I cannot really say that I visited Nelson. Even though I am spending the night there, I have mainly just used its infrastructure: doing my laundry, stocking up on food, and organizing my travels. In the evening, I finally had a short stroll through the city center. This gave me an idea why the town is that popular with backpackers: There are indeed quite many nice cafés and bars. However, for me, there are other more important attractions in New Zealand.