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Top Places: Martinborough, Featherston, Masterton, Castlepoint, Riversdale, Palliser Bay, Putangirua Pinnacles, Tararua Range, Rimutaka Range, Aorangi Forest Park, Lake Wairarapa, Mount Bruce.
Wairarapa is in the southeast of New Zealand's North Island, close to the capital City
Wellington. A large part of the region is a
plain, but it is surrounded by mountains and coastline. There are many small towns that have retained their charm and character from a
more friendlier past.
The Tararua Mountains to the west protect much of the Wairarapa from the prevailing north westerly wind that is predominate in the southern half of the North Island. The result is a warmer drier climate than the nearby Wellington region and this provides the perfect climate for the many vineyards that exist herei. Taratahi, Opaki, Gladstone, and Masterton are some of the quality
wines that are produced here.
The
Wairarapa has some nice beaches. Castlepoint,
a small beach side town provides a shop, a campsite, rugged cliffs, and a
nice beach suitable for swimming and surfing. There is also a scenic walk
that traverses a reef and leads to a light house, with great views of the
Pacific Ocean. Riversdale is another beach in the area that is worth
a visit.
The
Wairarapa region has some great walks or hiking trails in the Rimutaka Forest
Park or the Tararua Mountains. Another area of interest to travellers is the
Aorangi Forest Park & Cape Palliser Coast to the south. It is here that the scenic Putangirua Pinnacles can be found.
Masterton, Featherston,
Carterton, Greytown, and Martinborough are some of the bigger towns in the Wairarapa Region. Eketahuna a smaller rural town is considered by some to be the epitome
of rural New Zealand towns.
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