WairarapaLocations directory
The rural Western Lake road, which connects the Remutaka Range to Lake Wairarapa, features lush green fields and mountains.

Idyllic countryside bordered by spectacular mountains and wetlands.

Just over an hour’s drive from Wellington, Western Lake Road cuts through an idyllic countryside between the Remutaka Range and Lake Wairarapa.

It takes just a few minutes in the car to get to Featherston and the train station. And less than half an hour to get to both Greytown and Martinborough.

The rural area features a popular cycleway and good hunting, fishing, and hiking spots.

The road skirts Lake Wairarapa, which formed following a sea-level rise some 5,000 to 10,000 years ago. Along with Lake Ōnoke, further south, the lakes make up Wairarapa Moana. This is the largest wetland complex in the southern North Island and a habitat of national importance for water and wader birds.

Traditionally, it was important to Māori as an area for gathering food and plant material.

Along the coastline towards Cape Palliser, walking tracks to the Putangirua Pinnacles offer spectacular views of Palliser Bay and Lake Ōnoke.

Location details

Jurisdiction South Wairarapa District Council
Permits required Yes, apply for a permit
Location descriptors Crops, fields, grassland, plains, hills, roads, scenic roads, swamps, marshes, wetlands, farmhouses, livestock, agriculture, countryside, farmland, pastures, meadows, farms, scenic views, country life, open spaces, lakes, 
Explore more

Looking for more?

At start of items
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.

The Holy Trinity Church is a good example of a rural mid-to late-19th-century New Zealand church. Built in 1870, it is a small, rural church in Ohariu Valley in Johnsonville, Wellington. It has a small graveyard associated with it.

Holy Trinity Church

638 Ohariu Valley Road, Ohariu, Wellington | 69Holy Trinity Church in Ohariu, Wellington is a good example of a rural mid-to late-19th-century New Zealand church.

Maymorn train station

Maymorn Train Station

Maymorn Road, Maymorn, Upper Hutt | 63Maymorn Train Station is a rural train station near the base of the Remutaka Range. It is a twin-platform, rural request stop.

The 4 lane motorway of Transmission Gully, surrounded by green hills.

Transmission Gully

Transmission Gully, State Highway 1, Paekākāriki | 59Transmission Gully is an impressive motorway, 100 years in the making, in and out of Wellington. It is 27 kilometres long and has four lanes.

An aerial view of the Willowbank Quarry with work trucks and heavy machinery under a sunny blue sky.

Willowbank Quarry

264b Paremata Haywards Road, Judgeford | 47Willowbank Quarry in Lower Hutt is recognised for its environmental efforts, in a stunning rural setting. The quarry sits on the 650-hectare Willowbank Farm.

The screen location of West Wind Farm and Mākara Bunker at sunset, with 360 views of Wellington and the wind farm, as well as the historic fort Opau.

West Wind Farm and Mākara Bunker

140 Opau Road, Mākara, Wellington | 41This rugged ridge above Wellington provides spectacular views and access to a unique wind farm and the historic Fort Opau.

Mangaroa Valley Road screen location, a scenic rural setting with native forest, farmland, and a mountainous backdrop.

Mangaroa Valley Road

Mangaroa, Upper Hutt | 18Mangaroa Valley Road in Upper Hutt is a scenic rural setting with access to native forest, and walking and biking trails.

The screen location of Ōrongorongo Station, with many buildings, old and new, as well as views of the ocean and mountains.

Ōrongorongo Station

Coast Road, Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt | 1Set on a remote and rugged coastline, Ōrongorongo Station is one of the longest-running farms in New Zealand and spans 6,500 acres.

A rural setting with panoramic seascapes, Pikarere Farm is an iconic sheep and beef station overlooking Tītahi Bay in Porirua, New Zealand.

Pikarere Station

Takapūwāhia, Porirua | 8Pikarere Station is a rural setting with panoramic seascapes just north of Wellington city. It is a working sheep and beef farm in Porirua.

Ohariu Valley Road in Wellington travels through a slice of quintessential Kiwi countryside.

Ohariu Valley Road

Ohariu, Wellington | 7Ohariu Valley Road is a quaint, countryside district on Wellington’s urban doorstep, only a short drive from the city centre.