Embrace influence of big city

Once you're past the Rimutaka Hill, visitors to Wairarapa are effectively as free as a bird. PHOTO/FILE

IT IS certainly a regular pattern of seeing Wellingtonians soaking up our Wairarapa sun come the long weekends -- or any weekend, for that matter.

The problematic traffic the Kapiti Coast has to endure is not a feature here, and once you're past the Rimutaka Hill, visitors to Wairarapa are effectively as free as a bird.

I often wonder how many travel the other way on their day off?

When you live in the countryside it seems almost an act of heresy to suggest there are pluses in travelling to a city for recreational purposes, and I sometimes wonder if Wellington is stereotyped as "the big smoke" too readily, as if a city, as a concept, is disdainful.

It would be far too easy to become parochial towards your own locality, too defensive, where the reality should be that New Zealand, and indeed the big wide world, is for exploring.

It was a sentiment perhaps enhanced by the super-city debate, when it was proposed that Wairarapa should become part of a one-city concept.

That wasn't a goer, and rightly so, but I worry we put too much emphasis on our divide, our differences.

So I am encouraged by the number of people who made suggestions on our Facebook page regarding having Saturday trains to Wellington that are better suited for shopping.

Granted, that's probably not ideal for our own retailers to hear, but my view is that a pattern of economy can take a long time to achieve a result. Wellington unquestionably has more shops. It also has a beautiful harbour, a waterfront, cafes, restaurants, galleries. There are people of sophisticated tastes in Wairarapa, who appreciate art and fine food.

Wellington creates a market of people who want nice things. As a consequence, Greytown revived its fortunes, based around retail. If people travel to Wellington for nice things, it will build a desire for similar shops closer to home. And, at the same time, boost the train service.