Wairarapa

About the Wairarapa

The Wairarapa sits just over the Remutaka Range from Wellington, close enough for a day trip but distinct enough in character that most international campervan itineraries skip straight past it toward the ferry or the Kapiti Coast. Martinborough, the region's best-known wine town, built its reputation on Pinot Noir grown in gravelly, free-draining soils similar to Burgundy's — small enough to walk between its cellar doors on foot, a rarity among New Zealand wine regions.

South of the main towns, Cape Palliser marks the North Island's southernmost point on the eastern side, with a lighthouse reached by 250-odd steps and a resident New Zealand fur seal colony that hauls out on the rocks nearby year-round. Between the wine towns and the coast, the Wairarapa is largely pastoral farmland — rolling, quiet, and a genuine change of pace from either Wellington or the more visited parts of the North Island.

Freedom camping here

Carterton, Masterton, and South Wairarapa District Councils each set their own zones; the region overall is less visited than the main tourist routes, and freedom-camping spots tend to be less crowded as a result — though facilities are correspondingly sparser too. Martinborough's popularity as a weekend destination for Wellingtonians means it can fill up on weekends even outside peak summer.

Good to know

• The Remutaka Range crossing (SH2) is winding with a steep hill section — allow extra time, particularly in a larger van.
• Many Martinborough cellar doors are open to visitors without booking, but tasting fees are common.
• Cape Palliser's seal colony is a wild population — keep a respectful distance, particularly from pups.