Escape to the Wairarapa this autumn
<p><em>For those who enjoy cruising and tasting premium wine, then cycling the vines around Martinborough is a must-do. Image credit: Mike Heydon/JET Productions</em></p>
<p>Golden landscapes, a late harvest, crisp weather and fewer crowds make autumn a terrific time to explore the Wairarapa, a region renowned for its premium vineyards, olive groves, wild coastlines and cafes, restaurants and boutique shopping. Being only one hour’s drive or train ride from Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, makes Wairarapa the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. We’ve come up with six memorable experiences in the Wairarapa this autumn.</p>
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<p><em>There’s nothing like autumn in the Wairarapa. Hues of gold, amber and red accentuate the beauty of this region making it a wonderful time to go exploring with the grandkids. Image credit: Mike Heydon/JET Productions.</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nzballoons.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Wairarapa Balloon Festival</span></strong></a> </p>
<p>Hues of gold, amber and red will provide the perfect backdrop for hot air balloonists at Easter as the Wairarapa prepares to host its annual Balloon Festival from April 13 to 17 2017.</p>
<p>This year two special shape balloons – an Alien Rocket balloon, which comes from Canada and is 29m high and High Kitty, a 33metre tall kitten from Texas, USA – will join 24 other hot air balloons for the festival held right throughout the region.</p>
<p>Alien Rocket pilot, Canadian Alain Bard, who designed and built the eye-catching balloon is excited to visit New Zealand.</p>
<p>“I've travelled to over 40 countries so far,” he says, “I am really looking forward to flying the Alien Rocket over the Wairarapa and hopefully inspiring a new generation of kids to find out more about space, astronomy and learn about our fragile existence on this planet”.</p>
<p>The Festival programme feature five days of balloon lift-offs, loads of family-fun and entertainment. Highlights include a ‘Dawn Patrol’ when the balloons will lift off in the dark before sunrise and the Night Glow where, weather depending, tethered balloons light up the night sky.</p>
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<p><em>An intriguing sight will be seen over Wairarapa skies this Easter – an Alien Rocket, which is one of 26 balloons taking part in the annual Wairarapa Balloon Festival.</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.wairarapanz.com" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cycle the Vines</span> </strong></a> </p>
<p>For those who enjoy cruising and tasting premium wine, then cycling the vines around the pretty wine village of Martinborough is a must-do. Here, the roads are wide and flat and lined either side with vineyards, olive groves or farms while in between the parcels of land are colonial cottages or grand homesteads that are a nod to the town’s rural heritage.</p>
<p>Grab a wine map from the Martinborough i-SITE Visitor Information Centre and hire a bike – whether it’s a single speed vineyard cruiser, a mountain-bike, trike, tandem or even a 4-6 seat, brightly covered quadri-cycle, the options are endless.</p>
<p>The majority of the wineries are located within close proximity to each other and because many vineyards produce handcrafted wines, it means visitors have a good chance of meeting the wine-maker face to face and hearing their story first hand.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wharekauhau.co.nz/packages" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">A little bit of luxury</span></strong></a> </p>
<p>There's always something exciting going on at Wharekauhau in south Wairarapa. This luxurious Edwardian style lodge, with incredible views over Palliser Bay, was where Prince William and Princess Kate stayed during their 2014 Royal Tour of New Zealand. The grand lodge and its private cottage suites are set in the magnificent rural surrounds of a 5000-acre farm estate. Guests can enjoy fine cuisine made from fresh local ingredients complemented with top New Zealand wines, a wide range of recreation and adventure activities onsite or just relax in the incredible surroundings. This autumn and winter the lodge is offering a series of themedpackages including incredible degustation meals cooked by NZ Chef of the Year Marc Soper. The packages include a duck shooters lunch and shoot; a Winter Solstice Retreat; a Bastille Weekend focusing on a country retreat with a French twist and the annual Louis Roederer Champagne event in September.</p>
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<p><em>The stunning Wharekauhau Lodge in Wairarapa is the ultimate getaway.</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.thevintageaviator.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Vintage Aviator Flying weekend</span></strong></a> </p>
<p>The memory of World War One flight is being kept alive in the Wairarapa this autumn with The Vintage Aviator’s monthly flying weekends.</p>
<p>Gene de Marco, general manager and chief pilot of The Vintage Aviator Ltd (TVAL), says part of the collection of rare WWI aircraft based at Masterton’s Hood Aerodrome will take to the skies the last weekend of each month in March and April 2017.They provide a great opportunity for the public to see the collection in the air, while allowing the pilots to practise operating these war machines. Outside of flying times, visitors will also be able to take a guided tour through TVAL hangar at Hood Aerodrome and learn the amazing military stories associated with each aircraft.</p>
<p>“When we bring people through the hangar, we talk to them about the airplanes and it’s not always about the performance, how high they go, how fast they go or how long they stay up. It’s about the stories of these young men, young kids who flew a plane like this,” says Mr de Marco. “The war was fought 12 months out of the year and at tremendous altitude. Sometimes these airplanes climbed 15,000 to 20,000 feet and it’s bitterly cold up there. So everything from the leather flying gloves, the helmet, the goggles … we try to tell that story too.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.booktown.org.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Booktown Featherston</span></strong></a> </p>
<p>Those who are familiar with Clunes Booktown in Australia will be pleased to know New Zealand has its own Booktown too, held annually in the characterful south Wairarapa township of Featherston. This year’s festival, being held from 12 to 14 May celebrates everything to do with books, writers and reading. A full three-day programme includes a “fish and chip” supper with leading Kiwi writer Lloyd Jones; writing workshops; poetry readings; talks by leading authors and illustrators; theatre performances and a book fair including stalls with rare and second hand books. There are also events specifically for children.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wairarapanz.com/see-and-do/rimutaka-cycle-trail" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Rimutaka Cycle Trail</span></strong></a> </p>
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<p><em>The Rimutaka Cycle Trail begins in Wellington and weaves through river valleys and bush clad hill ranges before enter the Wairarapa valley taking riders past lakes, over farm land and along a dramatic coastline.</em></p>
<p>The Rimutaka Cycle Trail is right on Wellington and Wairarapa’s doorstep and offers riders the perfect opportunity to mix riding with culture, cuisine and shopping.</p>
<p>It’s the quintessential kiwi ride featuring all types of New Zealand landscape: a river valley, bush-clad mountains, lake-sides, farm land and a rugged coast.</p>
<p>Beginning at Petone’s Foreshore, the 115km Trail heads north alongside the Hutt River on a well-defined cycle path, before heading through the Rimutaka Ranges via the historic railway route and enter the Wairarapa Valley at Cross Creek.</p>
<p>Riders have a choice of turning left and following the 9km off-road limestone trail to Featherston where they can refuel and learn about the historic tunnels they’ve just ridden through at The Fell Locomotive Museum or they can turn right and head south, following the shore of Lake Wairarapa. The road weaves through rolling countryside, passed historic farms, many of which offer accommodation, and comes to Ocean Beach which has views across Cook Straight to the snow-capped mountains behind Kaikoura before weaving around the dramatic South Coast to the finish at Orongorongo. Here riders can be met by Green Jersey Cycle Tours who offer a range of guided or supported tours.</p>
<p>One of the best aspects of this trail is its multiple access points meaning riders can tailor the journey to suit their needs and fitness levels. It can be completed in one day or done over two to four days, allowing for side trips to the wine village of Martinborough and the pretty colonial township of Greytown.</p>
<p><strong>How to get there:</strong></p>
<p>The Wairarapa is located at the lower right-hand corner of New Zealandʼs North Island. It is only an hour’s drive or train ride north-east of Wellington, which has daily domestic and international flights; and just over an hour’s drive from Palmerston North’s domestic airport. Driving to the Wairarapa is easy, with The Classic New Zealand Wine Trail (SH2) weaving through pretty rural landscapes including vineyards, olive groves and beef, sheep and dairy farms. The region’s five townships are serviced by train, bus or shuttles and there is a wide variety of accommodation. For more information visit, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.wairarapanz.com/" target="_blank">www.wairarapanz.com</a></strong></span>. </p>
