The Wairarapa Overview

In summer, the Wairarapa buzzes with daytrippers and weekenders from Wellington who brave the highway’s twists and turns to seek solace in the pastoral landscape and award-winning wines. The vineyard-studded plains and accompanying yuppies are newcomers to a region of natural austerity. The blocky Tararua Mountains form North Island’s tailbone, while Pacific swells rage and retreat along isolated coastal stretches from mighty Castle Rock down to Cape Palliser’s prominent lighthouse. Regional transportation is scarce, but after a meal and a glimpse of the hills, travelers realize that there’s no reason to head anywhere else.

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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.