Top Things to do in Wairarapa
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Things to do in Wairarapa, North Island: The Best Museums
Lush Wairarapa, in the southeast of New Zealand's North Island, is about an hour from Wellington. Its a scenic train ride past Lake Wairarapa to Palliser Bay and the Aorangi Ranges. Explore the forests with birdsong and babbling creeks as a soundtrack. Bask on sandy shores with fur seals. Visit country fairs, pick cider apple and tour vineyards. Day spas, hot air balloon rides and quirky rural golf courses are other relaxing options. Quad biking and rafting offer more up-tempo diversions.
Restaurants in Wairarapa
1. The Pointon Collection
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
Private Collection of Vintage & Veteran Cars, motorcycles & automobilia displayed to resemble a 1930's country garage. This includes an extensive collection of garage equipment, signs, tools & manuals. All vehicles on display are in driveable condition. An extensive collection of original period clothing (1870 - 1970) is rotated every 3 months & the displays are changed accordingly - this includes wedding gowns, evening gowns, daywear, accessories etc. All visitors are greeted & taken on a tour of the complex - which also includes gardens & craft shop.
Reviewed By Gmacuku - Waiau Pa, New Zealand
Not just about vintage cars. More the wile range of tools and memorabilia from the period. Well worth visiting and if you have a guided tour with the Pointon’s then all the better.
2. The Vintage Aviator Museum
3. Fell Locomotive Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 70 reviews
Reviewed By TheAngelTree
Small, but very informative museum. Good for anyone interested in social history, not just railway enthusiasts. The guide was welcoming and gave us information we may not have picked up otherwise.
4. Featherston Heritage Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
5. Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 58 reviews
Wairarapa's only Art and History Museum / Founded in 1969 / Social History, Maori taonga and New Zealand Art / Public Collection of about 4,000 items / Creative Education Programmes / Live Performances / Museum Gift Shop / Cafe / Registered Charitable Trust CC 11262 / Entry by Donation / Koha
Reviewed By 759elib - Sydney, Australia
Spent ages trawling through the exhibition spaces taking in the interesting works on display the combo of indigenous and national artists featured is a roll call of who’s whose in the country. Fabulous place
6. The Woolshed Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
Reviewed By Youngone51 - New Plymouth, New Zealand
We found this place by chance and are so glad we went in. From the outside you would not believe that there are two old wool sheds on the site. We found it very informative, the displays were well laid out, and answered lots of questions that you didn’t know you had until you saw this place. A good place to go!
7. Martinborough Colonial Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7 reviews
8. Carterton Railway Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5 reviews
9. Cobblestones Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 137 reviews
Cobblestones Museum is located in Greytown on the site of the original Hastwell stables built in 1866. From here horse drawn coaches departed for Wellington and other Wairarapa towns. The new Entrance & Exhibition Building acts as an introduction to the museum and village and showcases a number of our larger and significant objects in our collection. The new exhibition building tells some of Greytown’s and Wairarapa heritage stories within it, and provides a link to other displays at Cobblestones and the region’s wider history. We also show the strong links to Papawai Marae and the exhibition features two river waka both of which were recovered from farmlands in the South Wairarapa. Within Cobblestone’s attractive village setting visitors can discover a range of historic buildings, giving an insight into life as it was lived by the Wairarapa’s first European settlers.
Reviewed By MKR61 - Macclesfield, United Kingdom
So pleased we stopped off here. Great museum of original buildings from local communities with lots of original artefacts. Particularly scary equipment in the little hospital, and sweet reminders of everyday life in the cottage. Excellent display of local photographs and history in the main building, well presented. Very knowledgable and friendly volunteers too, thank you!
10. Stonehenge Aotearoa
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 158 reviews
Welcome to New Zealand's only hands-on observatory where you can learn about astronomy, see the sky through our telescopes, attend amazing science talks and learn about how past civilisations deciphered the cosmos. Although similar in size and appearance to the Stonehenge on Salisbury plain, Stonehenge Aotearoa is not a replica. It is a complete and working structure designed for its precise location in New Zealand. We use it for both talking about our ancestors and explaining the night sky during our stargazing sessions at evening time. Check our website for more details and bookings. Daytime Take a tour into the past and discover the secrets of lost civilizations with our guided tours during the day. Nighttime Telescope viewing every Friday and Saturday evenings with operators who are astronomers.
Reviewed By Diver764965 - Auckland, New Zealand
Fantastic evening at the henge watching the sun set then looking at the stars through the telescopes. Hari the Astro biologist and Sam the Astro physicist were fantastic. So passionate about the stars and wanting to share that knowledge. We have visited the real stone henge as originally from the uk, but it is not a working henge and you can’t get up close to the stones. Although not made of stone It was fascinating to here how this is a working henge and how it is relevant to the night sky in the Southern Hemisphere here in NZ, for $15 fantastic value. Tip, where something warm once the sun goes it can be chilly even in January.
