Rejuvenated Featherston is becoming a visitor destination
Featherston there are plenty of things to do. Quirky, definitely not out of the box destination Featherston is a patchwork of bookshops, cafes, second-hand / antique shops and charity stores. The first town in the Wairarapa, after the Remutaka descent visitors who whisk past on their way to Martinborough vineyards or the Victorian charms of Greytown stop, linger and explore Featherston.
WHAT TO DO IN FEATHERSTON, HIGHLIGHTS
- Books and bookshops, officially Featherston Booktown is a compulsory holiday stop for bibliophiles
- Cheese lovers and holiday foodie treats C’est Cheese is a combination of local artisan cheeses, single origin olive oil, crusty fresh bread and coffee scents
- Heritage galore from a museum focused on a single train (Fell Remutaka incline), the story of a community at war and the narrative of New Zealand’s prisoner of war camp
- Stretch the legs at Wairarapa Moana Wetlands, a well known birding / culturally significant area
- Nature walks suitable for all fitness levels from Barr Brown Bush Reserve to Bucks Road Campsite with its access to swimming holes.
FEATHERSTON BOOKSHOPS
- The Dickensian Bookshop specialist modern and classic second hand books
- History, heritage and military exploits is where you need to be
- Children’s books are to be had at Chicken and Frog bookstore
- Want a coffee and snack while book browsing then you can’t go past Loco Coffee and Books
- And there are more second hand bookshops and pop up venues.
The largest collection of bookshops in Aotearoa NZ per head of population.
FEATHERSTON WALKS
- Featherston Reserves Walkway is several short easy walks, dog friendly (on leash)
- Featherston Domain climbs to a lookout with views of the Wairarapa
- Barr-Brown Reserve is a short flat easy walk and a local favourite. Dorset Square Reserve is a memorial park with plantings acknowledging family and friends who have passed.
- Featherston Heritage Museum and heritage walking trail. The museum is a repository of information about the Featherston Military Camp as well as historical documents, photographs and memorabilia relating to the area.
Wairarapa Moana Wetlands
Soldiers Settlement Road South, Lake Reserve, Featherston.
A reserve of 9,000 hectares of wetlands, Wairarapa Moana includes Lakes Wairarapa and Ōnoke, their neighbouring wetlands, the Wairarapa Lake Shore Scenic Reserve and Ōnoke Spit. For local mana whenua Māori, Wairarapa Moana is a place of tremendous cultural and spiritual value.
The now fragile wetlands were once full of thriving wildlife but still play an important role as a migratory pathway for native species, including some endangered ones. The wetlands are being restored by a local collaborative effort whose vision is Whakaora te repo, ka ora te taonga wai – restoring our wetland treasure
Featherston Weekly Market, a local market focused on produce, local artisan food goods and artists who live in the area.
FEATHERSTON NOTORIETY
FEATHERSTON PRISONER OF WAR CAMP RIOT 25 FEBRUARY 1943
Japanese prisoner of war detainees rioted and the subsequent quelling of the riot resulted in the death of 31 Japanese prisoners and 1 NZ guard. There were further 17 deaths from wounds during the riot. During the Second World War the Featherston Military Camp held hundreds of Japanese prisoners of war. Prisoners were assigned daily work duties, such as cutting gorse or cleaning. A memorial garden marks the actual site.
FEATHERSTON FESTIVALS
BOOKTOWN weekend (May) Featherston Booktown
Summer Festival – 2nd January 2022 a firm favourite for Wellington locals with a idyllic country race course as the setting for a traditional day at the races
NEARBY FEATHERSTON
- Explore Lake Wairarapa, Lake Ferry & Castlepoint
- Day trip to Martinborough and north to Greytown, Carterton, and Masterton
- Te Ara Tirohanga / Rimutaka Trig summit walk. Spectacular views of Wairarapa plains
WHAT TO DO WITH KIDS IN FEATHERSTON
- Cross Creek Railway Society Inc., mini Fell train rides
- Nature walks
- Family time exploring Chicken and Frog children’s bookshop
Featherston Military Camp was demolished after World War II. In 1995 Nakamato Toshio, CEO Masterton’s Juken Nissho timber plant suggested a peace garden on the site. The NZ Returned Serviceperson Association (NZRSA) publicly opposed the plan. The South Wairarapa District Council decided to not proceed and rejected the proposal. Today the peace garden exists with 68 flowering cherry trees and a memorial walk. A special place in spring where the words,
Behold the summer grass
All that remains of the dreams of warriors.
Remind visitors of the futility of war.
WHERE TO TAKE THE BEST SELFIE IN FEATHERSTON
- Stunning sculptures acknowledging Featherston prisoner of war camp
- The Royal Hotel in one of the sumptuous rooms complete with chandeliers, vivid colours and nineteenth century meets contemporary luxury
- NZ World War I memorial with its solemn concrete
- Holding your latest book find from Featherston
FEATHERSTON SOCIAL MEDIA
FEATHERSTON MOTTO
Southern Gateway to the Wairarapa
WHO TURNED UP AND NAMED FEATHERSTON?
Featherston (Paetūmōkai) Wairarapa Moana (Lake Wairarapa) has sites from 800 years ago. Fish and waterfowl were plentiful, with the key food source native freshwater eels. Eel was caught in large amounts during their seasonal migration to the sea, and the catch dried for storage or trading. Eeling continues to this day with a tractor ensuring Lake Wairarapa sand bars are managed to allow fresh water / sea water flows.
The modern settlement of Featherston was originally named Burlings, after Henry Burling, who opened an accommodation house near the Māori settlement of Pae-O-Tu-Mokai in 1847. In 1856 the provincial government surveyed the spot for a town, naming it after its superintendent, Isaac Featherston. The town’s initial development was hindered by high land prices, but after the railway came through in the 1870s it became an important service town. It was made a borough in 1917. Source Wikipedia.
WHAT KEEPS FEATHERSTON TICKING?
Featherston has undergone a renaissance in recent years with an uptick in residents and business once again occupying abandoned buildings. Approximately ⅓ of the working population commute to Wellington. Formerly Featherston was one of Wairarapa’s most economically deprived towns.
Featherston is the first town in the Wairarapa for travellers from Wellington. Linger, explore and find out why Featherston is not just a place to whizz through on your way to Martinborough or beyond.
Getting to Featherston
Featherston is on the Kiwi Places, big stories road trip route.
Featherston is a junction town with SH53 leading to Martinborough as well as the major SH2 dividing the main street. Featherston has a railway station on the Wairarapa line railway. The train journey to Wellington CBD is approximately 1 hour.
TRAVEL PACK INFORMATION
Every town adds to the richness of things to do and see. For more details about the region check Wellington & Wairarapa Region nearby attractions and events.
Further reading The “Peace Gardens”, Featherston, South Wairarapa and The Chor-Farmer.
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