KEY POINTS:
In April 1844 one of my husband's ancestors, Charles Bidwill, drove his
flock of 350 merino sheep around the rugged coastline from Wellington to south Wairarapa, making him the first settler to arrive there with his stock. It was a wild, untamed place back then, plagued with mosquitoes and floods and short on food and fun. So it must have come as something of a relief to his descendants some 40 years later when the area got a decent pub.
The Martinborough Hotel still stands at the entrance to the square of the most charming of south Wairarapa's villages. Today it's a busy boutique hotel with a lively bar and an acclaimed restaurant, but it's likely that, were those early Bidwills to be somehow beamed in from the past, they'd still recognise the graceful lines and wide wrap-around veranda of what was described as "one of the finest hostelries erected in any inland town in New Zealand" by its developer back in 1882.
Those doughty Bidwill early settlers would surely be reassured to discover the nearby general store Pain and Kershaw is still run by the same family, and happy to find that the remaining streets are laid out in the shape of a Union Jack - just as fellow settler and Irish immigrant John Martin, designed them. They'd even come across two of their descendants, Josie and Sophie Bidwill, in their stylish boutique Thrive on Kitchener St, designing and selling the world's most comfortable undergarment, the Thunderpant.
However, pretty much everything else about Martinborough would perplex them thoroughly, particularly the vineyards that hem the village and the
eclectic mix of upmarket boutiques, gift shops and eateries lining Kitchener St.
There's no shortage of food here now. In fact you can get cafe or restaurant fare that rivals anything you'd find on Auckland or Wellington menus. Although the landscape of the south Wairarapa remains wild and beautiful, Martinborough has become a little pocket of civilisation.
It wasn't always that way. Until the surrounding land was discovered to be perfect for growing wine grapes, it's fair to say things were looking a bit faded. By the early 90s even the Martinborough Hotel wasn't quite itself. Over the years it had been turned into more of a rough-looking boozer than a fine hostelry, but happily its present owners - using old photographs and plans as a guide - restored the hotel to its former grandeur in 1996.
There are many places to stay in and around the village, but here is where you'll find the greatest sense of the area's history. Now known as Peppers Martinborough Hotel, the establishment's 16 guest rooms are named after early settler families, such as the Bartons and the Riddifords, and there are framed black and white photographs of them hung in the rooms and hallways. Even Charles Bidwill is there, looking faintly disapproving (I'm told he didn't drink) outside the entrance to the Bidwill Room. Each room is decorated differently, some have claw foot baths, others open out on to the veranda and the courtyard garden, but all are elegant and comfortable. It's the perfect place for a romantic weekend away: a base for wine tasters, food lovers or anyone who wants to explore the area.
Personally I could while away hours drinking beer and eating deep-fried snacks in the bar, but if activity calls there's no shortage of options. Lots of the vineyards have tasting rooms or restaurants, and touring them by bicycle is a popular option particularly as the area immediately around Martinborough is blessedly flat.
Also some of the nearby farms offer adventure activities. At McLeods you can explore the hill country on quad bike and, a little further on, Patuna Farm offers trekking on quiet horses or you can take a picnic and walk the limestone chasm admiring the stalactites and waterfalls.
One of my favourite excursions is to the rugged fishing village of Ngawi at Cape Palliser - there's a seal nursery in the rocks where you can watch the babies frolic. And at the end of a busy day sipping the local pinot noir or embracing the outdoors it's a comfort to know there's a bed waiting at a fine hotel and a little something delicious concocted from local produce just a historic staircase away.
- Detours, HoS
