Skip to main content

Story: Nelson region

Roadside Stories: Nelson – the WOW factor

The lack of flat land around Nelson led settlers to practise horticulture rather than farming. Tobacco, hops, tomatoes and grapes have all been grown in the area, and wine was produced by German immigrants. Also known for its arts and crafts, Nelson was the birthplace of the World of WearableArt (WOW) show in 1987.

Listen to a Roadside Story about Nelson. Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides to places around New Zealand.

Using this item

YouTube: Manatu Taonga's channel

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Nelson region – Arts, culture and science, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/35336/roadside-stories-nelson-the-wow-factor (accessed 14 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 12 January 2012, updated 1 August 2015.