Part of the joy of our house sit here in Martinborough is exploring the area around this beautiful town. We have done a couple of short road trips to explore and they have been wonderful.

Schoc Chocolates
Schoc Chocolates in Greytown was my favourite stop there. Located in a neat old building with great staff, it is fun to check out. They have an amazing selection of chocolates that you can sample before deciding on your purchase. I thought the wine tasting was great here, but this shop now leads the way as my favourite tasting stop.

The small town of Greytown, just 15 minutes north of us is a wonderful diversion. If you love trendy little boutiques and antique shops, this place will keep you busy for hours. I am not much into those things, however the chocolate shop and cafes did the trick for me.

NZ's Most Beautiful Town
The main reason for our trip here was due to the fact that Greytown had been voted the most beautiful town in New Zealand (with a population under 5,000) for 2017. It is a quaint and beautiful little town. However for me I still find that Martinborough is more to my taste.

Of the two day trips we did, the one south to Cape Palliser is my favourite. The scenery is outstanding and the road is a joy to drive. A motorcycle would be heaven on these roads.

Burnside Church
The Burnside Church, southwest of Martinborough. The biggest challenge to seeing the many beautiful sites along the road was just trying to find a safe place to stop the car. Luckily there was plenty of space here.
Putangirua Pinnacles
It was suggested to us to stop at the Putangirua Pinnacles on our way to the lighthouse. A short 2 km walk brings you to these hoodoo like features. For you Lord of the Rings fans this is where Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli searched for the Paths of the Dead.

We also did the short side trip to Lake Ferry. Maybe it was the weather (overcast while at the lake) or just the time of year, but I found the lake unremarkable. Cape Palliser was another matter. I loved it. (disclaimer: I have a bit of a thing for lighthouses)

Cape Palliser access stairs
If nothing else the 252 stairs to the lighthouse make for a great leg workout after the drive down.
Cape Palliser Lighthouse
For over 120 years this lighthouse has been warning ships off the southern most point of New Zealand.
Fur Seal Cubs
The north islands largest Fur Seal colony lives off the rocks of Cape Palliser. Despite the rain it was a joy to watch the antics of these beautiful animals.
Epic Views
It doesn’t seem to matter where we drive here there is always an epic view around nearly every corner.

I must be off now, I believe there is some more wine to sample. Perhaps coupled with some chocolate now.

 

Welcome to our travel blog. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to say, "I'm out of here?" Well we did, and in 2013 we made it a reality. We sold or gave away all of our possessions other than what fit in our luggage and we set off on an endless adventure. Part of our goal is to share our experiences with others and hopefully provide some information, motivation, or just a moments escape. The general idea was to look for a place that would be ideal to settle down in. However in the meantime it is about experiencing life in different countries amongst different cultures and learning how to understand and appreciate each other. A large part of our time is spent housesitting which provides an excellent opportunity to experience more of the "normal" neighbourhoods as opposed to the tourist locales. Though we make sure to enjoy those as well. So through plenty of photographs and a running commentary come and share with us our life on the road.

2 comments on “Martinborough Road Trips

  1. What a charming place! I hope someday to see New Zealand myself. Thank you for sharing the tour – and enjoy the wine with chocolates, delightful treats to end a great day 🙂

    • It is a delightful country. The wine and chocolates were divine. We are looking forward to sharing more about this wonderful corner of the world.

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