Our Top Things To Do in Martinborough Strolling or biking around the vineyards. The famous Martinborough Wine Trail features over thirty largely family-owned wineries, most within walking distance of the village, and taking in lunch along the way. Only problem is being spoilt for choice. Checkout the latest wine map guide & hours on https://wairarapanz.com/ Explore the boutique shops, cafes and restaurants in the Martinborough township. We recommend Café Medici. Open daily for breakfast & lunch(06 306 9965) .. Cool Change Bar and Eatery (06 306 9665) ... and the Circus Cinema Restaurant (06 306 9442). Among our wine trail food recommendations are Poppies for lunch (open 7 days -book online), and Tirohana Estate for lunch & dinner (open 7 days 06 306 9933) The Cape Palliser day trip is our out-and-out favourite - in all weather moods too. Rain, hail or shine! The stunning landscapes constantly change with all the light variations coming in off the sea. The Cape is 72k’s from Martinborough (about 1 hr 15 mins). The Cape Palliser lighthouse was built in 1897 and the view is worth the hike up 258 steps. Just before you reach the Cape Palliser lighthouse, you will spot one of New Zealand’s largest fur seal colonies. No problem getting out of your car to get closer to the seals for photos, but the expert advice is not to get between them and their escape to the sea. They can get moody. Another compulsory stop on Cape Palliser is the Putangirua Pinnacles, formed by 120,000 years of erosion – and a backdrop in Lord of the Rings. In Middle Earth the pinacles are on Dimholt Road in the Return of the King. There’s a two-hour long the stream-bed, or a longer 3 to 4 hour walk along a loop track. The rugged coastline fishing village of Ngawi is also on the way to Cape Palliser. Check-out the wild sea scenery with a lunch stop at the iconic Lake Ferry Pub on the Cape Palliser trip. Our favourite wine stop outside Martinborough is the Gladstone Valley (15 mins away) and think it's really under-rated with its pretty landscapes, and emerging vineyards. Take the drive from Martinborough to Gladstone via the Ponataki Valley. Carter Scenic Reserve near Gladstone offers easy walking through a rare mix of habitats once typical of the Wairarapa. There are 2 short walks: Kahikatea Walk: This 30 minute loop walks takes you through a flooded forest remnant in the Wairarapa. Ruamahanga River Walk: This easy 20 minute walk follows the boardwalk through the Carter Scenic Reserve, a recovering wetland in the Wairarapa. Also near Gladstone is Stonehenge Aotearoa - not so much a replica of England's Stonehenge as a practical, open-sky observatory. The astronomer tour guides are world class: Bookings essential 027 230 5190 Bike the Greytown Rail Trail. It's the old railway corridor from Greytown to Woodside station, which operated from 1890 to 1953. Starts at the end of Cotter Street, and is 5 kilometres. Take the 15 minute drive across to Greytown, brilliantly restored to reflect its colonial past, and now a boutique shopping paradise with many antique, arts and craft, gifts and design shops, plus its cafes and restaurants. Relive some of New Zealand's rail history at the Fell Locomotive Museum in nearby Featherston. It houses the world's only Fell engine used on the Rimutaka Incline.