Wandering Through Wairarapa

We spent the last 3 days in the Wairarapa region, the southeast area of the North Island, which had its ups and downs-- quite literally, starting with the hair-raising drive over the Rimutaka mountain range to get there. The area is known primarily for its rugged coastline, assorted local wineries (notably the Pinot Noirs), and little towns, with traces of their Victorian-era origins.

The guidebook states that "the wild, virtually empty coastline draws swimmers, surfers, divers and fishermen" --true, assuming they aren't faint-hearted and don't mind being battered with wind, surf and sandstorms. Above is a fisherman at Lake Ferry, a rather bleak destination (although ads for the local hotel entice visitors to "wine and dine and watch the waves break"). Fishing in these conditions simply CANNOT be the next best thing to doing nothing.

The guidebook also enticed us to visit Castlepoint, on the Pacific coast, proclaiming it "the Wairarapa's most spectacular beach", and that "no trip to Castlepoint would be complete without a walk across the boardwalk to the lighthouse and the reef."

What it failed to mention is that the high winds that surround the gap leading to the peninsula with the lighthouse create a constant sand storm straight out of "Lawrence of Arabia" and left enough grit in our scalps, ears and skin to fill a sandbox. However, the beach was very picturesque, and the conditions didn't seem to bother the Kiwis one bit, as this is normal summertime fun to them.

The Wairarapa is also known for its little towns, established in the second half of the 19th century, where Victorian-era buildings have been converted into artsy shops, wine purveyors, and a surprisingly large number of coffee bars along the few blocks that comprise the main street. We stayed at The White Swan Hotel in Greytown, which offers 6 suites of entirely different styles and decor, ranging from ultra modern to Mughal empire. The main street also featured the ubiquitous Chinese takeaway/fish & chips:

The region has many fine examples of vernacular or traditional New Zealand architecture, from the prototypical country church (Presbyterian, of course, given the Scots influence) to the Victorian-era house.

One of the more unusual sites was Papawai, a historic Maori center and the site of the first Maori parliament, featuring many wood carvings.

Although Martinborough is known for its wines, we found the wineries a bit underwhelming, both in terms of presentation and variety. Most were quite small (known euphemistically as "boutique") and were rather unprepossessing. I did like the label "Paper Road", named for the fact that the British made elaborate maps and plans for roads that were never actually built and simply existed on paper. Other name choices seemed a bit off the mark. Can you imagine a sommelier gushing to a customer: "Sir, may I recommend the 2008 Wee Red Barn Pinot Noir? One of Wee Red's best vintages." But the wine did have its attractions, particularly in the hands of David (a/k/a "the Pig Whisperer"), teaching the finer points of wine to his young porcine friends:

Indeed, the fauna of Wairarapa know no fear of man and were quite friendly. E.g., cows sharing the road with our vehicle without any concern for their (or our) wellbeing:

Even more relaxed were the fur seals along Cape Palliser, the southern-most point in the North Island (and an incredibly beautiful drive, right along the sea):

This coastal route also allows a walk to "the Pinnacles", where exposure of an ancient layer of gravel to erosion left more resistent silts or rocks underneath in the form of individual pinnacles or "hoodoos". (Lord of the Rings afficionados may recognize this as the locale for the Valley of Death scene).

(Posted by Joan on Jan. 8)