Explore the wine village of Martinborough
By design, Martinborough has become a boutique wine village. It captivates visitors
with its visual charm, and because many of the vineyards and wineries are within
easy walking distance of the village square.
- Explore the quaint, extremely picturesque village square, where you'll find several
heritage buildings
- Discover charming cafes and restaurants, where menus make the most of local produce
- Visit the Martinborough Wine Centre, where you can taste many wines from the
region's wineries under one roof. Wines can also be purchased here, then shipped
to your home address
- With a trail map in hand, walk to nearby vineyards and wineries. The district
is famed for its Pinot Noir
Discover the charm of Greytown
Greytown is a charming colonial settlement, established in 1854. It was New Zealand's
first planned inland town.
- Walk the length of New Zealand's most complete main street of wooden Victorian
buildings. There are many fine examples of historic architecture
- Find Papawai Marae - the site of the first Maori Parliament, with a wharenui
(meeting house) dating from 1888
- Visit the Early Settlers Museum, where history comes to life
- Find interesting things to take home at a superb range of specialty shops - antiques
and craft shops to art galleries and gourmet food suppliers
- Refresh and refuel at stylish cafés and restaurants
An expedition to Cape Palliser
Cape Palliser is the most southern point of the North Island. You'll find many
things to do, so make a day of it.
- A rich history of early Maori occupation is still evident in the landscape. Look
for terracing and kumara pits
- Walk through the forest to the Putangirua Pinnacles Scenic Reserve
- Visit the quirky commercial fishing village of Ngawi
- Climb 250 steps up the Cape Palliser Lighthouse, which was built in 1897
- On the roadside, see the North Island's largest resident breeding colony of New
Zealand fur seals
A day at Castlepoint Beach
Holidays at the wild beach of Castlepoint are part of Wairarapa's local culture.
- Investigate the fossil-rich limestone reef
- Climb to the top of magnificent Castle Rock - it's 162 metres high
- Walk to Castlepoint Lighthouse, one of the last manned lighthouses to be built
in New Zealand
- The Castlepoint Reserve is home to one of the rarest daisies in the world - Castlepoint
Daisy, otherwise known as Brachyglottis compactus
- The waters off the beach are frequently visited by New Zealand fur seals and
several species of dolphin. Occasionally small whale species can be seen
- There are several walks, suitable for most age and fitness levels, around the
scenic reserve
Pukaha/Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre
This is where some of New Zealand's endangered species are bred and returned
to the wild.
- Encounter wild kaka as they swoop out of the forest for their 3pm daily feed
- View kiwi poking through the leaf-litter in the nocturnal house
- Many rare native birds - kokako, stitchbirds, takahe, kakariki and black teal
can be seen in their leafy realm
- Eels churn the water at their daily 1.30pm feed
- An audiovisual presentation runs every 30 minutes, and there are interesting
educational displays about New Zealand's bird life
- Short walks introduce you to the forest giants - rimu, rata, kahikatea and tawa
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www.newzealand.com Pages
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Other Sites
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| Wine from Te Kairanga Vineyard in the Wairarapa, one of 26 wineries in the Wairarapa region. |
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| Castlepoint, Wairarapa, lighthouse |
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