Tasman is a settlement in the Tasman District of New Zealand's upper South Island. It is located between Mapua and Motueka, 45km from Abel Tasman National Park and 40km from Nelson. The Tasman area covers a small peninsula on the southern and eastern side of the Moutere Inlet. It includes Kina Beach, a Tasman Bay beach with rock pools which is only fully accessible during low tide. The population of Tasman Village and Kina Beach is approximately 400. There is a general store, a medieval cafe, a vineyard, and a nine-hole golf course with views of Mt Arthur and Abel Tasman National Park. The area also has a cycling track, and is also a base from kayaking, fishing and hiking. The Aporo Sculpture, a high stainless steel sculpture, sits at the Tasman Village turnoff from State Highway 60. It was unveiled in October 2015, cost $60,000, and took local artists, community groups, Tasman District Council staff and volunteers six years to complete. Country singer-songwriter Aly Cook and four-time adventure racing world champion Nathan Fa'avae were both raised in Tasman. A Harley Davidson motorbike group, Sons of Tasman, also originates from Tasman. At the annual Muddy Buddy event, attendees in fancy dress get caked in mud from the inlet and are then cleaned off with fire hoses.
History
Tasman was originally named Aporo, but was renamed in 1906 after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. The economy was originally based around orchards, but is increasingly based on arts, crafts, vineyards and tourism. In March 2018, work began on a new 96-lot housing development south of the main village. Landowner Alan Trent, an American businessman, had originally proposed a development with 130 resident sections, 55 apartments, shops, a village plaza, open space, and lifestyle farmland. The plans were scaled back due to community opposition. Trent had put his nearby home on the market for $8.9 million in January 2016. In December 2018, a local landowner sought planning approval for a small industrial development next to the village. Some residents opposed it, arguing it would affect the village's "rural charm".
Education
Tasman School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of. Every two years, the school holds a fundraising food and wine market called Taste Tasman. Tasman BayChristian School is a co-educational state-integrated Christian primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of.
