Explore a museum dedicated to a single locomotive engine. You will pass through places where locals outnumber visitors and the town might only have a permanent population of 300 people.
Scenic Side Roads, North Island
ROAD TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
WEATHER
Wellington can be chilly even in summer while the Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay is characterised with warm dry summers. Winter rains and the chilly wind means clothing layers however it is unlikely temperatures will drop below 10c on winter days.
The best time to explore Wellington to Napier via the Wairarapa and southern Hawke’s Bay is year round as the temperate climate and plenty of indoor activities means there is anyways somewhere to go that’s warm and dry.
The road climbs steeply from Wellington to Wairarapa. Featherston is the initial stop on the Wairarapa plains. The small town has a museum dedicated to a single locomotive engine that transversed the Rimutaka incline.
There is a plaque with its solemn message about the loss of dignity in wartime with the tale of Japanese prisoners of war interred in Featherston.
At the end of July 1915 the Defence Department acquired land between Featherston and the Tauherenikau River to build a new training camp for the NZ Expeditionary Force. The barrack camp, housing 4500, and a tent camp across the road opened on 24 January 1916, with men from Tauherenikau Camp marching to their new home.
World War two and the camp became a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Visit Featherston historical museum to listen to narratives about the Japanese breakout and life as a prisoner of war in the Wairarapa.
Evocative and thought provoking, the historical museum in Featherston is home to the collection of artefacts about this period in Aotearoa’s history. Featherston Heritage Museum, Open Saturday & Sunday between 10.00am to 2.00pm.
While you are devouring your deli snacks and cheeses at C’est Cheese Featherston | Buy Cheese & Deli Online – C’est Cheese Featherston you will be checking the heritage Fell locomotive, one of few remaining engines in the world. Right here in Featherston. The hero of the Rimutaka incline.
Fell Locomotive Museum. Saturdays/Sundays and Public holidays 10am-4pm. Available 7 days a week for tour bookings.
Greytown is a historic fronted picturesque delight married to urban polished boutique stores. There are gems such as Miss Maude, one of New Zealand’s premier fabric retailers or Imperial Productions military tin toy soldiers.
For devotees of the traditional bicycle the former council buildings are now home to Blackwell & Sons, hand crafted British bikes. Today is about contrast within several kilometres making for a varied palate of things to do and see in Greytown.
Combine a main street walk with an exploration of the shops from independently owned bookshops, sweetshops, homeware and a coffe in one of the many streetside cafes. Greytown shops are located in pretty restored nineteenth century buildings strung along the main street. The town has adroitly marketed its charm as a destination for Wellingtonians.
For locals Greytown is a break from Wellington’s Lambton Quay. Rural countryside peeps between shops reminding visitors of the nearby countryside. For Australians and New Zealanders the town is an excellent example of a nineteenth century shopping street that has withstood the ravages of time.
Each building is marked with plaques describing the original owner and the story of occupation.
Detailed tiny tin soldiers carry the flag in Greytown waiting for the perfect owner in the Imperial Productions workshop. To find out more about what to do and see in … Greytown day shopping trip, travel guide, what to do & see: Best Bits
Papawai Marae is just minutes from the heart of Greytown and is one of the most historically important marae in New Zealand. Papawai has been home to Wairarapa Maori for hundreds of years, and in the late 1800s it was the focus of Kotahitanga, the national Maori parliament movement. It’s still very much a community hub today.
A variety of tours and activities are available, contact the Marae directly for details.
Now here’s a hui (feast) we missed out on. The 1911 memorial unveiling to Hamuera Tamahau Mahupuku at Papawai Marae was attended by 6,000 people. Accompanying hui menu included 275 sheep, 20 cows, 45 suckling pigs, 48 ton of potatoes, plus assorted poulty.
Carterton is in the heart of the Wairarapa and makes an excellent central base for exploring the whole region. There are some wonderful places to stay and shop here. Carterton deserves more than a whisk and whisper of tyres. The Classic NZ Wine Trail embraces Carterton and nearby vineyards.
The town is a favourite for artists with balmy summer weather. Carterton’s location nearby urban Wellington makes Carterton an attractive day jaunt from the city. The original and one and only Stonehenge Aotearoa is a significant attraction together with heritage museums, innovative art galleries and cafes.
Wairarapa where to take great selfies and sunset photo locations – Best Bits
Stonehenge Aotearoa is fun and a definite holiday moment. You might feel you want to participate in a Druid ceremony or dark sky observation.
Then you don’t need to look far, it’s just around the corner in the Wairarapa. To check details click here – Stonehenge Aotearoa. Stonehenge Aotearoa is New Zealand’s only open air hands-on astronomical observatory built on the same scale as Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in England.
Stonehenge Aotearoa is a modern observatory that connects people with their sky and the cycles of nature: solstices, equinoxes, Matariki observances and is the perfect stargazing tool at night.
The back of the sheep and the industry that supported one of New Zealand major agribusiness achievements is heralded in the Wool Shed. An authentic wool shed is an appropriate venue for a fun yet educational tour. There is a great gift shop attached.
Next is Pukaha wildlife centre, one of the older sanctuaries for Aotearoa’s flightless birds. Take your chance and peer into the shaded nightlight world to locate the elusive kiwi through the gloom. Tui Breweries iconic site is now a tourist attraction with its characteristic brewery continuing to grace the Tui label.
Then it’s onto a historic railway building and the charms of another small town, Dannevirke with its Scandinavian heritage.
Highlights:
WANT TO SPEND A NIGHT OR TWO IN MASTERTON EXPLORING THE WAIRARAPA?
Wool is the backbone of the economy and the Wool Shed Interactive Centre answers all questions you might have about wool and shearing. A reminder of the importance of wool is the enormous statue of a shearer with his shorn sheep as you enter Masterton.
The National Museum of Sheep and Shearing is hands-on, touch, feel and walk through a genuine woolshed. A must see attraction for New Zealand and Australian visitors interested in what is an important part of our economic culture. And it is not boring, a great woolly based gift shop.
The Woolshed Museum is open seven days a week from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Admission fee applies, entrance to the gift shop is free.
The town where the residents own the grocery store, art gallery and medical centre. Eketahuna is a quintessential small kiwi town with a ‘Eke’ story unique to the passionate residents. Naturally Pukaha, National Mt Bruce Wildlife Centre as a highlight.
Together with quirky art, a marvellous model railway world, cafes and walks there are a lot of reasons to stop a while and explore the district.
In 1920 Prince of Wales (briefly Edward VIII) of Mrs Simpson fame toured the colonies. The train stopped in Eketahuna for water, however he did not make an appearance. Annoyed locals burnt effigies of bureaucrats responsible for the oversight. To send a clear message, fire bells were rung.
PŪKAHA NATIONAL WILDLIFE CENTRE is an unfenced sanctuary for native wildlife. The 942-hectare forest is home to wild kōkako and kākā, while inside the aviaries are breeding nests for endangered birds for release across Aotearoa New Zealand. Pukaha Mount Bruce Native Wildlife Centre is considered a trip highlight.
The centre has an engaging kids programme, an exhibit explaining the breeding project for kiwis and an onsite shop and cafe. The Mt Bruce Lookout Walk is accessed via the car park. See TOP-10 things to do in Wairarapa, trip guide, what to see: NZ Jane.
Experience a personalised 40 min guided tour round Tui Brewery. Trace the brewery’s 125 year history, see iconic landmarks and walk through the new state of the art brewery. You will finish up in the brewery bar tasting three beers of your choice from the tap.
The Tui Brewery, at Mangatainoka, is approximately 10 minutes drive north of Eketahuna. Tui HQ features the famed Tui tower, the Tuiversity Conference Centre, historic Flagon Room and Tui Cafe.
There are guided tours and an excellent gift shop, all things Tui related. Need a cup holder then Tui can sell you one.
Time protected Ongaonga with the historic village several category I heritage buildings step into the physical surroundings of a nineteenth century small New Zealand town.
The town is a striking picture of the importance of the butcher, the bakery and the candlestick maker in areas where roading systems were few and far between.
Ongaonga Historical Society manages a collection of historic buildings including the original School house, Jail, Butcher and Settler’s hut. Download the heritage trail and take a self-guided walking tour. On Sundays between 1pm and 4pm, the Ongaonga Museum, historic buildings and Coles Brothers Building are open to the public, giving you the chance to delve a little deeper into the historic village’s history, and chat to the locals who are brimming with history and local information.
Picnic in the museum gardens under the shade of mature trees. Artists and arty crafty people call Ongaonga Village home and there are several small shops and outlets marketing unique, one of a kind objects and memorabilia.
Dannevirke is well-known for its Scandinavian heritage, which dates back to 1872 when 21 Danish and Norwegian families arrived to settle the district. The town’s cemeteries are of considerable historical importance, and the settlers’ cemetery attracts many visitors, as well as conducting a guided tour each year.
The town also has a proud Maori history, and at Makirikiri Marae you can admire the carvings at the Aotea Meeting House. In an ode to the town’s heritage, enjoy the ‘Viking’ theme throughout the settlement.
The Ormondville Rail Preservation Group Inc was established in 1986 to save the Ormondville Station Precinct after its closure.
The station, built in 1880, has a Category Two listing with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. It won the Rail Heritage Award in 1997 and the National Federation of Rail Societies Inc.’s Paul Heighton Trophy “For Excellence” in 2000. Restored to a 1950s theme, it is furnished with railway artifacts and fronted with a graceful wrought iron verandah.
Ormondville station is also available for selfcatering homestay accommodation, offering a complete railway nostalgia experience in a rural setting.
Check out the exquisite historic Anglican Church of Epiphany (built 1891).
It is a very special moment walking through the forest of memories. Then it’s on to Central Hawkes Bay museum where you feel you’ve just walked into a nineteenth century parlour. Consider finishing the day at one of Hawkes Bay premier vineyards, the Mission Estate. It’s a pleasure to wander through the heritage monastic estate with a monk / vintner explaining the importance of wine making as a viable way to support the Catholic church. The two towns of Waipukurau and Waipawa are only 6km apart, linked by a ribbon of State Highway two.
The Forest of Memories is a Waipukurau Rotary Club project. Instead of memorial plaques in a cemetery, living trees foster comfort for grieving family and friends. Sited at the base of Pukeora Hill, in Waipukurau Hawkes Bay the arboretum was created in 1993 as a place for trees and memories.
The first items for the museum were collected by the CHB Salvation Army Access Scheme during 1984 – 1985. A meeting was held of interested people wanting to establish an Early Settlers Museum in Central Hawkes Bay. In 1986 the Historic Bank of New Zealand building in Waipawa was gifted to the people of Central Hawkes Bay by the District Council to house the museum.
The museum was opened to the public in 1988 on an ad hoc basis. As you enter the museum your eyes are drawn to Waipawa’s main street depicted in the large mural on the wall, portraying the High Street businesses around the turn of the 19th Century.
Wander through an early settler’s cottage with the dining room set for dinner, kitchen where butter was just made, bedroom, nursery and washhouse.
The CHB Municipal Theatre is an historic and iconic community building located in the heart of Waipawa. It has been the place of community gatherings, celebrations, performing arts and education for many years.
In 1907 one of the first duties of the new Borough Council was to decide on an offer made to the old Town Board by the Trustees of the Loyal Abbotsford Lodge to purchase their Oddfellows Hall and property in Kenilworth Street.
This offer had been accepted but owing to the dissolution of the Board and the transaction had not been completed. The new Council resolved to purchase the section and buildings.
Mission Estate was established by these Missionaries in Hawke’s Bay in 1851, where vines were planted to produce both sacramental and table wine and New Zealand’s first winery was born. The first record of a commercial sale dates back to 1870 when a parcel of mostly dry reds was sold.
The journey finishes in Napier and its art deco pastel beauty. Hawke’s Bay slogan’ Food and Wine country’ showpiece is Art Deco Napier. The town is framed by the sea, cliffs and a very attractive waterfront. Norfolk pines frame a marine parade with colourful timbered houses lining the main road into town.
Victorian facades are rare in a town that suffered a devastating earthquake in the 1920’s. Out of the rubble emerged a town modelled on the art deco architecture complete with soft pastel colouring. Today the pretty town is home to several significant museums, art galleries, established parks and gardens and the bonus of Hawke’s Bay reputation as one of New Zealand’s food bowls.
Vineyards, orchards and dairy farms surround the town. Town and country merge creating fertile ground for a fusion cuisine. The joy of edgy menus in innovative cafes and restaurants truly supports the ‘food and wine country’ motto.
Consider several days in the Hawke’s Bay 3 days of food, markets and bit of everything road trip and don’t forget to check out Top sights, attractions & places to go in Hawke’s Bay – Best Bits
Wellington, the seat of government and the home of the National Museum, Te Papa. Wellington is a compact and walkable city. With a downtown area only 2 km across, most of the major attractions are within easy walking distance from the hotels, cafés, restaurants, bars and shops. A petite picturesque capital city has got a downside. The weather, it is not called Windy Wellington for nothing. Invest in a Blunt umbrella and think of the weather as invigorating, embracing as it whips your hair into a messy, frizzy mess, Wellington mode.
Layers, especially a light waterproof jacket thigh length is a must. A fabulous city with enormous personality and a sense of community should be on all visitors’ must visit list. Some places are great without a Bondi on their doorstep and Wellington is one of these magical destinations. To find out more … Wellington travel guide, 7 FREE things to see, what to do: Best Bits
The road trip finishes in Napier. From Napier you can choose the following journeys
There is a fierce pride in the story of places, their origins and the landscapes creating unique moments in the holiday experience. In the quiet corners of New Zealand there are tea shops where coffee could be instant and the beat of the economy continues to be on the back of a sheep or milk pail (churn).
The trip highlights can be covered in a weekend although a slow wander gives you an opportunity to thoroughly explore the side roads of the lower North Island.
This journey can be reversed, NAPIER TO WELLINGTON
BEST BITS TRAVEL GUIDE
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