Beyond the Lighthouse. Three days in the Wairarapa
The beautiful Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop in Greytown
Head just one hour north of Wellington and you reach the Wairarapa region which is rapidly becoming one of my favourite places to visit. Not only are there multiple independent bookshops spread across the region’s five main towns, but you can do anything from walking to wine tasting and seal spotting in a relatively confined area. Here are my thoughts for things to do on a long, sunny weekend in the Wairarapa
Saturday
Start off in Greytown. It has New Zealand’s most complete set of historic wooden buildings. Take an early walk around the town before the cars start parking on the Main Street to get a sense of the architecture and to read the Heritage plaques that tell the story of the town as you wend your way up the main thoroughfare. Then have breakfast at The French Baker. Their Allpress coffee and almond croissants will set you up for a morning’s shopping around the town’s boutiques. There are plenty of clothes shops, but also vintage and antiques shops, a gorgeous rabbit-warren of a garden shop and a tiny shop called Imperial Productions that creates miniatures. Don’t forget to make a stop at Mrs. Blackwell’s Village Bookshop, pictured above. Cosy in winter with its fireplace and cool in summer, it’s vintage aesthetic and beautifully displayed books will have you adding to your tottering to-be-read pile!
Stow away your goodies and then head out with a stout pair of walking shoes to the Wairarapa Lake Shore Scenic Reserve which is about a 10-15 minute drive from Greytown. From the domain there are walks around the lake that take in native flora and fauna. With eels, freshwater mussels and fish, Wairarapa Moana is an important place for Māori and is noted by Sophronia Smith in her writing about the history of the Lake to be “a tipuna (ancestor), a taonga (treasure), a place where atua (ancestors with continuing influence / supernatural beings) are observed, and a place of mana (power) and mauri (life force).”
Having seen the expansive views of the Lake, head inland again, back to Featherston which is again about 10-15 minutes drive, and stop for dinner at Brac & Bow at the Royal Hotel in Featherston. They also do a mean espresso martini, a fact I can vouch for!
Two bicycles leaning against a wall in Martinborough ready to be taken out among the vineyards
Sunday
Head to Martinborough, wine HQ of the Wairarapa. Start with a large, fortifying breakfast at The Village Cafe and Bar in the middle of the village. Once you’ve had your fill, nip next door and peruse the bookish offerings at the huge Martinborough Bookshop, a very pleasant place to browse with its high ceilings and large windows that let the light stream in. You might need to save your bookish purchases for later though, especially if you hop on a bike and head out on a tour of the local vineyards. With over 20 wineries, most within walking or cycling distance of the village, you can spend a whole day meandering about wine-tasting, sharing cheese platters and taking in the beautiful countryside around Martinborough with its river valleys and distant hill ranges. A favourite shady place under the vines is Poppies vineyard but make sure you book a spot by phone for lunch! Bike Hire is available in the village together with maps of the area or there are several companies that will take you on an organised wine tour.
Once you’ve returned from your trip amongst the vines, there are several eating places in Martinborough itself, but we had a particularly lovely dinner at Crouching Tiger. I can particularly recommend the Tiger prawn toast and the sweet potato vegan curry.
If it’s a clear evening and you’ve planned ahead, you might be lucky enough to be able to experience a tour of the night sky with Under The Stars. They’ll come to you wherever you are in the region. The Wairarapa is in the process of applying to the International Dark Sky Association to certify part of Wairarapa as an International Dark Sky Reserve, so it’s a perfect place to sit under the stars and dream.
Fur seals lounging on the rocks on the way to Cape Palliser lighthouse
Monday
Best seen on a still summer’s day, although dramatic on a storm-tossed winter one, one of the most beautiful costal drives in New Zealand has to be the road that skirts along the edge of the coast out to Cape Palliser Lighthouse. Set off early and stop for a coffee and something from the cabinet at The Land Girl in Pirinoa. Part cafe and part store, it’s an eclectic place to sit and plan the day ahead whilst looking over the increasingly costal landscape. Be warned that once you hit the coast, the road is narrow in places with a risk of slips and the last 2.5km to the lighthouse are unsealed, so, if you’re renting a car, check the rental agreement. However, once you’ve navigated the twists and turns, the views that open up along the Wairarapa coast are stunning.
If you’re there in November-January, as we were, it’s seal pup season. You start seeing them really from the unsealed section of the road and we pulled over in one of the reserves and walked for a little way as it was the best way to spot them. Follow the noise (and the smell!) and you’ll soon get your eye in distinguishing the seals from the rocks that they’re draped over. Stay 20m away, especially in pup season, to avoid disturbing them too much. Keep dogs away and do not feed them. It was such a joy watching the pups playing in the rock pools, racing and jumping, being watched over by a “Nanny” or two.
At the end of the road, sitting on a rocky headline, sits Cape Palliser Lighthouse. There are 253 steps up to lighthouse itself, but the climb is worth it for the views along the coast. There are local companies who run tours if you don’t fancy the drive yourself. On the way back, stop at the small fishing village of Ngawai which apparently has more tractors per head of the population than anywhere else in the world! They’re used to pull the fishing boats in to shore. We spent a happy hour having an ice cream and watching people diving for paua and kina. Of everything that we did over our long weekend in the Wairarapa, the seals and Cape Palliser were the absolute highlight.