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The mellow plains of the Wairarapa bask lazily in the sun, sheltering in the lea of the Tararua and Rimutaka Ranges. Tucked away in the North Island’s south-eastern corner, you’d be forgiven for overlooking the region altogether, but you’d be missing the North Island’s best kept secret. Remote, picturesque and blessed with a climate to rival those of Nelson and Marlborough, this small region boasts one of New Zealand’s finest wine growing areas, its handmade pinot noirs garnering many awards in recent years. The region’s main centre is Masterton, though its vineyards are mostly centred around nearby Gladstone and further south around Martinborough and Greytown. The charmingly restored buildings of these southern Wairarapa towns, and the vineyards and gourmet food producers clustered around them make this area a favourite weekend destination for those in the know. Here, early risers greet the sunrise from high above the vines aboard hot air balloon tours, and appreciative crowds gather to enjoy the festivities at the Harvest and Toast Martinborough Festivals. This pocket of epicurean paradise is so compact that most highlights can be visited from Martinborough on foot, or you can hire bicycles locally – even tandems – and peddle your way between the vineyards and olive groves. Beyond these attractions, it’s a region of contrasts. In the untamed hills above the plains, three Forest Parks, Tararua, Rimutaka and Aorangi, offer walking, tramping, kayaking, mountain biking, rafting, hunting and fishing within their boundaries, while its moon-scape coastline offers many good swimming and surfing beaches, and plenty of extraordinary photo opportunities. In places, bizarre rock formations punctuate the skyline, while elsewhere, hidden in the folds of its gullies, secret chasms echo with the sound of dripping water and the beating wings of unseen pigeons overhead. Though the road that winds over the Rimutaka Hills is not for the faint-hearted, those who tackle the trip to the Wairarapa will be rewarded with the perfect blend of culinary delights and scenic highlights, small town charm and an alluring climate, right on Wellington’s doorstep.
Tirohana Estate
