Nelson Yacht Club sits on the waterfront at 322 Wakefield Quay, and its function space - The Aurora Lounge - is hired out to the public for weddings, corporate functions and community events. The club itself is an incorporated society and registered charity affiliated to Yachting New Zealand, running a sailing school, racing programme and regattas alongside the venue business. The building has been through seismic strengthening work supported by community funders.
The lounge is on the second floor and looks out across Nelson Harbour and Tasman Bay, from Tahunanui Beach around to the Boulder Bank lighthouse. It sits between the city and Nelson Airport, with parking nearby and balcony access off the main room.
The function room is more than 250m² with a 13m x 16m clear space, and the club publishes suggested capacities:
Hire includes 115 padded chairs, 13 round tables (8 to 10 seats each), 12 rectangular tables, four small square tables, basic cleaning and waste and recycling bins. A room divider allows breakout configurations, and a separate Committee Room can be used as an additional private space, so the venue works for workshops and smaller meetings as well as full-room events. A platform lift provides wheelchair access from the lower deck and the main landing, and the room also has internal and external stair access.
Nourish Catering is based on site and is the in-house caterer; all catering must be arranged through them, with options from plated meals and grazing tables through to canapés and shared dining. The lounge can be hired for non-catered or self-catered events, but without kitchen access. The bar area has a sink, commercial glass steriliser and chillers.
The venue is unlicensed and BYO for private functions. A cash bar or ticket-inclusive alcohol requires a special licence, which the club can help arrange through a local partner.
Rates are structured by day and format, from an hourly weekday daytime rate through corporate day and evening rates to full weekend wedding hires, with a discount on Saturday and full-weekend bookings during the winter months of May to September. A 50 per cent deposit confirms a booking, with the balance and a refundable bond due 28 days before the event.
The Aurora Lounge is best understood as a flexible standalone function space rather than a full conference centre: it suits conference dinners, awards nights, AGMs, networking functions, workshops and end-of-year events, and can host visiting delegates alongside a larger conference held elsewhere in the city.
Capacity
Nearby listings on the MICE record — indicative only, not a recommendation unless marked Featured.