The Wairarapa region comprises of charming townships with Masterton being the largest and the main shopping and services centre for the rural region.

At the centre of town is the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park with a wonderful children’s playground. It is a lovely family friendly stop on your journey. Wairarpa is of course is an important wine region with Martinborough being the epicentre. Here you will enjoy excellent restaurants and some of New Zealand’s best pinot noir comes from this area.

Carterton, just over an hour from Wellington, is a hot bed of sculptors, textile artists and painters creating unique works.

Historic Greytown is home to excellent examples of Victorian colonial architecture that line the main street – in fact, it’s New Zealand’s most complete street of wooden Victorian buildings. You’ll find a wide choice of cafés and restaurants serving seasonal menus and local wines, as well as designer boutiques and quirky local stores that stock everything from hand-made lead soldiers, handbags, jewellery, antiques and art. Being so close to Wellington it is a lovely drive out for the day and also an ideal place to explore while traveling around the lower north island of New Zealand.