Despite it being the second largest centre in the Tasman Region, I was never really aware of Motueka until I visited it in the summer of 2020. Helped by glorious weather (it is one of the sunniest places in New Zealand) I found it a lovely place to explore.
Trying to find somewhere to park up to eat my lunch I randomly found the beautiful Motueka Inlet.
Which is surrounded by the 4km Motueka Inlet Walkway, opened in 2012 as a dual use cycling and pedestrian walkway.
On the nearby coast the Motueka Saltwater Baths are a safe enclosed area for swimming, or sunbathing on the surrounding deck.
The sea looked pretty appealing from here as well.
A highlight was the shipwreck of the Janie Seddon. Built as a submarine mining vessel, she served in both World Wars before being converted unsuccessfully into a fishing vessel. She was laid up at the Motueka Wharf, sank a few years later and was abandoned. She’s now a super photogenic sight at low tide.
Particularly when I discovered blocks laid in the mud so I could safely get closer to her without disappearing into the mud.
I revisited her a few days later when the tide was in, not quite as photogenic…
Pethybridge Rose Garden was a rather lovely spot, even out of season when the roses had finished flowing. It was developed in memory of Charles Edward Pethybridge, who spent 50 years working for the tobacco company W.D & H.O Wills. It was opened in 1964 after a residential section was bought and turned into the gardens. He was a prominent member of the local community, including Rotary.
The Kiyosato Japanese Gardens were built to celebrate the sister town relationship between Motueka and Kiyosato in Japan.
To finish with views from Motueka looking toward the Wharepapa / Arthur Range in Kahurangi National Park, the largest national park in New Zealand.
