WairarapaEvents
A person throws sheep wool onto a table while competing in The Golden Shears competition.
Two adults supervise children playing on bull statues outside of The Wool Shed, a heritage museum in Masterton.
A smiling cheesemaker wearing a white uniform is behind the counter at C'est Cheese, an artisanal deli in Featherston, Wairarapa.
A person wearing a yellow sweater is buying something at Schoc Chocolates, a  chocolatier in Greytown, Wairarapa. The worker is handing them the bag as another shopper is browsing in the background.
Stonehenge Aotearoa taken at night time with the milky way above.
The forecourt outside Aratoi. There is a large archway with carved Māori figures and motifs in the middle of the forecourt. A family of three are walking through it. The Aratoi buildings are in the background.
A family of five stops to admire the tree canopy while walking through Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre.
Two adults supervise children playing on bull statues outside of The Wool Shed, a heritage museum in Masterton.

The Wool Shed

12 Dixon Street, Masterton, Wairarapa

The centre of Masterton features a heritage museum devoted to New Zealand’s sheep farming and shearing history. For many years the country’s economy was said to ‘live off the sheep’s back’. The Wool Shed shows shearing’s development from a New Zealand economic driver to an international sport. See vintage farming gear, a 1930s cookhouse, and a traction engine display. There are samples of wool types, spinning wheels, and a shop with wool products for sale. Weaving, spinning, and shearing demonstrations can be booked by appointment. Stop for a yarn with the friendly staff.

The Wool Shed
A smiling cheesemaker wearing a white uniform is behind the counter at C'est Cheese, an artisanal deli in Featherston, Wairarapa.

C’est Cheese

19 Fitzherbert Street, Featherston, Wairarapa

If you’re into cheese, then a pitstop in Featherston is a must. C’est Cheese deli opened in 2013. Since then, it’s showcased an amazing range of handmade products by New Zealand’s specialist cheesemakers and other food producers. Its home, a historic 1875 building, also houses the Remutaka Pass Creamery cheese factory. 

C’est Cheese has a goal to offer a complete cheese experience — from watching it being made to purchasing. The store not only stocks anything cheesy but also things to go with it. You can find cured meats, pâté, crackers, and a huge range of condiments.

C’est Cheese
A person wearing a yellow sweater is buying something at Schoc Chocolates, a  chocolatier in Greytown, Wairarapa. The worker is handing them the bag as another shopper is browsing in the background.

Schoc Chocolates

177 Main Street, Greytown, Wairarapa

Greytown’s main street has a sprinkling of cocoa. Local chocolatier Schoc Chocolates has been operating since 2002. It creates delicious treats in-house that will please the serious chocolate-lover. With a background in counselling, owner and chocologist Murray Langham knows the healing nature of a block of choc. He uses the sweet treat as a type of therapy. Housed in a quaint colonial Greytown cottage you’ll find classic and contemporary flavours inside. Try the best-selling lime and chilli chocolate for a flavour hit and grab a gift (or a snack for the road) before you leave.

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Stonehenge Aotearoa taken at night time with the milky way above.

Stonehenge Aotearoa 

51 Ahiaruhe Road, Ahiaruhe, Wairarapa

New Zealand’s unique open-air astronomical observatory, Stonehenge Aotearoa lies east of Greytown in south Wairarapa.

Built following ancient knowledge of stone circles, the henge has been adapted to New Zealand conditions. You can learn about the cycles of nature, movements of celestial bodies, and early astronomy.

Looking heavenwards and finding meaning in star movement has long been a preoccupation for many cultures. Stonehenge Aotearoa helps explain the phenomena you can observe in the skies. Private tours are available but otherwise, visitors are welcome to take a self-guided tour. 

Stonehenge Aotearoa
The forecourt outside Aratoi. There is a large archway with carved Māori figures and motifs in the middle of the forecourt. A family of three are walking through it. The Aratoi buildings are in the background.

Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History

12 Bruce Street, Masterton, Wairarapa

Open since 1969, Aratoi remains the only public collection of artworks in the Wairarapa region. In the centre of Masterton, it is a cultural focal point for the town. It hosts 25 to 30 exhibitions annually and includes shows by local and national artists. There are roughly 4,000 works in its collections ranging from artworks and Taonga Māori to social history items. On top of public education programmes, the gallery hosts a live performance series in a former Wesley Church onsite. The space has been converted into a gallery and concert hall.  

Aratoi
A family of five stops to admire the tree canopy while walking through Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre.

Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre

85379 State Highway 2, Mount Bruce, Wairarapa

Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre is an unfenced breeding sanctuary for native wildlife. Located on the border of the Tararua and Wairarapa regions, the 942-hectare site is home to a dense lowland podocarp forest. That forest is home to native wildlife including birds and reptiles. Pūkaha has contributed to the recovery of several endangered native species including kōkako, kākā, whio, pateke and shore plover. The aviaries on-site hatch kiwi, kākā and kākāriki for release back into the wild.

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