Wellington

Veni, vidi, vino: Martinborough and the vineyard

Head north towards the Wairarapa region and visit one (or all!) of the cluster of vineyards in Martinborough. Blast north east through Lower and Upper Hutts, then flag east/southeast through Kaitoke Regional Park. Chop through the gears as you wind around the tight turns of SH2 towards Featherston. Skip to SH53 and bear straight to Martinborough, making it there about an hour from when you started.

From Vynfields to Cambridge Road, Stonecutter to Ashwell and Alana, each vineyard has their own take on the grape – and great food to boot. Learn about the winemaking process and discover how we’ve made our name on the world stage for our sauvignon blancs and pinots (both gris and noir). Time your trip for February or March and you’ll hit the Martinborough Fair with some of the best crafts in the country; keep an eye on the calendar for other weekend events from craft and food fairs to musical events dotted across the year.

If you’ve got family in tow, then check out Lake Wairarapa and the public reserve. The wetlands cover over 9,000 hectares, and is equally popular for dog walkers, mountain bikers, picnickers, campers, and duck shooters. Take the camera and spot wetland birds, and check out the only remaining area where native black beech, titoki, nikau, and karaka still reach the shore. Further south yet is Palliser Bay and Onoke Spit, where you might see albatross and penguin habitats.