5 must do adventures in the Wairarapa - summer 2021

The Wairarapa, east of Wellington and south-west of Hawkes Bay, has a great combination of varied coastline, farmland, forest parks, wineries and small towns. It’s an area that you can quite thoroughly explore over a few days, so makes for a perfect long weekend adventure (we see you coming, Waitangi Day and Anniversary weekends!).

Here we’ve got you covered for adventure ideas with Martinborough wineries, stunning lighthouse visits, beaches, hikes and tramps. Plus, the best accommodation options for camping in the Wairarapa.

Martinborough wineries

Love a boutique winery? You’re in luck. Martinborough has over twenty wineries and cellar doors open for wine tastings, some also serving lunch. Many of them are within cycling or walking distance from Martinborough’s central square, so you don’t have to choose just one. You can find a list of Martinborough wineries and cellar doors here.

Stay in your tent or motorhome at the Martinborough Top 10 Holiday Park, or at the private campsite in the middle of Wairarapa’s Dark Sky Reserve, with sites in an orchard with tame sheep or beside Ruakokoputuna River.

Castlepoint

A visit to Castlepoint, with its dramatic scenery, stunning lighthouse, and lovely beach, is essential during any trip to the Wairarapa. You can walk from the lighthouse around Deliverance Cove, and hike up Castle Rock (Matira) for incredible views of the coast. Both the beach and the cove lagoon are safe for swimming, and there’s a million year old fossil reef to visit at the front of the cove.

You can stay the night at a private beachside campsite in Whakataki, just ten minutes from Castlepoint (self-contained vehicles only).

Tararua Forest Park

The Tararua Forest Park by Masterton is a wild area in the Tararua Range, with plenty of walking and tramping options. These range from short, easy walks like the thirty-minute Kiriwhakapapa Loop, to expert-level full day hikes like Burtton’s Track or Kapakapanui Track and multi-day tramps such as the Holdsworth - Kaitoke Track. The hikes offer stunning views from the peaks of the Tararua Range mountains - Mitre Peak is over 1,500 metres above sea level - as well as regenerating native forest and beech forests, old tramways, and creeks.

There are a variety of private campsites available around Masterton, as well as DOC and commercial campgrounds.

Cape Palliser Lighthouse

Cape Palliser is the southernmost point of the North Island, famous for its stunning lighthouse and seal colony. You can reach the lighthouse by climbing a steep series of stairs, which bring you to dramatic views of the ocean and coast.

Closeby is Ngawi, one of New Zealand’s last remaining fishing villages. From Cape Palliser you can drive down the road to access the Putangirua Pinnacles track - the next must-do adventure on our list.

Cape Palliser is about an hour from Martinborough, so you can drive from accommodation there or camp closeby at Waimeha Camping Village on the beach.

Putangirua Pinnacles

The Putangirua Pinnacles track takes you through Aorangi Forest Park to reach either the dramatic Putangirua Pinnacles or the Pinnacles Lookout. The longest route, which is about four hours return, also brings you to lovely views of Lake Onoke and Pallister Bay.

There are a few different route options, including the streambed, the Pinnacles Track through the bush, or the steep Ridge Walk Track. Even the easy two-hour options bring you to views of the Pinnacles.

The start of the track is at Putangirua Pinnacles Scenic Reserve, 13 km along Cape Palliser Road from the Lake Ferry turn-off.

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