Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(10 Seaview Rd, Paraparaumu; lunch $13-22; 8am-4pm Sun-Thu; )
A very 'Wellington'
cafe, with both light and substantial meals made with relish, such as fish cakes, the BLT
and colourful vegie options. Cake cabinet at full capacity, and great coffee (of course).
THE WAIRARAPA
The Wairarapa is the large tract of land east and northeast of Wellington, beyond the
Tararua and Rimutaka Ranges. It is named after Wairarapa Moana - otherwise known as
Lake Wairarapa and translating as 'sea of glistening waters'. This shallow 80-sq-km lake
and the surrounding wetland is the focus of much-needed ecological restoration, redress-
ing generations of sheep farming in its ambit. Fields of fluffy sheep still abound, as do
vineyards and the associated hospitality which have turned the region into a decadent
weekend retreat.
See
www.wairarapanz.com
for regional info, but also check out the
Classic New Zeal-
the Wairarapa and its neighbouring wine regions of Hawke's Bay and Marlborough.
Note that the telephone area code over here is
06, not
04 like most of the rest of
the Wellington region.
Getting There & Around
run to Masterton ($17.50, five or six times daily on weekdays, two daily on weekends),
calling at seven Wairarapa stations including Featherston and Carterton. For towns off
the railway line, catch a Tranzit Coachlines bus (details available from
Metlink
( 0800
801 700;
www.metlink.org.nz
)
Its services run to all major Wairarapa towns as well as north
to Palmerston North.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Martinborough
POP 1470
The sweetest visitor spot in the Wairarapa, Martinborough is a pretty town with a leafy
town square and some charming old buildings, surrounded by a patchwork of pasture and
a pinstripe of grapevines. It is famed for its wineries, which draw in visitors to nose the
pinot and polish it off with good food, and snooze it off at boutique accommodation.
Beyond the wineries, you'll need your own vehicle, with most of this area's notable
