What to do in Wairarapa
Appealling events and affordable family fun set in the pretty-as-a-picture towns, parks, gardens and orchards – you’ll ease into autumn with a Wairarapa escape. Just a short drive from Wellington over the Remutaka Hill, and an easy drive from Palmerston North and Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa sits at the heart of the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail.
Wairarapa’s most uplifting family event returns this Easter The much-loved Wairarapa Balloon Festival returns to the skies at Easter, from 17-21 April, with takeoffs from different Wairarapa owns each morning, and the pinnacle Family Carnival at Masterton’s Solway Showgrounds on Saturday 19 April. The carnival will provide five hours of action-packed entertainment, with live music, a bouncy castle, cold-balloon walk-throughs, a face painting zone, animal balloon artists, and an Easter egg hunt. Once it gets dark, the balloons will be inflated, glowing like gigantic light bulbs, tethered to the ground.
The Wairarapa’s big, wide-open spaces, relatively settled weather and minimal controlled airspace make it well suited for ballooning. Look up for Puff the new bright yellow balloon!
More information at www.nzballoons.co.nz
Calling all Booklovers!
The Wairarapa town of Featherston transforms into a literary paradise during the 10th Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival (May 9-11, 2025). Just an hour by train from Wellington, this quirky town boasts eight permanent bookshops and welcomes over 9,000 visitors annually for three days of literary events. Festival highlights include the very popular Fish’n’Chip Supper opening night featuring local kapa haka performances, intimate author talks, and workshops.
Visitors can enhance their journey with the Booklover’s Trail Te Ara Kai Pukapuka audio app, which reveals fascinating literary landmarks and stories along SH2 from Wellington to Hawke’s Bay. With easy walking access to venues, and accommodation options for all budgets, the Karukatea Festival offers a perfect autumn weekend escape. Early booking is essential for this popular event that has become one of the lower North Island’s cultural highlights. www.booktown.org.nz
5 Star Garden Wonder
Just minutes from Masterton, Wairarapa garden gem Stablehouse Garden has been recognised as a Garden of National Significance, earning a prestigious 5-star rating from the New Zealand Gardens Trust. Created by renowned designer Lyn Eglinton, this one-hectare masterpiece showcases immaculately clipped buxus and hornbeam, complemented by artfully shaped cloud mounds of diverse shrubs and flowering perennials. Visit any time of year, each season has its rewards: in autumn the avenues of quince, fig and pin oaks turn to gold, crimson and butter.
Whakapuni Station Garden, 20 minutes from Martinborough, is also a NZ Garden Trust garden. This beautiful country garden, set amid a working farm, features magnificent established trees and weeping views across the surrounding farmland. Much loved is Longbush Cottage Garden. A 4-star rated flower-filled modern cottage garden with plenty for visitors to explore and discover. Head gardener and creative force, Luke Gardener has skilfully crafted a series of “garden rooms” radiating from the charming 1890s cottage, encompassing over a hectare of land at Longbush, near Carterton.
