Nelson is a small town at the mouth of the Glenelg River about 3 kilometres east of the South Australian/Victorian border.
For South Australians, it is the gateway to the Discovery Coast and the Great Ocean Road beyond. For Victorians, it is the ideal stopover en route to the south east of South Australia, the fashionable watering hole of Robe and the Coonawarra wine region.
Nelson offers all the essentials of civilisation: great pub, tourist information centre, general store, service station/roadhouse, boat and canoe hire - and no shortage of fishing tackle and bait supplies.
The Glenelg River rises in the Grampians and meanders for 400 km through western Victoria to the sea at Nelson. For the last 70 km it flows through the pristine Lower Glenelg National Park with unspoilt forests and limestone gorges to emerge at Nelson where it flows on past Oxbow Lake to a shallow estuary and meets the sea.
The river is renowned for its mulloway and bream fishing. Australian salmon, mullett and estuary perch are also caught with the occasional trout available in the upper reaches.
Nelson's greatest appeal is its quiet location, relaxed atmosphere and lack of pretentious development. Fishing is the main drawcard but it is a great place for simply messing about in boats.
The Lower Glenelg National Park is great for bushwalking, wild life spotting, bird watching, fishing, picnicking or driving.
Or you could just do nothing. As the town's slogan says (on all the best stubby holders) Nelson is "a great place to relax".
