TÅHUNANUI IS A NELSON FAVE FOR SUP

Updated: Sep 22

Beautiful powdery sand and framed by mountains all around, Tāhunanui beach is a pretty special city beach, always featuring in best beach awards across the world. With super sunrises and glowing sunsets and one of the safest swimming spots, it has a vibrant buzz of friendly locals out enjoying the water here. There is a special feeling here that lingers, making Tāhunanui feel like one of those places that once you arrive here, it's really hard to leave.

Best enjoyed first thing in the morning for calm flat waters, you can scout for sting rays, eagle rays, seals and birds. Occasionally, if you are super lucky, you might be rewarded with a sighting of an orca or dolphins too! Last summer, orcas were pushing sting rays up onto Haulashore Island to feed, with one lucky lovely lady paddling by on here surfski in disbelief!

The beach was known as 'the sands' until a competition was run in 1902 to name the beach - and the winning entry was the Māori name Tāhuna, meaning ‘sea beach' or ‘sand hill’ and Nui - big. Big sand bank. And that it is.

SUP NELSON

There are a few paddle options from here - over to Fifeshire Rock, around Haulashore Island or paddle over to the Boulder Bank to the Lighthouse. You can always splash around in the bay or catch some small waves on your SUP if you are lucky! There's a group of local SUP surfers (aka Desperate Surfers) who you will spot out on the sand bar (1.5km paddle out from the beach) catching waves when they roll into Nelson.

My fave paddle here is out to the impressive Fifeshire Rock (Urenui to local Māori). Home to local spotted shags, this rock is a flagship out on the water, named after a shipwreck in 1842. Although, it used to be named Arrow Rock, after the first ship to sail into Nelson.

Hire your paddleboards with Moana Paddle Nelson at Tahunanui Beach

From here, you can then then turn around and head back along the rocks by the road for some great swimming spots, or keep going and paddle around to Haulashore Island. Although we are close to the centre of Nelson (the oldest city in the south island), Haulashore feels like a world away, giving you deserted island vibes.

Haulashore gets its name from literally somewhere to 'haul-a-shore' your boats! This is the roost site for pied shags, home to lizards and a programme to protect blue penguins (although their presence is teeny tiny now).

Take water shoes and you can pull up your board onto the island’s beach and go and explore this remote spot before paddling back. Home to If you wanted to circumnavigate the island, please note the tide times and tide direction as the tidal flow can be strong here at mid -tide. But there are lots of exit points on the road and at the Port of Nelson to head to if needed.

Paddleboarding at Tahunanui beach, Nelson, New Zealand

route

PADDLING INFO for tahunanui beach

RATING

Beginner Friendly

ROUTE & conditions

Heading from the Abel Tasman Car park end of the beach close to Rock's Road, paddle out to Fifeshire Rock and Haulashore Island and back.
Total distance depends on the route and tide height but between 3 – 4km total to the island and back.
There is the biggest tidal range in New Zealand in this part of the country but you can paddle here at Tāhunanui Beach at any tide height in the safe bay at the east of the beach. Towards the west end of the beach, you will feel the tidal flow more as it’s close to the estuary channel. Be careful when there are spring tides (high, high tides and low, low tides) as the tidal flow will be strong around Fifeshire Rock, Haulashore and into Port Nelson.
In the summer, the sea breeze picks up throughout the day so the best paddle window is first thing in the morning before the sea breeze picks up. But when it does, it usually is only going to blow you back onto the beach so that is nice and safe.

WHERE TO PARK & LAUNCH

Abel Tasman Car Park, Bisley Walk, Tāhunanui, Nelson, New Zealand 7011
Free parking at the car park on the beach front, with toilets and showers and changing facilities. Park up and carry your paddleboard down to the water’s edge anywhere along the beach but stay to the eastern end for the most sheltered bay.

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK

Just a stones throw away on Rocks Road, is the best coffee in town at Raglan Roast Coffee Shop, full early every morning of swimmers, dippers, and paddlers!
And you can't beat the Sands Fish and Chips Shop just next to Moana SUP & Surf for delicious fish and chips (and gluten free fish and chips too!): Shop 1 The Sands Complex, 623 Rocks Road, Tāhunanui, Nelson 7011.

WHERE TO SLEEP

For beach front camping, Tahuna Beach Camp/ Tahuna Holiday Park has the best spot in town for camping, cabins and self contained accommodation. Here you can walk along the dog friendly part of the beach, and up to the Rocks Road end. Be careful launching from here, as this is a more tidal part of the bay, with strong tides in the estuary.

LOCAL INFO

NZ Maritime Law states a requirement to wear a buoyancy aid when paddleboarding (body or airbelt) and have two forms of communication (e.g. phone and whistle).
If you want some guidance on the conditions, to hire a paddleboard or kayak or have a SUP lesson, chat to the Moana Paddle Nelson crew based at Tāhunanui beach too.
Check out the conditions in real time online from the Fairway beacon, 5km out from the beach - which gives a great indictation of the wind strength and what's to come.
Or if you are hanging around Nelson for a wee while, join the Wahine paddle group running all year round - to meet some awesome ladies in this vibrant paddling community. Or check out Nelson SUP Club too! Nelson has active kayak, surf ski, waka ama, swim, yacht and sailing clubs so this is the place for being on the water.
This is a beautiful spot to paddle all year round, with less wind in the winter, and stunning skies. Check out Paddle Nelson's night paddles taking place in the winter, with glow up paddle boards to light up the ocean and explore the water in the dark - it's awesome!
If you are looking for a new paddleboard, SUP Surf board or surf board to buy, check out Moana SUP & Surf for beautiful Kiwi designed boards that you won't be able to resist!