Centre of New Zealand Nelson

The monument on Botanical Hill above Nelson is signposted as the Centre of New Zealand, and the honest version of the story is more interesting than the slogan. In the 1870s John Spence Browning began the geodetic survey of New Zealand and chose this hill as the zero point - the origin from which the survey triangulation was calculated. That makes it the centre of the survey, not the geographic centre of the country, which by most calculations lies in a forest in the Spooners Range some distance away, or in the sea, depending on which land you include. The walk up takes fifteen to twenty minutes on a steady track from the Botanical Reserve, with steps at the top, and gives Nelson, Tasman Bay and the ranges behind. The same reserve hosted what is claimed as the first rugby match played in New Zealand, in 1870, which is a second contested-but-defensible claim from one small hill.

Highlights

• The survey monument - the zero point of the 1870s geodetic survey.
• The climb - fifteen to twenty minutes with steps at the top.
• Nelson and Tasman Bay - the view over the city and the sea.
• The first rugby field - in the reserve below, by local claim.

When to go

Any season; morning or evening light is best over the bay. It is a short steep walk from the city, so it needs no planning.

Before you go

It is the centre of the survey, not the geographic centre of the country - the sign overstates it. The climb is short but steep with steps. There is nothing at the top but the marker and the view.

Nearby

Nelson city centre is below; the Queen's Gardens and Christ Church Cathedral are close.