Discover Hope: Gardens, History and Winegrowing

Hope in the Nelson region brings together several very different themes: a rare home from the early European settlement period, an important Lutheran church history, a variety of garden areas and a reserve with ten tennis courts. Winegrowing may also be of interest when planning your trip. Hope therefore cannot be reduced to a single holiday focus. If you are looking for a holiday rental in Hope, you can first consider whether historical sites, landscaped gardens, sport or winegrowing should be the main focus of your trip.

Early settlement history in two buildings

Cob House was built in 1863 in the settlement of Hope in the Nelson region. It is a relatively rare surviving example of a rural cob home from the region’s early European settlement period. This combination of a specific construction date, a rural dwelling and its rare state of preservation makes it a notable historical landmark. Those interested in the history of European settlement will find a different perspective here than through general dates: the focus is a single home whose period of construction can be clearly identified.

St. John's Lutheran Church in Hope offers another historical perspective. It is the site of the first Lutheran church founded in New Zealand. Hope therefore offers two different points of interest for those interested in cultural history: Cob House, a rare rural dwelling from the 19th century, and the church, associated with the early history of Lutheranism in New Zealand. You can include both in your plans if you would like to focus your trip more on history and cultural sites.

Garden areas with different designs

Gardens of the World arranges its plantings into garden areas representing New Zealand, Australia, Africa, America, the Orient and Europe. The grounds offer several thematic perspectives rather than focusing on a single style of garden. The named areas include formal rose gardens, a herbarium, a water garden and a rhododendron walk. Fountains, streams and a lake add to this selection of garden features.

Hope Reserve and its sporting focus

Hope Reserve covers 3.9915 hectares and lies between the main road and the former railway line. The reserve has ten tennis courts. Its size, location and number of courts give Hope Reserve a different character from the town’s historical and garden-related attractions. For travellers considering tennis as an area of interest, the number of courts is a specific point to consider. You can weigh this sporting aspect alongside the cultural and landscaped attractions when deciding whether to visit Hope.

Winegrowing as another theme

Brightwater Vineyards is a boutique vineyard and winery owned by Gary and Valley Neale. This adds winegrowing to the themes of history, gardens and sport. If you are interested in wine and the work of a winery, you can include Brightwater Vineyards as a distinct point of interest in your travel plans. The different attractions can help you decide whether Hope suits the kinds of discoveries you are looking for on your trip, without requiring all your interests to take equal priority.

Discover more places

If you would like to explore more destination pages, you can find Appleby, Kaiteriteri, Tasman, Onekaka, Pohara and Stanley Brook here.

Return to the main travel overview: Tasman.