Wairarapa wonders
HOLIDAY RAMBLE Twelve months ago HELEN PERRY spent three nights in the charming village of Greytown. It wasn’t long enough! A second visit was called for so she and husband returned during the recent Christmas break to explore further.
Margrain Vineyard
My initial short visit to Wairarapa set up a determination to see more of this lovely part of New Zealand. As soon as Covid lockdowns permitted, we began planning a return trip. Then, when a family wedding in Whanganui was set down for a few days after Christmas, it seemed the ideal opportunity to keep travelling. This time we booked a five-night stay at Margrain Vineyard Villas, ($215 per night) walking distance to Martinborough village and also boasting its own tasting room and popular café. Our daughter and her family came too although they opted for a camping ground cabin at Greytown, about 10-15 minutes drive away. They soon agreed with us that the region was special. Being an outdoor family the ‘kids’ were keen to explore local walking trails and subsequently took in tracks at the Pukaha National Wildlife Centre on SH2 north of Masterton (the bird sanctuary is a ‘must see’), Waiohine Gorge,
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Cape Palliser Lighthouse and the spectacular Putangirua Pinnacles. I’m ashamed to say I was not that energetic although I was disappointed not to visit the gorge with its very long, somewhat frightening but amazing suspension bridge plus beautiful falls. Instead, on that day we opted to visit Castlepoint. At nearly 110 kilometres from Martinborough (a round trip of about three hours driving), the Castlepoint journey was not as successful as expected. The drive was pretty but on arrival, the shoreline was packed with cars, worse than anything I’ve encountered around Auckland’s waterfront, Maraetai or even Mt Maunganui on a sun-drenched day. There was absolutely nowhere to park so we spent only a short time admiring the ocean and the lighthouse before turning around and driving back to nearby Whakataki Hotel, (also known as the Castlepoint Hotel & Guesthouse).
This old-style country pub soon revealed a shaded garden bar, cool dining room and a family-friendly menu. We were soon tucking into a generous corn and bacon stack accompanied by a very cold and very welcome beer – the temperature that day reached a humid 32 degrees celsius! Beautiful as Castlepoint was I felt I would rather have seen it when less well populated, perhaps on a clear autumn day! Nevertheless, we enjoyed the drive. On the other hand, our journey next day to Cape Palliser, and then Lake Ferry, was a treat. There was little traffic on the road and I was soon taken by the stunning Cape Palliser coastline – rugged and unspoilt. The sky was cloudless, the sea, deep, deep blue; we could see all the way across the water to ranges in the South Island. If I win Lotto I’m buying a bach there… and a helicopter! Arriving in the small fishing village of Ngawi, our family headed to Cape Palliser Lighthouse, which
has stood on the cliffs since 1897. However, I wasn’t going to climb the 253 steps to see her up close! Instead the nearby seal colony kept me fascinated for some good time. By parking on the roadside reserve, visitors had many vantage points from where they could watch the seals and their young just metres away on rocky outcrops – fascinating and surely a thrill for city-siders who seldom venture beyond their urban surrounds. We did note sightseers were asked not to approach or feed the seals and everyone appeared most respectful of these breeding families. Finally, we left our seal watching and headed back along the coast down to the Lake Ferry while our adventurous family set off to see the Putangirua Pinnacles and its incredible rock formations which had a starring role in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Indeed, like many others, they were awed by the grandeur but www.eastlife.co.nz
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