Boutique Bed And Breakfasts and Luxury Lodge Accommodation in Wellington, Wairarapa and Kapiti

Manawatu / Rangitikei

Location
This area is based around State Highway 1 where it descends from the volcanic plateau to Wellington, west of the main ranges.

General
Although there are extensive coastal plains, the countryside becomes increasing hilly towards the north. Sheep farming and cattle raising are important activities, along with cropping on the lowlands.

In the Rangitikei River Valley and surrounding hill country, bed and breakfasts and farmstays are a specialty, with many old homesteads having magnificent gardens. The largest of the villages and towns along the road to Mt Ruapehu and the central plateau is Taihape. It is renowned as the "gumboot capital", where every year a festival is held to celebrate this essential item of rural Kiwi footwear. The river supports an excellent trout fishery and there's also bungy jumping, white water and scenic rafting.

To the south is the Manawatu region with its broad coastal plains, on which lies the university city of Palmerston North, one of the country's larger provincial cities. The central business district of Palmerston North is centred on a large leafy square where many of the original stores built in the 1920s and 1930s have been restored and are now charming boutiques, cafés and great restaurants. It is a good base for exploring the many large private gardens in the surrounding countryside.

Don't Miss
Tokomaru Steam Museum, Palmerston North
Manawatu/Rangitikei garden tours
Central city cafes and restaurants Palmerston North
City Art Gallery
Public gardens, Palmerston North
Country garden tours

Main Centre
Palmerston North - a major university city with many country gardens to visit in the countryside

Wairarapa

Location
The Wairarapa region is situated on the south-eastern part of the North Island, about 60km north east of Wellington City.

General
The Wairarapa area is a rich sheep-farming district with more than 100 farm and home stays located in idyllic countryside. The region, especially Martinborough, is fast gaining a reputation for premium wines, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc varieties.

Main Attractions / Activities
Greytown, one of the smaller Wairarapa towns, has a main street comprising mostly wooden Victorian-style buildings, many of which are now cafes and specialty shops selling antiques and gifts. Rediscovered and revived in the late 1990s, Greytown's Victorian main street now houses chic cafés, boutiques, galleries, antique shops, b&b, farmstay and retreat accommodation. On the outskirts of town, there's Papawai, an important marae and site of the first Maori parliament.

About 20km north of the main centre of Masterton is Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre, where rare and endangered birds and other species are studied and bred.

In the ranges to the West are the Rimutaka and Tararua forest parks, which contain a network of huts and trails that begin at many road-end picnic spots. Adventure activities include four-wheel driving, rafting, jetboating, abseiling, tandem skydiving, horse trekking, canoeing, hot air ballooning and gliding.
Wine tasting is encouraged at many of the vineyards and wineries clustered round the colonial village of Martinborough. The village has craft shops and several excellent restaurants, especially the wonderfully restored Martinborough Hotel.

Around 30 of the Wairarapa private gardens open to visitors are at their best from September to March, but some are open and provide refreshments year round.

Don't Miss
Mt Bruce National Wildlife Centre
Martinborough wine village
Cape Palliser seal colony
Putangirua Pinnacles - eroded cliff face on south coast
Castlepoint Scenic Reserve - on the east coast
Mt Holdsworth forest and mountain walks, Rimutaka
Forest Park
Main Centres
Masterton - Wairarapa's main town (Population 20,000)
Greytown - a Victorian country village with metropolitan panache plus great food and coffee.

Wellington

Location
Wellington Region includes Wellington City and the south-western portion of the North Island.

General
Wellington, New Zealand's capital (population 346,000), is a superbly compact city, set on the shores of a deep harbour and surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of wooded hills. It is New Zealand's trendy weekend destination and has the most vibrant entertainment district in the country, where you can find some of the best bars, cafés, restaurants and theatres.

Wellington boasts an eclectic mix of shops. With a host of fashion stores and the country's premier department store, the city offers some of New Zealand's best shopping opportunities.

Main Attractions / Activities
With around 400 cafés and restaurants, Wellington's inner city has the highest concentration of eating establishments in New Zealand, earning it the tag 'café capital of New Zealand'.

The city is home to the Royal New Zealand Ballet and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, as well as national dance, drama, opera and musical groups. Four professional theatres operate year-round, so there are live shows every night. Wellington is also the home of much New Zealand heritage, including Te Papa, New Zealand's national, leading edge museum.

Just 45 minutes by car or rail from Wellington, Kapiti Coast is the recreational playground for the lower North Island, with both beaches and mountains readily accessible. Choose from white water rafting, safe swimming, boating, hunting and hiking, golfing, horse trekking and bush walks.

Don't Miss
Te Papa - Museum of New Zealand, where the stories of the nation are revealed in interactive displays
Parliament Buildings Old Government Buildings - the second-largest wooden building in the world
Old St Paul's Cathedral - a fine example of wooden Gothic architecture
Cable car
Botanic Gardens
Zoological Gardens
Otari Native Botanic Garden
Mount Victoria lookout
Courtenay Place nightlife
Theatre or concert performance
Katherine Mansfield's birthplace
The Wellington waterfront
Southward Car Museum, Kapiti Coast - Australasia's largest private collection of vintage and veteran vehicles
The Lindale Agriculture Centre, Kapiti Coast
Museum of Wellington, City and Sea

Video Clip
View a short video clip of the Wellington & Marlborough Regions, (WMV file, 1MB)
Courtesy of www.newzealand.com.

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