Aotearoa, Cape Palliser, Kirikiri Bay, Ngawi, North Island, Wairarapa, Wild Horses

Ngawi In The Wairarapa

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Ngawi Beach

Having spent the early part of the day climbing up the 253 steps to Cape Palliser Lighthouse, I couldn’t help but spare a thought for the early lighthouse keepers at the Cape. When the lighthouse was open in 1897, not only did they have to scramble up a muddy, 58 metre-high cliff to get to the lighthouse, but they had to manually haul large drums of oil and kerosene up as well. This lunacy continued for the first 15 years of operation at Cape Palliser until someone had the genius idea of putting in a set of steps! So, having explored the famous lighthouse and the nearby fishing villages, avoiding washed out sections of road, I stopped and went for a walk along the beach at Ngawi. 

It was then that I noticed an extremely large and ominously dark wall of weather approaching from the south. Earlier in the day, I read that snow was forecast to fall in the Wairarapa area however that was something I’d chosen to ignore. I’d simply assumed it wouldn’t happen. After all, how often do you really believe snow will fall when it’s forecast. Now, late in the afternoon it seemed that snow was on its way.

Aotearoa, North Island, Remutaka Hill, Tales In Time, Upper Hutt, Wairarapa

The Remutaka Road

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The Remutaka Hill Road

The Remutaka Hill road is a narrow and winding 14km stretch of state highway, north of Wellington that snakes its way from Upper Hutt, over Remutaka Hill to the Wairapapa. Now, I can tell you that when you find yourself stuck on the Remutaka Road, in a very long line of traffic that isn’t moving, you have lots of time to ponder. So, that’s just what I did and within the great many things that crossed my mind, one question I kept coming back to. Who was the first person to drive over this road? That question ruminated in my mind for quite some time and while I didn’t discover the answer, I did find out the interesting tale of the Greytown to Wellington train from September 1880.

It seems that on the 11th September the train left Greytown at 8:30am bound for Wellington city. After stopping at Cross Creek where a second locomotive was added for preceding hill climb, the train set off over the Remutaka Hill. All was going well until about 1200m from the summit at a point called Siberia Curve when suddenly, a massive gust of wind hit the train. Estimated at nearly 200km/hour, the fierce wind swept three carriages off the tracks into the gully below, killing four people and leaving debris scattered across the hillside. Fortunately, following the accident the brake van remained gripped to the track enabling the rear brakesman to uncouple the van and coast back down the hill to Cross Creek to get help.

Aotearoa, Cape Palliser, North Island, Travel, Wairarapa

KiriKiri Bay (Useless Bay)

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Kirikiri Bay, Cape Palliser – Buy 

Sometime around the year 1827, French Explorer Dumont d’Urville named this location ‘Useless Bay.’ On account of the fact that at the time he was unable to go shore due to heavy seas. To some degree he was correct, as there is a long list of shipwrecks and stories of boats sinking after striking rocks along the rugged and dangerous coastline. These days, it’s better known as Kirikiri Bay and is right next to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse.

Creativity, Martinborough, North Island, Wairarapa

Return To Martinbourgh

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The former Martinbourgh Post Office & Store – Buy 

I thought I’d quickly detour back to Martinbourgh to follow up on a post I did the other day about  the Martinborough Hotel. Well, literally just across the road on the corner of Kitchener Street and Memorial Square is the former Post Office and Store. To this day it remains another fine example of the building and architecture from the pre-1900 era. 

 

The streets of Martinbourgh
“Wanting to pay tribute to the city of London, all the streets leading out from the main square were planned and built in the form of a Union Flag.“

Aotearoa, Martinborough, North Island, Travel, Wairarapa

The Martinborough Hotel

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The Martinborough Hotel – Buy 

If you’re going to name a town, why not name it after yourself! That’s exactly what Irish settler John Martin did in 1879. After arriving in the South Wairarapa District from Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand, John Martin purchased a large sheep station with plans to develop a town in the area. Wanting to pay tribute to the city of London, all the streets leading out from the main square were planned and built in the form of a Union Flag. In 1882, three years after John Martin first purchased the land where Martinbourgh would be developed, on the corner of the town square the grand Martinborough Hotel was built. At the time, so impressive was the Martinborough Hotel, the proprietor boasted that it was ‘the finest hostelries ever erected in any inland town in New Zealand’.

Featherston, North Island, Wairarapa

Fareham House

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Fareham House – Buy 

There are rumours that this place is haunted. It’s called Fareham House and is set amongst 25 acres of farmland, bush and orchard. While I was in the North Island, I spent some time in the Wairarapa District. On my travels, it was one of the places I stayed at. Before I arrived at Farehouse House , I had read that it was haunted and upon browsing in a local bookstore, one of the owners had informed me that it ‘most definitely was haunted.’So, you can imagine my excitement and anticipation when upon arrival I found the house to be a massive historic homestead that seemed perfect setting for some ghostly haunting.

Aotearoa, Cape Palliser, Martinborough, North Island, Travel, Wairarapa

Snow In Martinborough

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Snow at The Martinborough Hotel  – Buy 

I’d spent the day at Cape Palliser, the southernmost point of the North Island. There, I explored the famous lighthouse, wandered around a few of the fishing villages, avoided washed out sections of road and went for a walk along the beach. Now, arriving back at my base of Martinborough, I discovered snow was starting to fall. Earlier in the day, I read that snow was forecast to fall in the Wairarapa area however that was something I’d chosen to ignore. I’d simply assumed it wouldn’t happen. After all, how often do you really believe snow will fall when it’s forecast.

Featherston, North Island, The Haunting of, Wairarapa

The Haunting Of Fareham House In Featherston

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Fareham House in Featherston – Buy 

While I was in the North Island, I spent some time in the Wairarapa District. On my travels, one of the places I stayed at was Fareham House in Featherston. Before I arrived, I had read it was haunted and upon arrival in Featherston while browsing in a local bookstore, one of the owners had informed me that it ‘most definitely is.’So, you can imagine my excitement and anticipation when upon arrival I found the house to be a massive historic homestead, set amongst 25 acres of farmland, bush and orchard. The perfect setting for some ghostly ghouls to haunt. 

Unfortunately, the only thing I discovered at Fareham House was a hangover the next morning after a little too much overindulgence at a bar the night before.

Aotearoa, Martinborough, Travel, Wairarapa

The Martinborough

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The Martinborough Hotel – Buy 

When John Martin was born at Moneymore, County Londonderry, Ireland, in November 1822, I wonder if it occurred to him that he would end up having a town named after him? John Martin first came to New Zealand on the ship the Lady Nugent in 1841 at the age of 19. After spending most of his years in the North Island (along with a few sea voyagers), he eventually purchased 33,346-acres of land in the Wairarapa for a reported £85,000 in 1879. Martin then split the run into 334 small farms and the township of Waihenga was subdivided into 593 sections and renamed Martinborough.

Cape Palliser, Travel, Wairarapa

Cape Palliser Lighthouse

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Cape Palliser Lighthouse – Buy 

Early on my climb up the 253 steps I had to ascend to get to the Cape Palliser lighthouse, I couldn’t help but spare a thought for the early lighthouse keepers at the Cape. You see, when the lighthouse was open in 1897, not only did they have to scramble up a muddy, 58 metre-high cliff to get to the lighthouse, but, they had to manually haul large drums of oil and kerosene up as well. This lunacy continued for the first 15 years of operation at Cape Palliser until someone had the genius idea of putting in a set of steps!

Featherston, Spring, Travel, Wairarapa

Featherston & The Rimutaka Hills

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The Rimutaka Hills – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I stopped in Featherston and ate before I found a place called Loco. A delightful place that was not only a second hand bookshop but it was also a coffee shop. I instantly adored it. The shelves were piled with books from every genre spread out over two rooms that filled all the spaces inbetween. There were couches, sofas and chairs set out around a coffee table in the shop window while at the back of the store a more extensive reading area had been created with plenty of nooks and crannies to tuck yourself into. 

It wasn’t long before I had found a copy of Truman Capote’s 1966 non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood and armed with a delicious cup of joe, I settled myself for a chapter or two.

Later, remembering I still had nearly 70 kilometres left until I got to Wellington, I pointed my car in the direction of the Rimutaka Hills, the Hutt Valley and Wellington.

Caterton, Masterton, Spring, Travel, Wairarapa

Carterton & Masterton

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Bizarre Attractions in Carterton – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

The drive from Martinborough to Masterton took about 40 minutes and was uneventful. Which is just what you want to be able to say when the national road toll regularly reaches around 300 deaths per year. It rained the whole way, apart from when it was snowing and hailing. I can’t say the journey was boring, more unremarkable! Which is a good way to describe Masterton. Maybe it was the rain, hail and snow however I drove from one side of the town to the other, went around a round-about and drove out again without finding a single reason to stop. I just couldn’t find one. I really tried, I really did, however I just couldn’t for the life of me convince myself that it would add to my day or life in any conceivable way. So, leaving Masterton behind, I headed for Carterton and a coffee. 

Carterton is a pleasant small town and unlike Masterton holds a bit of allure. It’s surrounded by farmland and hills that provide a lovely backdrop for the town itself. I stopped at a place called Wild Oats for coffee and drank it while rummaging through a second-hand store called Bizarre Attractions next door. A shop filled with curiosity, it had everything from records to old tin cans, toys and gardening equipment. I hunted through the vast collection of items in a world of happiness and while I didn’t find inspiring sophistication, I did find something better, joy and delight. Exiting the shop, finishing my coffee and bidding the owner Graham farewell, I took a moment to read about Carterton’s namesake Charles Rooking Carter at a nearby statue before walking back to my car. 

The rain settled in once more and I became hungry. In need of lunch I made up my mind to eat in the nearby town of Featherston and that is where I headed next.

Martinborough, Spring, Travel, Wairarapa

Martinborough

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Martinborough – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

The next day I awoke feeling cold. Throughout the night the surrounding hills of the Wairarapa had been covered with a dusting of snow. I’d spent the previous evening enjoying the hospitality of the local hotel, discussing the benefits of wearing a Peak Blinder hat and the virtues of the late, great All Black Sir Brian Lochore. This then led to a much deeper discussion on if it’s still possible to make the All Blacks by playing for Wairarapa Bush without playing Super Rugby. We all agreed it wasn’t. 

Yesterday, leaving Cape Palliser the weather had turned nasty pretty quickly and so I’d decided to leave having a stroll around the town of Martinborough till the next day. Now, in the brightness of a new morning with the odd hail storm passing overhead, I went for a look around. 

The town very much had a ‘summer vibe’ to it. The houses all had either contemporary designs or were upgraded Villa’s with wrap-around decks to provide shade from the summer sun. There were swimming pools, vineyards and olive groves aplenty. All of which suggested that in summer if you like complicated and lavish food platters with expensive wine then this was the place to be. I came to suspect that Martinborough was a place that shutdown over winter and was just now coming out of its hibernation. 

Walking in the hail I passed the now familiar hotel and passed the Old Post Office which had been converted to a Boutique shop that among other things, claimed to have Inspiring Sophistication. Not being confident about what inspiring sophistication was, I went in. It took all of about 15 seconds to decide that if what was in front of me was inspiring sophistication then clearly it was something I was lacking. What’s more, since it seemed to involve floral designs, gourmet gift presentations and stuff made with lace, it wasn’t something I’d be purchasing in this lifetime, and dare I say it, the next!

Over the next hour I wandered around the village square and the surrounding shops while rain, hail and snow showers passed by. As I was preparing to leave, I spotted two things that caught my interest. The first of which was a sign at the Wine Merchants. I stood for a moment, studying the sign to make sure I understood it properly. It appeared that you could buy wine and also hire bikes. Now, I don’t want to cause alarm, but doesn’t that seem a tad dangerous to anyone else? Secondly, I discovered that the town of Carterton was nearby. Thus it was that I made up my mind to make Carterton my next stop, after Masterton.

Cape Palliser, Spring, Travel, Wairarapa

Cape Palliser Lighthouse

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Cape Palliser Lighthouse – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I arrived at what can only be described as a ‘makeshift’ parking lot. Standing in an enthusiastic wind, I steady myself for the ascent to the red and white striped Cape Palliser Lighthouse that sat on a rocky point some 60 metres above me. 

To get to the Lighthouse (having first survived the drive), first you must commit yourself to climbing the 252 steps which were built in 1912. Keeping in mind that the Lighthouse was first lit in 1897, that gives 15 years that Keepers had to scramble up a dangerously slippery dirt track just to reach the Lighthouse. Once there, they still had to haul the supplies (oil and kerosene) up the cliff face to the light station by way of a hand winch.

Getting supplies to live off was just as complicated. Stores were delivered every 3 months, weather permitting. On the occasions when the seas were too rough, the stores were landed 6 kilometres away at Kawakawa Bay. This then left the Lighthouse Keeper with the dilemna of getting the stores back to his lodgings. 

Standing at the Lighthouse I took a moment to take in my surroundings. It was beginning to rain. The wind was picking up and I couldn’t help but reflect that the life of a Lighthouse Keeper must have been a lonely existence. With that I departed, heading for the charm of the Martinborough Hotel.

Cape Palliser, Spring, Travel, Wairarapa

Cape Palliser

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Mangatoetoe – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

The next day, heavy, dark clouds hung overhead like a thick blanket and in the distance a wall of weather loomed ominously on the horizon. Between, patches of blue sky gave a sense of hope that there might yet be some fine weather left in the day. I hoped so, I was heading for Cape Palliser Lighthouse, the southernmost point of the North Island. 

Approaching the coast which would eventually lead to the Lighthouse, the wind picked up and the countryside changed to a beach of blacksand with dramatic pinnacle cliffs. Occasionally I’d pass cribs and huts that were scattered along the road that held little or no protection from the elements. I manoeuvred past partially washed out roads and small villages that were filled with crayfish pots and fishing boats that were pushed into the sea by bulldozers. The road narrowed to a single lane, a ford had to be negotiated, fallen rocks scattered the way ahead and I lost wifi coverage. This was a place that you’d truly have to love to spend any length of time. It was  New Zealand’s rugged coastline at its very best and what’s more, it had a Lighthouse!