Scenic Full Day Private Tour of South Wairarapa

Hop into a car for the private guided tour from Wellington. Reach the Kaitoke Regional Park via a scenic drive, walk through the rainforest, and take in the sights of the majestic Kahikatea trees located in the foothills of the Tararua Ranges. Visit Rivendell, the magical location where The Lord of the Rings trilogy was shot. Next, dive into some history with a drive to Remutaka Hill summit, 555 metres above sea level, to see the Remutaka Crossing monument. It commemorates the 60,000 New Zealand troops who crossed from Featherston Military Camp to the Port of Wellington during World War One.

Everything Cheese, Chocolates, and Wine

A scenic drive takes us to the South Wairarapa town of Featherston, home of C'est Cheese. Sample local and international varieties of cheese made by the owner and cheesemaker Paul Broughton. Next, we drive further north to the next stop, Schoc Chocolates, Greytown. Taste and purchase the various artisanal chocolates offered here. Luxuriate, enjoy a lunch platter, and sip on delicate wines at two different wineries as we head southeast to the Pinot Noir capital of the North Island, Martinborough.

Visit the Picturesque Cape Palliser Lighthouse and Cape Palliser Seal Colony

Get ready for some exercise as we drive to Cape Palliser, the southernmost point of the North Island, to walk the 253 steps up to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse for glorious views over the South Pacific Ocean and the South Island. A short drive takes us to the Cape Palliser Seal Colony to see herds of cute seals and take pictures.

Visit the Charming Ngawi Village and Sample Locally Produced Honey

We wind up our day-long excursion as we drive to the quaint seaside village of Ngawi, where guess what? Tractors outnumber the population! The last pit stop before we head back to Wellington is Greytown Honey, where we learn how honey is produced and sample the wide selection of locally produced honey.