The Wairarapa

The largest centre in the Wairarapa is the town of Masterton (15,000) The region has changed its character in recent decades; from a sheep farming community on the hills and market gardening in the valleys, to one with more beef and dairying and the development not only of  vineyards in the Martinborough area but also of shops and activities to suit the weekend  clientele from nearby Wellington. Market gardening is still important and there are roadside stalls which sell produce in season in the Carterton-Greytown area.

One of the main attraction in Masterton is a large park on the banks of the Ruamahanga River. There is a large lake which has many boats for hire, tennis courts, playing area for kids and a great English type cricket field.
	Greytown boasts a selection of antique and home produce shops and has several restaurants which cater mainly for weekend visitors from Wellington. In season, there are many fruits available from local orchards and a great selection of wines from the nearby Martinborough vineyards.
Carterton has a large paua shell factory which uses the  beautiful shadings of the inside of the paua to made pendants,necklaces,ear rings , glass stands and many other things. All together the colours are a bit overwhelming but separately they have a shine and lustre all of their own. Closeby too is a different attraction, Stonehenge Aotearoa based on the original Stonehenge in the wouth of England. Ancient arts of navigation and planting are explained
	The Martinborough  district has developed as a grape growing area over the last thirty years. This activity has revitalized the small town and it now has restaurants and accommodation to cater for the weekend visitors who come 'over the hill' from Wellington. Foremost among the buildings is the refurbished Martinborough Hotel.
Featherston is the home to the fell engines which used to pull the trains up over the Rimutaka incline and were used extensively until a tunnel was constructed. The last remaining fell engine is in a small museum in Featherston which was the northern terminal for the railway line. The railway line had a thiord rail in the centre of the track and the fell engine had a mechanism on it which allowed it to 'cog' its way up the steep slopes.
	The Mt Bruce wildlife centre is home to many flora and fauna found in the New Zealand bush. There are several walking tracks through the bush. The area is on the main highway 25 kms north of Masterton.
The Mangatainoka brewery located in the northern Wairarapa used to draw water from the nearby creek. Now it has an excellent supply of water and is the home of a popular local brand of beer called Tui. The Tui billboards are common round New Zealand displaying a brief dialogue between two people. The second person always says "yeah right" in answer to the first person. This means  ' I dont believe you at all'. e.g. "All New Zealand left handed men are handsome"          "Yeah right."