Scenic South Wairarapa private full-day tour with lunch and dinner

After the guide picks you up from Wellington, make your way up the Hutt Valley to the first stop at the Kaitoke Regional Park located in the foothills of the Tararua Ranges to walk through the native rainforest and admire the majestic Kahikatea trees. You then visit the magical spot used as the set for Rivendell in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It’s a short drive of around 10-15 minutes to the Remutaka summit, 555 meters above sea level where you will view the Remutaka Crossing monument commemorating 60,000 New Zealand troops who made the crossing from the military camp in Featherston to the Port of Wellington. next 10-minute drive down to the South Wairarapa town of Featherston, home of C’est Cheese where you can sample magnificent local cheeses (Remutaka Pass cheeses are made on site) along with international cheeses from Owner/Cheese Maker Paul Broughton. Head further north to the quaint town of Greytown where you will visit Schoc Chocolates for a tasting of a wide array of artisan chocolates and of course purchase if you are tempted.

After School Chocolates, head southeast to the Pinot Noir capital of the North Island – Martinborough where you will enjoy wine tastings at 2 wineries including lunch. Once you have had lunch and wine tastings, drive out to Cape Palliser which is the southernmost point of the North Island. Work off your lunch by taking a ‘gut-busting’ 253 steps walk up to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse for magnificent views over the South Pacific Ocean and the South Island. Continue with a very short drive to the Cape Palliser Seal colony. Care is required – it is very important you keep at least 20 meters away from the Seals but most importantly do not get between the Seals and the ocean. Once the Seals have had enough ‘smiling’ for photos you will then head back to Lake Ferry stopping at the quaint seaside village of Ngawi. Fun fact: Ngawi has more tractors per head of population than anywhere else in the world. Return to Wellington arriving back to your drop-off location around 6pm.