Featherston

If you’re a railway or military enthusiast, you’ll want to visit Featherston. This historic Wairarapa town is known for seriously good museums.

Featherston is near the shores of Lake Wairarapa, the largest wetland area in the lower North Island and a significant nesting ground for native and migratory birds. Apart from antique shops and cafés, the town’s key attractions are museums, which are unlike anything else you’ll see around New Zealand. The Fell Engine Museum houses the only Fell engine in the world, a survivor from the days of the Rimutaka Incline Railway. The museum also has an incline brake van and lots of railway memorabilia. The Featherston Heritage Museum tells the story of the historic Featherston military base and its role as a prisoner of war camp in World War II.
Functional facts: Approx. population 2400, information centre, train station.