This book features Wairarapa's coastal destinations and what you can see on the way. An ideal guide for locals and tourist to see our beautiful backyard.
Featuring maps, icons, stunning photographs by Pete Nikolaison and words by Gareth Winter, this locally made, locally produced and locally printed book (Printcraft), is another great example of what we are doing here in Wairarapa.
The Wairarapa coastline is a place of many contrasts with wild and rocky foreshores interspersed with long sandy beaches. It is sparsely settled along its many kilometres - there are no major towns between Wellington and Napier, just small villages and hamlets. Each of these has its special character, from the isolated wind-swept baches of Ocean Beach, through the fishing settlement of Ngawi to the resort-style village of Riversdale. These seaside escapes are all accessed from the towns of the Wairarapa valley.
Wairarapa’s main townships are all placed within the valley of the Ruamahanga River, their main function being to service the vast agricultural areas that surround them. In more recent times, their closeness to Wellington has brought a swathe of commuters and retirees, looking for the best of rural provincial living while retaining closeness to Wellington, the cultural capital.
All these townships have beaches available within a 45 minute drive. From each town, a network of rural roads winds its way through the eastern hill country to reach the coast. Some of these roads have their perils – proximity to the sea leads to erosion problems, especially in the south – but all travel through Wairarapa’s picturesque countryside, crossing numerous streams and snaking along precipitous ridges to reach the sea. A trip to the coast is a journey through New Zealand’s agricultural heartland.
With a variety of aspects, some sheltered from the north, others from the south, there is usually a beach to be enjoyed no matter what the weather is doing. And if it is not sunny enough to swim or surf, there is always the chance to have a leisurely stroll along the beach and exercise the dog at the same time!
Photography by Pete Nikolaison
Text by Gareth Winter
BOOK: A5 size, 140 Pages