Tasman Bay in the context of "Marlborough Sounds"

Nelson (Māori: Whakatū) is a city and unitary authority on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the oldest city in the South Island and the second-oldest settled city in the country; it was established in 1841 and became a city by British royal charter in 1858.

Nelson City is bordered to the west and south-west by the Tasman District and to the north-east, east and south-east by the Marlborough District. The Nelson urban area has a population of 50,800, making it New Zealand's 15th most populous urban area.

Richmond (Māori: Waimea) is a town and the seat of the Tasman District Council in New Zealand. It lies 13 kilometres (8 mi) south of Nelson in the South Island, close to the southern extremity of Tasman Bay. The town, first settled by Europeans in 1842, was named in 1854 after the town of Richmond on Thames near London. The town has an estimated population of 19,950 as of June 2025.

Although most of Richmond lies outside the boundaries of Nelson City and the town is considered a separate urban area, Richmond is part of the wider Nelson metropolitan area along with nearby Brightwater, Hope, Māpua and Wakefield. The two unitary authorities (Nelson and Tasman) co-operate for tourism-marketing purposes via "Latitude Nelson". As of 2020 Richmond forms part of the Nelson parliamentary electorate.

Motueka is a town in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the mouth of the Motueka River on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is the second largest in the Tasman Region, with a population of 8,290 as of June 2025.

The surrounding district has a number of apple, pear, and kiwifruit orchards, as well as growing a variety of specialised crops such as hops. The area formerly served as the main centre of tobacco growing in New Zealand until the early 1980s. A number of small vineyards have also been developed.