A unique Archery Experience in a stunning Native Forest
- Learn to master the longbow and discover your inner Robin Hood – all gear provided
- Experience a rare fully established native New Zealand forest in the most unique way
- Learn a new skill with proper training by an experienced and certified archer – no previous experience needed
- Go for a walk with bow and arrow and shoot lifelike archery targets in our pristine native forest
- Only 15 minutes from Nelson central with a free pickup option from the i-Site
Tours start at set times and each tour is limited to a maximum of 6 people! Book your ticket in advance to avoid disappointment. Just click on the “Book Now” button to make your booking.
This was the most enjoyable day of our trip
This was the most enjoyable day of our trip! I had never shot an arrow before, but Markus made it fun and easy. I think I even got really good at it!
Your journey at Archery Park Nelson
Click through the images to see what is waiting for you at Archery Park.
Your visit will entail the following:
- A brief health and safety induction
- Archery lessons on our lawn range with longbows by our certified archery coach
- A short 4WD drive through the farm and across small stream and a 10min bush walk into our forest archery range
- A guided tour through our unique native forest archery range where game and fantasy archery targets await you
- Lots of fun and time spent outside
Tours start at set times and each tour is limited to a maximum of 6 people! Book your ticket in advance to avoid disappointment. Just click on the "Book Now" button to make your booking.
A definite highlight
You may have tried archery before but this will be a totally new experience! Markus is passionate and knowledgeable, he will teach you how to become a great archer. You will be amazed at how much your aim improves with his helpful advice! Taking your skills from the range to the woods and aiming at life like 3D animals was a definite highlight! 100% recommend this experience!
Shoot with the Archery Park longbows.
Walk under giant Maitai trees, 6m tall Silver Ferns and see Nelsons cleanest stream.
Connect with your instincts
Get trained by an experienced and certified archer
New Zealand's most intense archery attraction is run by long time longbow archer Markus. He has been practising the sport for over 17 years and participates regularly in tournaments. He won the silver medal in his division in the 2018 NZFAA Bowhunter Nationals and is a certified NZFAA community archery coach. Markus has built his own bows and arrows, has trained many archers and is actively involved in the professional traditional archery sport. He has won and organised several traditional archery tournaments and built a successful archery club.
Markus is a member of the Traditional Archery Society, the New Zealand Field Archery Association (NZFAA) and the New Zealand Bowhunter Society (non-hunting, but enjoying their tournaments). He also was an administrator for one of Europeans largest traditional archery internet discussion board.
Learn archery following best practise
We show you the right posture, how to hold and draw the bow and how to align everything properly. Because a longbow has no sight and you can't aim with the arrow, we will start your journey into instinctive archery. Instinctive archery is a method to train your brain and body in a special way. You will be able to shoot your arrow into the exact spot you're mentally focusing on. While this technique takes a lot of practise to master, we always see great results with our training method. We train you according to the International Field Archery Association best practise.
Shoot with professional archery gear
You will shoot with real longbows and real arrows, and receive an armguard and a quiver. We have gone to great length to find longbows suitable for beginners, as we want you to have the best experience. Our arrows are custom made for us and have our unique teaching friendly colour scheme and are a perfect match for our bows. The Archery Park gear for guests is maintained to the same standard as our own personal archery gear.
You have your own bow and arrows? Awesome bring it along - but please be advised that we have a maximum limit of 50lbs for bows. Shooting distances are beginner friendly. Compound bows are not allowed.
Visit a pristine native forest and Nelson's cleanest stream
After your initial training we walk into our forest archery range. We have special archery targets in various shape and forms that are set in scene in the most stunning environment. Walk under hundreds of years old Maitai trees, towering high above the forest, shoot between 6m tall silver-ferns, see and listen to Nelson's cleanest stream and forget that there is a civilization out there.
If our training and advise fails in such a way that you miss every single target, then we will issue you with a full refund!
The details
Tour departures
Tours start most days at 2.00 pm except Thursdays. On the weekend and during Christmas extra tours start at 9:30am. Just choose the day and start time that suits you best in our online booking system. Please book in advance to avoid any disappointment.
Click Here to Book
Please be on time as we're leaving to the archery range from the meeting point as a group.
Duration
Allow 3 to 4 hours.
Location of Archer Park Nelson
Archery Park is located on the Cable Bay Adventure Park on 194 Cable Bay Road, Nelson. It's only a 15min drive from Nelson central.
Drive 14km north from Nelson City towards Picton. Turn left into Cable Bay Road at the sign posts Cable Bay Adventure Park. We are only 2 km down from the turnoff – look for the Archery Park Flag and Cable Bay Adventure Park sign.
Free pickup
We can pick you up from the Nelson i-Site for free! Please text or call us on 0211878043 if you need a pickup from Nelson i-Site.
If we pick you up, please bear with us while we setup the archery range for the day and pack away at the end of our adventure before we drive you back - you can enjoy a coffee at the Cable Bay Adventure Park on site until we're ready.
What to bring
All you need is a pair of sturdy shoes, weather appropriate clothes and a sense of adventure. Our unique forest archery is along a 1.5km track with some uneven ground and two small stream crossings with a rope handrail and boulder hopping. Jandals (flip-flops) are not appropriate footwear!
It's always advisable to bring sunscreen and insect repellent, water and a snack. If your allergic to bees, wasps or anything else you might encounter outdoors please bring your emergency medication and advise us upfront.
Suitability and age
You need to be fit enough to walk an outdoor track over 1.5km which is uneven and narrow in places and crosses two small streams using boulders and handrail ropes. We do not expect you to know anything about archery.
The Dragon Hunt Archery Experience is suitable for kids from 10 years onward, unless they have some experience in archery or are fit and very coordinated from other sports. They must be able to walk for ca. 1.5km and be able to spend 2 hours outside in the bush as we can't return to base in the middle of the tour. Usually not a problem, though, as they get to shoot bow and arrow throughout 🙂 If in doubt get in touch and we work it out with you. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult that must also participate in the archery experience.
Bad weather cancellations
Heavy rain and strong wind severely affect arrow flight and can create risks on our track network. Should we have to cancel a session because of a bad weather forecast we will advise you on the day before your booking at around 5pm. A full refund will be issued. Please note that this is a rare occasion, as we're in sunny Nelson.
After heavy rain the streams in our park can be very high for a couple of days. In this rare case we will get in touch with you and you can choose between three options: 1) Simply postpone your booking 2) An extended archery training session on our practise range and a 50% refund or 3) A full refund.
Costs
$125 per person - our special opening rate
Special local rates are on offer as a thank you for the amazing support Archery Park receives continuously from the local community. Please bring some form of ID to verify that you live in Nelson or Tasman, e.g. a Library Card or a power or phone bill with your name and address.
All Children must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult at all times. The accompanying adult must participate in the activity. All prices include GST. A portion of your payment will support our Robin Hood Scheme and our Archery Club.
Sessions are private and by arrangement only – bookings are essential!
Our reviews
A must do
Definitely recommend! A must do. Markus gave excellent instructions and we had a great time. Thanks again 🙂
Wow!
Wow! What an awesome experience. Markus is a top man with 17 years experience and great people skill. Definitely recommend to anyone in the Nelson area.
A definite highlight
You may have tried archery before but this will be a totally new experience! Markus is passionate and knowledgeable, he will teach you how to become a great archer. You will be amazed at how much your aim improves with his helpful advice! Taking your skills from the range to the woods and aiming at life like 3D animals was a definite highlight! 100% recommend this experience!
Do it, it’s a lot of fun
Do it, it’s a lot of fun. Marcus is friendly and has a passion for archery and that shows during this lifelike experience. Not your typical range by no means. A+
Just Brilliant
Just Brilliant! Markus provides a fun, informative and very enjoyable opportunity to try 3D archery. Being run in small groups it’s great value and you get plenty of individual guidance to master the basics.
The best possible experience
Congratulations,Marcus, on setting up a world class archery park. We loved the archery in the woods experience and range of 3-D targets – so much better than a bullseye target. Your excellent safety briefing, top notch archery training and quality equipment (long bows, arrows, arm guards and quivers) ensured the best possible experience. Thank you for an awesome archery adventure.
Great fun for us as a couple
Markus was well organised and explained everything we needed to know.He gave us tips on how to improve our shots which really helped when it came to shooting the foam animals in the bush. Great fun for us as a couple and i would definitely go again and recommend to friends
It is not to be missed
I can’t wait to go back with more people
Wonderful introduction to Archery
Wonderful introduction to Archery. Marcus is very professional, taking us through the basics, safety, technique, target practice and game hunting. Excellent equipment and very well thought out and fun 3D range. Marcus is a talented Archer and we are looking forward to more occasions with him as we improve and evolve our skills.
This was the most enjoyable day of our trip
This was the most enjoyable day of our trip! I had never shot an arrow before, but Markus made it fun and easy. I think I even got really good at it!