Masterton
Situated on the North Island, Masterton is the largest town in Wairarapa, an area of beautiful farmland and a wine industry that is growing in recognition each year. Masterton also hosts the famous Golden Shears Sheep Shearing competition during the first week of March. The Wairarapa railway line provides easy access to the city of Wellington. Country gardens and farm stays are a feature of the town. Queen Elizabeth Park is a great place for families to spend some time including an Aviary and Deer Park, a well equipped playground for the children and peaceful gardens for the parents. Nearby Henley lake is a popular spot for water sports. The rugged coastline of Castlepoint is only an hour’s drive away and has a good walk up to the lighthouse as well as a surf beach with caves and rock formations to explore. Cape Palliser a little further south is a great place to view the seals as they bask in the sun. Group fishing charters take you out off the East Coast by launching their jet powered boats directly on and off the beach to target the best deep sea fish from Kingfish to Groper. Other outdoor adventures Masterton specialises in are Jet boating, hot air ballooning, quad bike tours & horse riding. Don’t miss Pukaka Mount Bruce, a wildlife conservation park just north east of Masterton.
There is a magnificent loop walk which passes through areas of native bush and passes aviaries full of native birdlife. Many of the birds are also flying free in this conservation inspired forest, so be prepared for close encounters. The nocturnal house is a great place to view the native kiwi and once your eyes adjust to the light, you feel like you are walking beside them. The large glass panels allow for easy viewing. Daily feeding schedules of the gigantic eels and curious kaka are fun and you can even see the Tuatara, a real life dinosaur and learn about wildlife behaviour at one of the hourly talks. The café looks out across the treetops and gives you a great viewpoint for the birds.
The region of the Wairarapa is a food and wine lovers dream. The small town of Martinborough a short drive to the south of Masterton is a gourmet delight. The town is set around a delightful town square and the large majority of the wineries are within walking or biking distance. Many of the self contained colonial cottages have bikes in the shed for you to use and there are plenty of guided tours on offer. Pick up a self guided wine trail map from the information centre. There are some first class reastaurants, cafes and food shops to enjoy, many of them at the wineries themselves. Toast Martinborough is the main event in the town and is a celebration of wine, music and food on the third Sunday in November.
Masterton has many motels and hotels to choose from and there are quite a few camping ground in the area.