Queens Gardens is a beautiful Victorian garden in the middle of town and was opened in 1892. It's a great place for wandering and enjoying native and exotic trees and flowers or having a picnic. One of the highlights is the ornamental rose garden in the centre with Cupid's fountain. There's also a variety of bird life present and amongst different species of ducks you might also run into a couple of Wekas.
Queens Gardens has a few hidden corners to discover along with some sculptural artwork and a water wheel. One of the pond bridges also leads into a different garden world, the Chinese Huangshi Garden.
Queens Gardens is sometimes also part of the biannual Light Nelson event which naturally happens during the darker winter hours around July. If you're around don't miss the amazing illuminated installations in the garden.
The gardens sit right in the heart of Nelson's CBD, bordered by Hardy Street, and make for an easy stop between the shops and cafes nearby. Entry is free and the grounds are open all day. Benches and lawns are dotted throughout so it's a genuinely good spot to pause, eat your lunch, or just sit for a bit. If you have kids in tow, they tend to make a beeline for the ducks.
The Chinese Huangshi Garden is worth seeking out separately. It was gifted to Nelson by its Chinese sister city Huangshi and officially opened in 2003. The design follows traditional Chinese garden principles with pavilions, stone pathways and a koi pond, and it feels noticeably quieter and more sheltered than the main gardens.
Getting there is straightforward. Queens Gardens is a short flat walk from the i-SITE visitor centre on Millers Acre and there is street parking along Hardy Street if you're driving. The whole gardens can be explored comfortably in 20 to 30 minutes, though it's easy to linger longer.
