Just passing through on State Highway 2

C'est Cheese

On a road trip? Stop in and get a taste of our fascinating, friendly towns. This itinerary assumes you're travelling north from Wellington. If you're heading the other way, just flip it around.

Follow your nose to C'est Cheese

  • Featherston's the first town after the Remutaka Hill. When you get there, head straight for gourmet cheese shop C'est Cheese and get your picnic sorted for lunchtime.
  • Explore the family-friendly Fell Locomotive Museum and see the steam train that once hauled passengers over the Remutaka Hill.
  • An hour or so to spare? Check out the town's quirky vintage stores - you're bound to leave with something unique!

Drive another 15 minutes and...

Stretch your legs in gorgeous Greytown

  • Greytown was the site of New Zealand's first Arbor Day. It's a town packed with history. 
  • On the way out of town, pull in at family-run Pinehaven Orchard or the Big Apple and stock up on locally-grown fruit.

Just ten minutes up the road is...

Quirky Carterton

  • Op shop till you drop! There are cool second-hand stores in Carterton.
  • A bit of art shopping at Heart of Arts.
  • Try Aunt Ginger's Kitchen for exquisite European style cakes and macarons.

Another 15 minutes and you'll be in...

Family-friendly Masterton

  • Jump in a pedal boat, feed the ducks, hire a bike to explore fabulous Queen Elizabeth Park and Henley Lake. It's the perfect spot for picnicking.
  • Stock up on holiday reading at Hedleys - a top quality independent bookstore smack bang on the main street.
  • Check out the latest exhibition at Aratoi, the Wairarapa's Museum of Art and History

Heading further north? Here are some top spots for breaking up the drive:

Pukaha National Wildlife Centre

Tui Brewery Experience

Middleton Model Railway and Farmhouse Cheese