When it comes to thinking about the top things to do in Martinborough, the easy option is to think of the wineries and all the associated activities.
But there are more things to do in and around Martinborough than you might think.
So while many people will come to Martinborough on a day trip from Wellington, if you can, try and spend a couple of days in Martinborough to really get to know the area.
Here are some of the best things to do in Martinborough to get you started.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Visit the Wineries
2. Hike around the Putangirua Pinnacles
3. Visit Lake Onoke (Lake Ferry)
4. Head to the top of Cape Palliser Lighthouse
5. Checkout the Ngawi Bulldozers
6. Have a Pint at the Brewery
7. Experience Patuna Chasm
8. Do the Rapaki walk
9. Play a Round of Golf
10. Visit White Rock
11. Attend one of the Big Events
12. Shop at the Boutique Stores
13. Where to Stay
12 OF THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN MARTINBOROUGH
1. VISIT THE WINERIES
Let’s get this one out of the way. Martinborough is a small wine-growing region specialising in sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.
The majority of cellar doors, of which there are over 20, are boutique-like with their own twists and usually, you’ll get to chat with locals who are super passionate about the wines they grow.
And another great thing about visiting wineries in Martinborough is most of them are within walking and/or cycling distance. And renting a bike in Martinborough is super simple.
For more information about visiting the vineyards in Martinborough, read this post.
2. HIKE AROUND THE PUTANGIRUA PINNACLES
The Putangirua Pinnacles are an awesome rock formation that’s totally unexpected in Aorangi Forest Park. There’s nothing else like it anywhere nearby.
This Lord of the Rings filming location is formed thanks to the Putangirua Stream eroding edges away to form these awesome pinnacles (a.k.a. hoodoos) when the gravel beds are resistant to erosion.
The majority of you will walk to the lookout as you’ll see above. There are a few different routes to get there, but all take upward of 90 minutes return. They’re all relatively easy given the short distance, but if the weather is wild, do take care.
There’s also a longer walk you can do beyond the lookout that takes you further u the hill to get epic views to Lake Onoke and the coastline.
And yes, dogs are allowed here.
3. VISIT LAKE ONOKE (LAKE FERRY)
Lake Onoke (also known as Lake Ferry) is located next to the Cook Strait. Unless you’re a super confident swimmer, it’s not recommended to swim in here due to the strong currents from the waters of the strait.
It’s a nice place to take a walk and relax at. If you can go to the outlet you can get some pretty dramatic scenes! Try and do this in the hour or two on either side of high tide when you’ll likely see Lake Onoke and the Cook Strait connecting.
If you’re into fishing, you’ve fo a chance to catch a red cod and/or kawhai throughout the year. And for a bite to eat, head to the Lake Ferry Hotel.
4. HEAD TO THE TOP OF THE CAPE PALLISER LIGHTHOUSE
There’s always a cool feeling when you get to a lighthouse at the end of an island. And the Cape Palliser Lighthouse is one of those, as is Nugget POint in the Catlins.
With over 250 steps and known as Cape Palliser Lighthouse walk, it’s a short and sharp walk up to the top of the lighthouse. Luckily these aren’t the original steps that were slippery and hardly what you’d call stairs!
Once you get to the top you get epic views over the southern coastline of the North Island (this is the southernmost point of the North Island).
5. CHECKOUT THE NGAWI BULLDOZERS
Ngawi is a classic small kiwi beach town and has the highest bulldozers per capita in the world! Now that’s a fact 😀
The bulldozers lining the beach may look rusty and perhaps out of order, but if you time it right, you’ll get to see them in action as they drop the boats into the water in the morning, and collect them in the evening.
Some of these boats are quite large, which when combined with the steep stoney beach make bulldozers more practical than tractors.
It’s a nifty little town, with some airbnb options and there’s a little takeaway shop as well that could well be open.
I was going to put this in another things to do section, but between Ngawi and Cape Palliser, you can see some seals on the rocks, part of a permanent colony. Make sure you don’t disturb them though, observe them from afar.
6. HAVE A PINT AT THE BREWERY
There’s something satisfying about visiting a brewery in a wine region…it feels like you’re being naughty. Just me? Probably :p
Anyhow, the Martinborough Brewery is a micro brewery with each batch about 1200 litres, a lot of which stays at the brewery as well as a few stockists in the region.
They’ve got 8 beers on tap (including a cider), and if you find yourself really loving them, you can get flagons to takeaway which is fun.
Located in the heart of Martinborough, this has a hipster-like feeling for me, but not in an overly gentrified way. It’s hard to explain, you’ll need to visit yourself. The best is on a warm summer’s day in the garden bar.
And you can look through a window to see the brewery in action, and if you want to book a brewery tour, that can be possible if you get in touch with them in advance.
7. EXPLORE PATUNA CHASM
This is one of the newest and best attractions in Martinborough. It’s only open in the summer months (early November to early April), and with limited capacity it’s one of the top things to do in Martinborough that’s best to book in advance.
The chasm walk gets you up close to epic limestone as you wade through water than can be up to 1 metre deep. This is a stunning walk, and you’re on your own once you’re dropped off so you can experience the place at your own pace (make sure to get back in time for your pickup).
It’s worth reading the website to get a full description of what to expect.
Entry fee:
- Adults: $42
- Children $20
You can also stay at Patuna Farm which really does look remote.
8. DO THE RAPAKI LOOP WALK
This is a 4km loop track starting from here.
It’s well signposted and there’s a little bit of elevation with just over 100 metres throughout the walk. Depending on where you’re from this may be more than you’re used to, but there’s just a couple of short steeper sections.
On the walk you get great views back over Martinborough and the wineries. And it’s possible to get views back over the otherside to the wineries in the Te Muna Valley.
9. PLAY A ROUND OF GOLF
Martinborough isn’t known as a golf destination, but if you’re planning to spend a few days here, it might be just what you’re looking for to escape the wine for a few hours 😉
The par 72 course has been around for decades now with lots of trees that have been around for most of that time. It’s not an overly difficult course (mostly flat terrain), but at $40 for visitors it’s great value as the course is kept in good condition throughout the year.
They do have a few events on throughout the week, so if a round of golf in on your list of Martinborough activities to do, call them in advance too book a time.
10. VISIT WHITE ROCK ON THE COAST
Yes, the rock is white and it’s cool. But given it takes about an hour to drive here…you’ll want to be going for the remote destination feel, and the black sand beach as well to make it worth it.
The drive out there turns into a gravel road at about the halfway mark, and from there on you again feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere…which is really easy to do in the Wairarapa region.
Once you’re there, go for an explore and enjoy the place where there’s a good chance you’ll have it to yourself.
11. ATTEND ONE OF THE BIG EVENTS
Martinborough has some amazing events on throughout the year that the locals get behind, and other people from around the lower North Island will attend year after year.
Check out the dates for each of these events each year, and if you think you’ll be visiting Martinborough during the event, get a ticket and book your accommodation early!
Two of the biggest yearly events are:
12. SHOP AT THE BOUTIQUE STORES
The Martinborough township is small with all the shops in a relatively small area, and with a small population you won’t find any chain shops in Martinborough. That does mean that there are some local entrepreneurs who have some awesome small businesses with unique things to buy.
A few that may be of interest are:
- Schmid Gallery
- C’est Cheese
- The Martinborough Sweet Shop
13. WHERE TO STAY IN MARTINBOROUGH
As I was writing this post, I was coming across some awesome accommodation options in and around Martinborough, and overall they’re pretty unique.
So I decided to write a whole post on them which I’ll publish soon.
And there we go. That’s 12 of the best things to do in and around Martinborough. While most people might be heading to the wineries, be sure to check out some of the other great activities in the area.
If you’ve got any questions about what to do in Martinborough, feel free to send me an email to jub@churnewzealand.com or leave a comment below.
Enjoy!
WHAT TO READ NEXT:
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.