The Maitai is Nelson's town river, and the walkway alongside it is the place locals run, ride, and walk the dog. It starts in the centre of town near Trafalgar Bridge and follows the river back through suburban Nelson and into the Maitai Valley behind it. You can do as little as a 20-minute riverside loop or pick up a longer trail into the forest.
About five kilometres in, the Maitai Dam swimming hole is a long-established summer spot — slow water under bush, a rope swing, occasionally trout. Closer to town, the Branford Park section is the prettiest stretch, with willow and beech along the bank and good light in the late afternoon.