Luxury and indulgence in Wairarapa
If you are wanting a luxurious couple of days relaxing in the gorgeous countryside, visiting boutique vineyards, drinking beautiful wine and eating delicious food, Wairarapa is the place for you. With charming villages, boutique shops and over 30 cellar doors, there is plenty to do in this region.
Join a cycle tour
You can't beat a day cycling Martinborough's flat country roads, calling into vineyards and olive groves along the way. Get an insider’s guide to the Martinborough wine scene on a cycle tour. Cruise through the vineyards of Martinborough meeting the owners and wine-makers and enjoy a packed gourmet lunch.
Join a Zest Food Tours
Zest provide a private Martinborough Food and Wine Producers tour for 2-4 people. Discover fresh New Zealand tastes as Zest introduce you to local tastes, products and people. With a personal guide to tell the local stories, you will taste gourmet products including coffee, chocolate, cheeses and wine.
Learn more about wine at Palliser Estate
Palliser is one of the founding vineyards in Martinborough and today its wines can be found in some of the best restaurants around the globe. Visit their Cellar Door, learn the history of this vineyard and relax in the beautfiul garden and outdoor spaces.
Explore Martinborough
Wander the boutiques in the town square and stop in at Martinborough Wine Bank. Treat yourself to an afternoon platter at one of the many boutique wineries and sample some of the local wines. Martinborough has more than 20 cellar doors, so you will easily find somewhere to spend a relaxing afternoon.
Pamper yourself at Brackenridge Day Spa
You'll feel yourself relaxing the minute you step into Brackenridge Day Spa - a country escape designed for total body rejuvenation. Enjoy the relaxing lounge between treatments, with a roaring fire to warm up those cold winter days. Brackenridge offers a wide range of beauty and therapeutic options.
Visit Wharekauhau Country Estate
At Wharekauhau Country Estate, one of New Zealand’s most exclusive lodges, you'll enjoy breath-taking views of magnificent Palliser Bay. Guests can choose from a veritable smorgasbord of outdoor activities or simply indulge in splendid luxury, superb local wines and irresistible cuisine.
Give in to your sweet tooth at Schoc Chocolate
This unique artisan chocolate studio is in a colonial cottage on the Main Street of Greytown. With over 60 flavours of chocolate, Schoc Chocolates creates beautiful, hand-crafted tablets with unusual flavour including the top three perennial selling flavours Lime & Chilli, Sea Salt and Lemon White.
Explore Greytown
Greytown is an upmarket shopping and eating gem with beautifully restored Victorian wooden buildings that house a range of stylish and interesting specialty shops, clothing boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Highlight stores include Wild Grey Fox, HALL fashion and Blackwell & Sons.
Continue to Wellington
After exploring the Wairarapa Region, continue driving south along the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail to reach Wellington, New Zealand’s compact capital city known for its vibrant arts and cultural scene and rich heritage. This section of the drive is about 75 minutes where you will drive across the Remutaka Ranges.
Travel SouthContinue to Hawke's Bay
Alternatively, follow the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail north through the Tararua district to the Hawkes Bay. An easy circuit through pastoral landscapes to outlying vineyard clusters and charming small villages. Allow half a day for the drive and on the way, stop at the historic Tui Brewery in Mangatainoka. Join a guided tour and taste your way through the selection of ales, checking out the museum, shop and café.
Travel North