Work and play in the Wairarapa

The Wairarapa is a little slice of Europe with a distinctly Kiwi flavour: known for its gourmet food, premium wine and heritage buildings, it also has stunning New Zealand native forests, mountains and dramatic beaches.

It's fitting then that its star horticulture products are traditional European ones: wine and olives. In fact, Martinborough in the Wairarapa is internationally renowned for its pinot noir production. Vineyard owners and orchardists especially need people to work at harvest time in the New Zealand autumn and on into winter for pruning.

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Tourist attractions in the Wairarapa

The Wairarapa's five towns are Featherston, Greytown, Carterton, Masterton and Martinborough. Exciting rural events spice up the region's calendar including country horse races, fairs, fishing competitions, a scarecrow festival and the wildly popular Toast Martinborough Wine and Food Festival that attracts tens of thousands of people.

With vineyards open to the public, the Wairarapa is a major wine-tasting area with beautiful boutique accommodation. Its relaxed rural atmosphere attracts many weddings and weekend visitors from nearby Wellington - New Zealand's capital and the nation's hub for art, culture and music.

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