WairarapaLocations directory
The small, charming town of Featherston for a screen location. With the backdrop of the Remutaka Range and 19th-century buildings.

The Remutaka Range creates a lush backdrop for Featherston, which sits in the foothills.

Featherston is the first of many charming small towns in the South Wairarapa District. It is 60 minutes from Wellington City and a mere 35 minutes from Lane Street Studios in Upper Hutt.

State Highway 2 passes through the township connecting Featherston with Greytown and Masterton. Martinborough and Palliser Bay are accessible via the State Highway 53 turn-off. The Wairarapa Moana Wetlands are nearby, co-governed by , councils, and local groups.

Featherston has many 19th century buildings including hotels, cottages, and stores. Many of these have been restored to uphold the heritage and character of the town. There are several vintage book stores and it is New Zealand’s only recognised booktown.

It has a rich rail and war history highlighted by the Fell Locomotive Museum and Camp Sculpture. The town served as New Zealand’s largest military training camp in the early 1900s.

Location details

Jurisdiction South Wairarapa District Council
Permits required Yes, apply for a permit
Location descriptors Roads, shops, town squares, towns, streets, historical sites, cafés, restaurants, historical buildings, small towns, churches, hills.
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The screen location of Tākina, the large convention centre with unique designs and large open industrial feeling spaces.

Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre

50 Cable Street, Te Aro, Wellington | 71Inspired by the city’s dramatic landscape and environment, Wellington’s purpose-built convention centre is a blank canvas for filming.

Ngauranga train station

Ngauranga Train Station

Hutt Road, Ngauranga, Wellington | 51A single island train platform for commuter rail, sitting north of Wellington city on the edge of the rugged coastline.

The screen location of Whiitemans Valley, nestled among trees and hills, old buildings have been built to mimic an old town.

Whitemans Valley Village

Whitemans Valley Village, Upper Hutt | 10Whitemans Valley is a historical film set, surrounded by a rural backdrop. It has been used in TV series such as Country GP and Wellington Paranormal.

Exterior of Wellington Railway Station, a brick building, at dusk.

Wellington Railway Station

Bunny Street, Pipitea, Wellington | 61The Wellington Railway Station is one of the country’s most architecturally impressive 20th-century buildings, inspired by Penn Station in New York.

The screen location of Oriental Bay, wth pastel-coloured, Art Deco apartments, brightly-painted boat sheds, and the golden beach.

Oriental Bay

Oriental Bay, Wellington | 86Oriental Bay is an inner-city beach and is one of Wellington’s best features, sitting along the Wellington waterfront.

People walking down Cuba Street, past the Bucket Fountain, an iconic kinetic sculpture.

Cuba Street

Te Aro, Wellington | 313Cuba Street is one of the best-known streets in Wellington. The vibrant street has many heritage buildings, with shops and hospitality.

The mix of modern and old buildings along Lambton Quay, including the old supreme court, and old bank.

Lambton Quay

Lambton Quay, Wellington | 315Lambton Quay is the heart of the central business district of Wellington, with many offices and shops lining the street.

The screen location of Greytown, a historic small town featuring Victorian buildings, stables, colonial cottages, and rural landscapes surrounding.

Greytown

Greytown, Wairarapa | 309Greytown is a historic small town in the Wairarapa region. It has Victorian buildings lining the main street and was once named the most beautiful town.

Masterton Town Hall is an old stone building.

Masterton

Masterton, Wairarapa | 308Founded in 1854, Masterton is the largest town in the Wairarapa region, servicing the surrounding farmland. It has many historic buildings throughout the town.