Places to Explore

• Around Masterton

  State Highway 2 strings together a handful of eye-catching small towns on its way north past the Rimutakas.... (more)

• Martinborough

  The pleasant town of Martinborough embodies the changes that have taken place in the Wairarapa as a result of the burgeoning wine industry. The town gets its name from its founder, John Martin, who, in... (more)

• Palliser Bay and Cape Palliser

  To witness Wairarapa's most remote blustery scenery—and to see the North Island's southernmost point, Cape Palliser—drive southwest from Martinborough.... (more)

• Wellington

  Wellington, the seat of government since 1865, is between the sea and towering hillsides that form a natural arena with the harbor as the stage. The ferries carve patterns on the green water while preening... (more)