HONOUR MITCHELL: TEEN PICKS

HONOUR MITCHELL: TEEN PICKS - MY JULY SCHOOL HOLIDAYS - IN THE WAIRARAPA

Everyone has that one place that feels like a second home: a place you know so well but yet never seems to bore you. And for me, that place is Masterton.

Located near Wellington in the Wairarapa region, this town was named New Zealand’s ‘Most Beautiful City’ in 2017 and in my opinion it is well-deserved! Possibly the main reason Masterton is so special to me, is that my grandparents live there and I have been visiting them since I was born. Putting aside the family connection, this is a fun-filled place to holiday with an impressive range of activities to focus on, including nature, food, shopping, festivals and day trips.

Nature In the centre of the town is the expansive and beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park. This park has an exceptional playground (which my grandad helped build), a miniature train, a flying fox, paddle boats, a swing bridge, a cricket oval, a bowling green, a skate park and mini golf! With all of these different attractions you would think there’d be no space to roam around and just sit. Well, there is. Picnic tables and benches abound, plus there are acres of leafy, green spaces for resting and strolling on a perfect sunny day. Often I find just walking through the park is interesting enough.

Just outside of the town centre is another green marvel, Henley Lake. Numerous paths and routes circle a shimmering pond where swans swim and birds tweet. I love to take morning runs around the lake, which is pretty serene and calming. It’s clearly a community favourite and patronised by both young and old, walking, running or playing throughout the day.

The Food If I am being truthful, one of my favourite things about Masterton is the food! There are so many restaurants and cafes that I love, but I will narrow it down to three for you covering breakfast, lunch and dinner.

First we start at Ten O’clock Cookie Bakery (aka10CC) for breakfast. I always struggle to choose from the extensive menu, but their smashed avocado stack is quite delectable. There’s also a fine range of baking to take away for which 10CC have won numerous awards. (These beautifully packaged treats always go down pretty well as presents for friends and relatives).

For lunch the endlessly popular cafe, Entice, is perfect for picking up a scrumptious picnic to take across the road to Queen Elizabeth Park. Entice has many vegetarian and dietary-friendly options which is always a plus... and they can even cater for events (like Grandma’s 80th!).

Finally, dinner, at my all-time favourite restaurant - the Screening Room. Sounds like a movie theatre? Well it is! However, not an old, smelly, rundown movie theatre, but a luxurious boutique-like eatery and cinema combined. You can choose to eat in the stylish dining area or have wine, coffee or food delivered while watching a movie! My go-to dishes are gooey mushroom arancini, coconut Thai dahl and a decadent hot brownie skillet for dessert. This really is the best movie theatre ever! Shopping Book lovers alert! Masterton proudly boasts the biggest Paper Plus in New Zealand with some of the most knowledgeable staff you’ll ever meet, so you can always count on leaving with a juicy novel or two cradled in your arms. For an authentic Farmer’s Market, hit the Solway Showgrounds early Saturday morning and you’ll be able to pick up everything from organic vegetables to a gorgeous tie dyed T-shirt.

If you’re interested in quaint boutiques and a further array of delicious eateries, Greytown is barely a half hour drive away. I must say this is quite honestly the cutest town I have ever seen. This year the ‘Festival of Christmas Night Markets’ ran every Saturday evening through July; we were lucky enough to be in town for the celebrations and the festival was a special highlight. Imagine a European-style market with street dining, mulled wine, marshmallow toasting and much more. It was just my cup of tea!

Day Trips If you run out of things to do in Masterton there are plenty of interesting day trips all less than an hour’s drive. Some excellent options include Mount Bruce where you will find the Pukaha National Wildlife centre. Visit the Kiwi breeding nursery, embark on multiple bush walks loaded with wildlife and stand in the free-flight aviary where birds will swoop and glide over your head.

Castlepoint and Riversdale beaches are for swimming, surfing and walking. Plus, if you’re visiting Castlepoint, there’s a short hike to the iconic lighthouse which is accompanied by a spectacular view!

Martinborough is for tours to an excellent range of boutique wineries, particularly if you’re a fan of world-class pinot noir. A shame I’m not old enough to drink up large yet, but thankfully Martinborough is exploding with beautiful scenery and cafes, which is more than enough to keep me occupied. (HONOUR MITCHELL)  PN