Carterton & Gladstone

Carterton is close to the Tararuas and the wine-producing area near Gladstone. A farming town, Carterton is also home to a thriving arts and crafts community and some of the region’s most singular tourist attractions. Originally called Three Mile Bush, Carterton was established in 1857 and renamed after local philanthropist Charles Rooking Carter.

Local attractions include:

• Stonehenge Aotearoa is not so much a replica of England’s ancient Stonehenge as a practical, open-sky observatory.
• Paua World offers a shop full of brilliantly coloured jewellery and gifts plus a short film and a behind-the-scenes tour.
• Waiohine Gorge, south of Carterton, makes a scenic entrance to Tararua Forest Park. Test the new swing bridge – reputed to be one of the country’s longest.
• North of Carterton, Mount Holdsworth, is the gateway to many famous tracks, offering anything from an hour’s walk to several days tramping. There’s plenty of shelter and picnic areas and you can swim in the crisp, clear rivers.
• Parkvale Mushroom Factory, five minutes drive from Carterton reveals the mysterious world of the mushroom.
• Carter's Scenic Reserve near Gladstone offers easy walking through a rare mix of habitats once typical of the Wairarapa.
• Break for lunch at the Gladstone Inn, a proper country pub, or the cafe at Gladstone Vineyard.
• Book a tour of distinctive gardens – the formal Richmond Garden and hillside Assisi Garden. At Clareville, drop in to secret Awaiti Gardens and historic Daysh House Garden.
• Hot-air balloons take off from Carterton – to fly, pick up a leaflet at an i-SITE.