Visit Wairarapa & surrounds, New Zealand

Situated at the foot of the Rimutaka Range, the colonial town of Featherston is the gateway to the Wairarapa wine region.

Close by is Lake Wairarapa, the biggest wetland area in the lower North Island and home to both native and migratory birds. Martinborough is essentially a vineyard village oasis set among rolling farmland, with plenty of cafés, restaurants and arts and crafts shops.

Exploring Wairarapa

After a lunch in the picturesque square the vineyards are all easily accessible for an afternoon tasting tour. To the north is Greytown, a quaint colonial village with a remarkable history.

It was settled in 1854 when five men and one woman crossed the Rimutaka Ranges, with their scant possessions carried by four bullocks. The small shelters and cottages they built can still be seen today.