Thousands of children have quite a presence! I hadn’t expected our first impression of Masterton’s Hood Aerodrome to be one of moving, chattering, laughing hordes as the kids made their orderly, supervised way to the exit. But about 4500 children had been to a special education day that gave them the opportunity to learn about [...]
I ticked that off my list last summer, as my wife and I meandered back to Martinborough after spending a weekend in Napier. Months earlier I had taken a road map of New Zealand and had gone over it with a felt pen tracing out all the roads I had travelled. Of course, the major [...]
With its big skies, majestic mountains and rugged coast, the Wairarapa region is rich with natural beauty, and to top it all off, the local wines aren’t bad either. Located at the heart of the Classic New Zealand Wine trail, Wairarapa is home to some of the world’s best pinot noir, and the number of [...]
![Featherston side of the Remutaka [Rimutaka] Hill, from the cutting at Cave’s Bridge. Two men are standing at the bend on a road which passes through fenced farmland on either side. Bragge’s photography cart is parked behind the men at the side of the road](https://nztoday.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/1-2.jpg)
In 2017, figures from QV show the South Wairarapa district has had a 51 per cent increase in average house values since 2013, and Featherston has become a sought-after town for new home buyers and families relocating from Wellington and elsewhere. Demand has been outstripping the housing supply for well over a year now. While [...]
As a different way to explore a new region, there’s nothing better than pedalling your way around. You can make the most of hidden gems along the way and take time to enjoy those incredible views. It’s also another way to connect with the land and its people. The Wairarapa, a large geographical area located [...]
The Wairarapa is a unique region in many ways. Not having a single set of traffic lights is one of those idiosyncrasies the casual tourist may not notice, but is a small point of difference we are proud of in the region. The wine industry in Martinborough and in other geographical areas around Masterton and [...]
February found us, like many others, on our way to the Wings Over Wairarapa show which, as it happened, was cancelled due to bad weather. About then, the Art Deco festival was taking place in Napier, so the small towns along State Highway 2 (SH2) were beneficiaries of the travelling public seeking coffee, food, fuel [...]
It’s probably true to say today that Martinborough’s identity revolves around its vineyards and award-winning wines, but in the town’s 138-year history its economy has had many ups and downs – survival was a struggle right from its inception. The planting of vines in 1979 was also the planting of the village’s future, helping it [...]
The ground was dark as I stumbled down towards the gravel shore to photograph the Cape Palliser lighthouse silhouetted against the striped morning sky. I was only half awake, still entombed in the warm feeling from my sleeping bag. Suddenly the ground started to rumble in front of me. I caught a waft of stale [...]