Boutique hotels in Wairarapa
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Wharekauhau Lodge & Country Estate
- Style
- Edwardian country mansion
- Setting
- Peaceful pastures and thunderous surf
Wairarapa Overview
New Zealand
- Countryside
- Hills and vine-lined plains
- Country Life
- Fine wine; farm charm
One of New Zealand’s best wine regions, just a short hop from big-smoke Wellington, the Wairarapa makes an ideal weekend escape.
Winding over the jaggedy, treeless Rimutaka Range, the couple of hours’ drive may feel like more of an adventure than you bargained for, but grip the steering wheel and you’ll descend into the region’s much more benevolent villages and vineyards. Things here are laid-back and unhurried – perfectly paced for exploring the area’s 50-plus wineries and historic towns: Martinborough is ground zero for wine buffs – built around a cute village green, with acclaimed eateries and pubs. Boutiquey Greytown has a beautifully restored crop of Victorian buildings. Masterton is the Wairarapa’s biggest town (around 20,000 folks), maintaining a more agrarian vibe with hardware shops and farm supply stores aplenty. Featherston and Carterton have a certain country charm. At the south-eastern tip of NZ’s North Island, the Wairarapa combines gorgeous countryside and coasts with foodie flair.
Wonderfully Wairarapa
Local knowledge
- Taxis
- Masterton Taxis (+64 (0)6 378 2555) service the region’s main towns.
- Tipping culture
- It isn’t mandatory, but tip 10 per cent in restaurants and cafés if your service came with a smile. Round taxi fares up to the nearest dollar.
- Siesta and Fiesta
- Local shops open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday; many also open from 9am to noon or 5pm on Saturdays. Banks open 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. Restaurants serve lunch from noon to 3pm and dinner from 6pm to 9pm; many are closed on Monday and/or Tuesday. Most wineries open from around 10am to 5pm.
- Packing tips
- Leave some room in your Samsonite for a few bottles of peppery Wairarapa Pinot Noir, and maybe your bike shorts – cruising the wineries on two wheels is a low-stress way to go.
- Recommended reads
- For a virtual journey around the Wairarapa landscape, thumb through gorgeous photography book Wairarapa – A Place Apart by Pete Nikolaison and Michael Wall. For some background on white settlement in the area, check out Early History of the Wairarapa by Charles Bannister. The Wine Atlas of New Zealand by Michael Cooper has the lowdown on the best Wairarapa vintages.
- Cuisine
- The cool-climate Wairarapa, with its gravelly soil, hot summers and dry autumns, has made a name for itself producing Pinot Noir – but you can also pick up some fab bottles of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling, and if you hunt around, the odd Merlot and Rosé (this is one of NZ's most accessible and least hyped wine regions). With all that wine-swilling, you’ll want something to line your stomach: the region has plenty of pubs serving trad farmer-style roasts and fry-ups, plus a new breed of gourmet cafés and restaurants offering city-quality epicurean delights. Check out the tasty local cheese, chocolate and olive oil too.
- Currency
- New Zealand dollar (NZ$).
- Time zone
- GMT + 12.
- Dialling codes
- Country code: +64; Wairarapa region: 06 (drop the 0 if dialling from outside New Zealand).
- Do go/don't go
- Summer in the Wairarapa (December to February) is a beautiful time, with hot, clear days and long, still evenings – but this is also when New Zealanders are on holidays, so things can get a bit hectic. A better bet is to visit during autumn (March to April) when the grapes are being harvested, the kids are back at school and days resonate with post-summer nostalgia.
Don't go home without
trying to spot a kiwi at the Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre (www.mtbruce.org.nz), 30 kilometres north of Masterton, a sanctuary for native birds and wildlife.
