the ramp, so if you are new to the area take the time to read it.

There is plenty of local information at the ramp if you are new to the area.

The speed limit close to the ramp is three knots so no wake is produced due to the presence of the Nelson Marina and a number of people that live aboard their boats. Another recreational hazard to be aware of, particularly early in the morning, is the presence of rowers and waka ama paddlers.

Several shops are located close to the boat ramp, including tackle stores, boating stores and petrol stations, which have everything you need for a day on the water.

The Port Nelson website has a page for harbour conditions. This is a great source of information to access webcams or real-time information on the sea conditions.

The Nelson boat ramp can provide access to some amazing recreational activities so if you have not yet used it, it is certainly something to put on the bucket list this summer. 

January 2022 - Dan Govier
New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
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