Wellington and the Wairarapa
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Wellington and the Wairarapa - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in Wellington and the Wairarapa - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
From Petone, a winding road leads south about 10 km (6 miles) to the suburb of Eastbourne. Have an alfresco bite in its tiny shopping area before driving on to where the road eventually transforms into a 4-km (2½-mile) walking trail, following the coast to Pencarrow Head and its lighthouse, with views across the strait. There's a kiosk where you can rent a bike, or for more adventure, The Boatshed has kayaks and stand-up paddleboards for hire.
The tiny town of Featherston is worth a stop for the Fell Locomotive Museum. Along with photos, models, and memorabilia, it has the last remaining Fell locomotive in the world. Built in 1875 and expertly restored, the engine is one of only six that clawed their way up the notorious Rimutaka Incline. The museum is open to the public on weekends, but tours can be booked for any day of the week.
From Upper Hutt, continuing north on State Highway 2 takes you to the Wairarapa region. But if you have time to spare, stop into Kaitoke Regional Park. Just beyond Upper Hutt, it's a great camping and picnic spot with pleasant walks by the river. Lord of the Rings lovers can check out the corner of the forest that stood in for Rivendell, the great homeland of the elves. Trails, varying from 15-minute ambling loops to 3-hour hiking routes, all follow sections of the crystal-clear river, flanked by towering trees and native birdsong.
The writer, born in 1888, lived the first five years of her life here. Katherine Mansfield (née Kathleen Beauchamp) left to pursue her career in Europe when she was only 20, but many of her short stories take place in Wellington. A year before her death in 1923, she wrote, "New Zealand is in my very bones. What wouldn't I give to have a look at it!" The house, which has been restored as a typical Victorian family home, contains furnishings, photographs, and videos that elucidate Mansfield's life and times.
On a fine summer day you couldn't find a better place to enjoy the fragrance of magnificent flowers. This rose garden is the most popular part of the Wellington Botanic Garden. Situated on a plateau, the formal circular layout consists of 110 beds, each planted with a single variety of modern and traditional shrubs. Climbing roses cover a brick-and-timber colonnade on the perimeter. Adjacent to the rose beds, the Begonia House conservatory is filled with delicate plants.
The tiny settlement of Lake Ferry sits beside Palliser Bay, 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Cape Palliser. The lake in question, called Onoke, is actually a salt lagoon formed by the long sandbank here. Vacation homes, fishing spots, and remarkable sunsets bring in the weekend Wellingtonian crowd. If you’re coming from Martinborough, expect a 25-km (16-mile) drive through rolling sheep country.
The town's signature event, held in the Square on the first Saturday of February and March, draws thousands of people and packs the place with crafts stalls.
With their first Pinot Noir grapes planted in 1980, this fine regional winery was the first to convince the world of the Wairarapa's wine potential. Their Chardonnay is also exceptional.
For an overview of area wines, take an oenophile's shortcut and hit Martinborough Wine Merchants. The shop stocks a thorough selection of local vintages and wine accessories. Arrangements can be made to have your purchases shipped home.
Placed atop a historic and trendy suburb is a stunning vantage point to watch the city both day and night. You can take a short, but careful, drive up to the lookouts and enjoy the vistas that sweep across the whole region. Alternatively, take a leisurely uphill stroll through the pine forest of the town belt. These trails are sporadically dotted with outlooks, mountain biking tracks, and creatively crafted playgrounds. Fittingly, its tall twisted trees were the backdrop to a number of scenes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which are signposted.
Built in 1858 as a family home by immigrant carpenter William Wallis, this cottage is Wellington's oldest remaining building. With its steep shingled roof and matchboard ceilings, kauri wood paneling, and somber Victorian wallpapers, the house has been kept almost completely in its original state. The spinning wheel, smoke-blackened cooking pot, hand-pegged rugs, and oil lamps re-create the feeling of those pioneer days. Outside, a garden of flowers and herbs blooms in a riot of color during the summer.
The buildings that make up the Parliament complex include Parliament House with its Debating Chamber, a copy of the one in the British House of Commons right down to the Speakers Mace. Here legislation is presented, debated, and voted on. There is fine Māori artwork in the Māori Affairs Select Committee Room. The adjoining building is the Parliamentary Library. The neighboring Executive Wing is known for architectural reasons as The Beehive; it's where the prime minister and cabinet ministers of the elected government have their offices and hold cabinet meetings. Across the road at the corner of Whitmore Street and Lambton Quay, the Old Government Buildings, the largest wooden structure in New Zealand, is now home to Victoria University’s law faculty. Tours start in The Beehive, and a guide explains the parliamentary process in detail.
As the heart of the waterfront, the beat of Odlins drum depends on the season. In summer, the plaza is lined with market stalls and food trucks. Springtime sees many an art installation or pop-up theater battle the waterfront winds. In the colder months, food stalls return with warmer fare to feed ice skaters, sauna-goers, and the odd brave ocean diver. The plaza is also a great central location where the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the City Gallery, and Mount Victoria are all in easy reach.
The largest wooden structure in New Zealand is now home to Victoria University's law faculty. Constructed in 1876, the original plans called for concrete and timber construction. Due to the high price of concrete at the time, plans were modified and it was ultimately fashioned entirely from timber, including a considerable amount of native kauri. Inside are historic exhibits and an information center, but it's the exterior that most captivates visitors.
Consecrated in 1866 in a style dubbed Colonial Gothic, the church is a splendid example of the English Gothic Revival style executed entirely in native timbers. Even the trusses supporting the roof transcend their mundane function with splendid craftsmanship.
For a taste-bud-tickling exercise that doesn't involve grapes, head to Helen and John Meehan's olive grove, 3 km (2 miles) north of Martinborough. You can visit the grove and its 5 acres of gardens to learn how oils are produced. Tastings (and sales) of their extra-virgin and infused olive oils are encouraged.
Devoted to gathering and preserving indigenous plants, Õtari's collection is the largest of its kind. With clearly marked bushwalks and landscape demonstration gardens, it aims to educate the public and ensure the survival of New Zealand's unique plant life. While in the garden, you'll learn to identify forest plants, from the various blechnum ferns underfoot to the tallest trees overhead. An aerial walkway crosses high above the bush, giving an unusual vantage point over the gardens. Look and listen for the native birds that flock to this haven: the bellbird (korimako), New Zealand wood pigeon (kereru), and parson bird (tūī) among others. Take the No. 14 Wilton bus from downtown (20 minutes) and ask the driver to let you off at the gardens.
This 9.1 km (5.7 miles) cliffside trail has breathtaking views of the coast. With its step-climbs and swing bridges, this track is a little different from your typical "long walks on the beach." Most walkers drive to the Pukerua Bay Train station and catch the northbound train to the next stop, Paekākāriki, to walk the trail from north to south.
Don't miss the white wines here—they're some of the best around. Of particular note is the sauvignon blanc, which is renowned for its intense ripe flavors, and the chardonnay, which is organically made in an elegant classic style.
A 15-minute drive north of Wellington on State Highway 2—with magnificent harbor views all the way—leads you to the Hutt Valley and its namesake river. The Petone Esplanade, on the eastern side of the harbor, has good fishing from the wharf and is overlooked by houses clinging to steep bush-clad hills. On the waterfront, visit the small but interesting Petone Settlers Museum; it's open Wednesday through Sunday, 10–4. Housed in the historic Wellington Provincial Centennial Memorial building, the free museum stands near the 1840 landing site of New Zealand's first organized European settlement. Nearby, Jackson Street is home to many boutique shops and eateries.
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