On cloud wine in Wairarapa _{by Madelaine Empson}

Wairarapa (Summer 2019)

The Wairarapa region is one Wellingtonians know well. Over the hill but not far away, it offers us city-dwellers a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of our daily lives in a region that feels a world apart from our own. Food and wine, boutique shopping, sunshine, and wide-open spaces – it’s all here in Wairarapa.

But while many of us often flit over the dramatic Remutakas for a weekend getaway, noticing the clouds evaporate behind us as we emerge into sun-drenched Featherston, rarely do we get to explore the region for all it’s worth. Indeed, my fiancé Dean and I have taken many a trip to Wairarapa, but usually we’ll only canvas one town. Maybe we’ll do a wine tour in Martinborough or a day of shopping in Greytown. I know, we’ve got pretty tough lives, huh?

This time around, with a fantastic itinerary organised by Destination Wairarapa, we got off the beaten track a bit. Alongside the quintessential city-comes-to-country activities, we were able to explore towns we’d only driven through, visit attractions we’d never seen before, and meet locals who were so passionate about their home, we’re pretty tempted to join their ranks one day.

It all began on a Friday morning when we pulled into Kuripuni Shopping Village in Masterton. Wairarapa’s largest town, I always knew Masterton was a great place for families with good schools, outdoor activities, and events. I had no idea it boasted a boutique shopping and dining hub too!

Our first stop in Kuripuni Shopping Village was the upmarket Screening Room: Cinema & Eatery, where we enjoyed a coffee to recoup from the drive. I was allowed a wee peek into the two cinemas, The Jackson Room and The Cameron Room, and was impressed by how comfortable but contemporary they felt. Dean suggested we see It Chapter Two there that night. Seeing as I noisily scream and shriek my way through scary movies, I was pretty relieved we had another engagement. If only he was into rom-coms…

Walking around the village, through handsome boutique shops offering furniture and designer clothing, homeopathic remedies and baby clothes galore, we came upon a butcher that had just that day opened its doors. Homegrown was generating a real buzz, and after we demolished one of their sausage rolls, it became crystal clear why.

A real gem on the main stretch of the Masterton town centre is Hedley’s Booksellers, which has been owned and operated by the Hedley family since 1907. Walking into the store, I was hit by that gorgeous crisp smell of pages, old and new, whispers of words conjuring magic in the air. It was a real joy perusing the shop, especially the special historic section upstairs.

Then it was off to meet Madeleine for a tour of Aratoi – Wairarapa Museum of Art & History. Our visit coincided with the retrospective exhibition 50/fifty: 50 Years of Aratoi. This was a great opportunity to see incredible works as well as learn more about the local institution that remains the only public collection of artworks in Wairarapa.

A few other exhibits were on display during our tour – Dean and I loved A Song for the Uncoordinated by Ian Chapman, with one aluminium painting seemingly set on Mars not Earth. Another that captured us was Kerrie Hughes – Saga, Forty Mile Bush, featuring large works on Hessian about the artist’s Scandinavian ancestors who came to New Zealand to settle the 40 Mile Bush and build the settlement of Mauriceville.

Aratoi is a part of the Masterton Arts Quarter, which also features ConArt Gallery and Studios, King Street Artworks, and Te Pātukituki o Wairarapa. It’s a great walk around the block for art enthusiasts, and we thoroughly enjoyed checking out ConArt. This is a really special space; a selection of containers where Wairarapa-based artists come together to not only exhibit their work, but create it too. Some of these brightly painted containers hold studios that artists can rent. In turn, the public can come and watch them in action. At the time of our visit, the artists in residence were Lindsay Durrant in studio one, and Rosalie Jurczenko and Karena Patricia in studio two, both abstract artists.

While we had certainly experienced our fill of awesome artwork, we were craving edible fulfilment by this point! So off we trotted to Don Luciano Café for lunch, where I had the. Best. Chicken. Quesadilla. Ever. I’m not kidding; I’ve never had better, which is saying something from a girl who lives in a city with more restaurants per capita than New York. This colourful café, run by a man almost as vibrant as the bright yellow walls within, is well worth a stop for its incredible South American cuisine and onsite coffee roastery. We adored meeting Marvin, who kindly sent us on our way with a bag of rich, chocolatey coffee beans straight from Honduras to drink at home.

One 50-minute drive later (poor Dean, I didn’t shut up about my quesadilla), we arrived at Castlepoint. Voted one of the country’s top 10 most-loved beaches, many will recognise the area for its iconic lighthouse, first lit in 1913. Yes, we made the climb to see it in the howling wind and rain, and I would not have had it any other way. Remarkably, the weather calmed down just long enough for us to snap a couple of pics before the skies opened up again. And so, we ran back down, drenched and cackling with glee. With its panoramic views of the coast, Castlepoint would make a wicked day trip or picnic spot – just remember to take your raincoat!

Checking into Copthorne Hotel & Resort Solway Park was an easy-breezy affair, and we were pleased with our well-appointed room overlooking a playground that looked like lots of fun. This would be a great accommodation option for families, with a swimming pool, games room, and tennis courts for the kids and 24 acres of landscaped parklands, native bush, and fragrant gardens for Mum and Dad to relax in.

Our rumbling tummies sent us to Koi Spice Craft and Whisky for dinner, a modern Indian-Malaysian restaurant located in Kuripuni Shopping Village. It was absolutely bustling, attracting locals and visitors alike for its extensive menu and sleek décor. The food was hit and miss; for our mains we ordered an aromatic Malaysian yellow chicken curry, which was a real standout, but also a chicken mee goreng that was sadly lacking flavour. While the chocolate dessert was delectable, the caramel custard had an odd, bitter flavour. We also found the service very slow. I’d recommend Koi for a drink and a nibble though, as the atmosphere was great.

Phew, what a day! Knackered and well past those hopping, bopping teenage years, we were in our very comfy bed and fast asleep by 9pm.

Gorging on the never-ending buffet breakfast at Copthorne Hotel was a great start to another action-packed day. Saturday began with a visit to Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, an unfenced sanctuary for native wildlife in Mount Bruce. Coffee was our first port of call at the centre. I was charmed by the sign at Kākā Café asking diners not to feed the birds: “Please do not swat them away – just move inside. After all this is their home and we are the visitors.”

That’s exactly how it felt walking through the lush 942-hectare reserve (well, not all of it!) with Noeline and our cultural guide Everlyne. At Pūkaha, the wildlife is safe and cared for. We saw plenty of wild birds who clearly felt right at home and eels that responded to Noeline’s voice alone, as well as beautiful endangered birds within aviaries. Here, we met weeny green kererū chicks, a cheeky breeding pair of kākā, and a kōkako named Kahurangi. Raised by a male ranger, Kahurangi ignored all the females gaping at her, but flew over when Dean spoke. That was a special moment.

We loved exploring the forest with Noeline, whose stories focused on Pūkaha and its inhabitants, and Everlyne, who shared spiritual and traditional tales of Rangitāne and the tangata whenua (people of the land) along the way. Everlyne also told us the myth of the great tuatara during a public talk, where we learned that the reptiles breathe as little as once per hour during hibernation!

Feeling refreshed and at peace, we headed off to Martinborough for a wine tour to end all wine tours.

It started with a stop at Green Jersey Cycle Tours to pick up our bikes for the journey. Embarrassingly, I can’t ride a bike. It’s either super common or the staff were just really kind and hid their shock at my predicament. And so, we were given a two-seater quad cycle. This bad boy wasn’t a tandem bike – it was more like a pedi cab, and was too wide for the footpath so we had to take it on the road. Seated about 30 centimetres off the ground, pedalling at about 10 kilometres per hour (Dean says I didn’t help at all, which my calf muscles and I resent), we were often overtaken by cars and sometimes even amused people on foot. This just added to the fun of the day, especially after a wine or three.

Our first stop was the lovely Luna Estate for lunch, where we dined on dumplings to die for in a gorgeous outdoor setting. The engaging Tash took us through a great wine tasting, with the 2016 Blue Rock Pinot Noir standing out to me for its elegance. A new hotspot is Moy Hall Wines, where we sampled the sweetest wine I’ve ever encountered, the Noble Rot. We then pedalled to the metal to get to Te Kairanga, who kindly let us in five minutes before closing so I could try their pinot gris, which has always been amongst my favourites. Haythornthwaite Wines was our next destination; I just loved chatting to Susan and Mark about their wonderful drops. Do try their gewürztraminer. Another wild ride later and we were at Margrain Vineyard just as Kate was closing the cellar door. We’re very fortunate she stayed open for us, as each varietal we tried here was just exquisite. Then it was time for Dean to furiously pedal back to Green Jersey while I pretended to move my legs, laughing all the way.

Just kidding, I really did pedal Dean.

We rounded off our wine tour with a stop at The Wine Bank. This stately tasting room offers over 60 local and national wines to try from innovative dispensers. Tastings, half glasses, and full glasses are available at the push of a button. Excuse me for a minute, heaven’s calling.

It was time to line our bellies, and the award-winning Tirohana Estate was just the ticket. We could not have had a more delicious meal. Did someone say fillet of beef poached in beef stock, topped with bacon-bourbon butter? Spiced pumpkin bread and butter pudding? Goats cheese and apple croustade? I highly recommend this incredible restaurant for its sumptuous fine dining fare and impeccable service. Dinner at Tirohana Estate was the perfect end to the perfect day.

Waking up the next morning, we were able to take stock of our grand surroundings: The Royal Hotel in Featherston, which we’d checked into the day before but hadn’t had a minute spare to spend in. This boutique hotel is themed all things steampunk, making for a unique and luxurious stay. Rob generously put us up in the honeymoon suite, said to be reserved for King Tāwhiao and Queen Victoria. Well, we certainly felt like royalty! You can feel the history of this place in the air. I think I might’ve even seen a ghost standing at the foot of the bed at midnight, but that could have been the wine talking.

After a lovely morning spent people-watching from the well-placed windows overlooking the main street in Featherston, we drove to Greytown for a groovy breakfast at the proudly local café The Offering. I wasn’t game enough before lunchtime, but Dean demolished the café’s signature dish, the Funky Dog. Wait for it; these are pork saussies hand-crafted next door by Greytown Butchery, and Dean’s Morning Glory was served with bacon, an egg, two hash browns, and hollandaise in a pretzel bun. It was awesome. Morning glory indeed!

We then headed to one of the highlights of our Wairarapa weekend away: Stonehenge Aotearoa.

A full-scale, working adaptation of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in England, this is a monument of stone circles, which can be used to track solstices, equinoxes, signs of the zodiac, and more. Built by members of The Phoenix Astronomical Society specifically for its location in the Wairarapa countryside, this open-sky observatory combines modern scientific knowledge with Ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, Celtic, Polynesian, and Māori starlore. Stonehenge Aotearoa can be used to teach maramataka (the calendars of time and seasons) and navigation, which we learned plenty about on our guided tour with Richard Hall.

A born storyteller full of wit and knowledge, banter and charm, Richard rapidly became my favourite tour guide ever. Without him, the myriad mysteries of Stonehenge would have remained just so. Instead, he lifted the veil to provide a glimpse into the fascinating world of astronomy. Highlights of the tour included a sonic exploration of the natural amphitheatre that is Stonehenge, and learning I’m not actually a Leo. I’ve got all the Leo traits though, so I’m just going to ignore this wee titbit of info and continue to be the showbiz-loving lion I am.

We left Stonehenge feeling both inspired and hungry for more. Thankfully, decadent nibbles were next on the cards! While exploring the picturesque shopping village of Greytown, filled with trendy boutiques, quirky furniture stores, and quaint antique shops, we discovered Taste Wellington – a divine milk chocolate infused with salt, coffee, and caramel at Schoc Chocolate. On our way home, we visited C’est Cheese in Featherston to chat to cheesemaker Paul and complete our takings from the weekend: a holey trio of cheese, chocolate, and wine. With an unbelievable garlic and chive gouda in hand, we drove back over the Remutakas, eager to continue our taste of Wairarapa from home.