Wairarapa Wonderful In Winter
Dark Sky Delight
Winter’s short days and clear skies make for the perfect time to discover why Wairarapa has received International Dark Sky Reserve Status. The region is one of the best places in the world to view the never-ending star filled skies. Star Safari, Stonehenge Aotearoa and Under the Stars will help you experience Wairarapa skies, with fascinating guided tours this winter.
This winter you’ll be able to pair delicious wine & cuisine with spectacular skies. Book dinner at Luna’s Eclipse Restaurant in Martinborough with an Asian inspired menu then take in the amazing night sky surrounded by vineyards on a guided tour with Under the Stars. Monthly through the winter this “New Moon” experience provides the perfect opportunity to view the night sky in its darkest phase.
Go for Gin
With more cosy time inside, winter’s a good time to challenge your taste buds with new flavours. Well known for its fine wine, Wairarapa has taken to gin with gusto and has great destinations to get your gin game into gear. Just some are:
The Runholder in Martinborough where you can learn the story of Lighthouse Gin and taste Original, Navy Strength and Barrel Aged Gin.
At Tōhi Gin Room taste award-winning Martinborough gins along with more than the 30 New Zealand gins on offer. Tōhi is snuggled alongside Karahui WineBar and Eatery in the Square in Martinborough.
At Greytown Distilling Company (inside Blackwell and Sons cycling emporium on Greytown’s Main Street) their Solstice 24 gins celebrate the colder months. Taste their Frostbite, Fireside and Moonglow releases on weekends and take some home in their super travelfriendly stainless-steel flasks.
Festive spirit and bright nights in Wairarapa this winter. Day and night fun is on offer this winter in Wairarapa, with festival fun, warming wine and gin and spectacular dark starry skies. Wherever you might be, come on over. The Wairarapa is a short drive from Wellington over the spectacular Remutaka Hill, and close to Palmerston North and Hawke’s Bay.
Festive winter complete with fire and ice!
The happiest festival in New Zealand is returning to Greytown this winter, with an exciting new theme Fire and Ice. The Festival of Christmas fires up from June 29th, as Greytown celebrates with a month-long programme of spectacular lights, workshops, events, Night Markets, parties, food and family fun. With the Fire and Ice theme, visitors can expect outdoor braziers, sprinklings of snow and a sparkling winter wonderland through the streets, stores, bars and restaurants. Festival VIP guests this year include some very chilled out penguins.
Watch for Whetū, the tiniest penguin in the town’s snowy wonderland. The festival, which started in 2020 as a post-Covid initiative, has grown to become a huge Wairarapa annual event, attracting over 50,000 people in 2023. The festival is centred around spectacular lighting, which creates a real “wow” factor. Snowfall on Main Street was overwhelmingly popular last year, so the forecast is definitely for more snow. Cocktails and Comedy, Laneway Night Markets, the pop-up Gin and Spice Bar, and fireworks will also feature, as will live performers and entertainers throughout Main Street. There’ll be plenty of opportunities to wear your Christmas jersey, keep toasty around the outdoor braziers, and make special memories with your friends and whānau. All this family fun warms up winter and wraps right around the July school holidays.
The festival kicks off on Saturday 29 June with the Big Switch, wraps up with the Grand Finale on Saturday 27 July, and includes a whole lot of entertainment in between. Of course, all this simply adds to the charm of the village’s fabulous shopping in the small independent stores and boutiques.
Visit www.greytownvillage.com for the full festival programme and tickets.
For information go to Destination Wairarapa www.wairarapanz.com.
Need local advice? Contact the Masterton isite Visitor Centre Ph 06 370 0900.
