A-Z of NZ Locations, New Zealand

A-Z of NZ Locations – Greytown

Suzanne

In my series of A-Z of NZ Locations, I will take you for a meander around areas that are unique gems, some yet to be polished though worth a visit for either historical reasons, culinary delights or for the sheer vistas.

As previously mentioned, we were heading North, which means a ferry ride from Picton to Wellington

After navigating our way through Wellington, we head west over the Rimutaka Hill to a small town with a pleasantly relaxed vibe; Greytown.

Lovely cottages and many of the town centre has historic houses with boutique shopping

Historic Greytown was New Zealand’s first planned inland town. It was established in 1854 by Wellington settlers looking for small, affordable portions of land to farm. Governor Sir George Grey assisted them in their quest and named the town in his honour. 

The Greytown Library

This area has long been a favourite weekend for various visitors. With nearby Martinborough’s cellar doors, summer fairs, the town’s main street and mid-winter festivities, and Featherston’s book festival are magnets for visitors venturing over the Remutaka Hill. And now, there’s another local attraction gaining global attention; the region’s epic night sky.

 Dark Sky Reserve status 

The night sky

Recently, a sizeable chunk of the Wairarapa has been officially named a Dark Sky Reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association, the second in the country after Canterbury’s Aoraki-Mackenzie. New Zealand’s newest Dark Sky Reserve spans all of South Wairarapa and Carterton districts, covering 3665km of pristine inky blackness now protected from unnecessary light pollution. It’s one of only 20 such sites worldwide, a spot deemed by international astronomy experts as having some of the best views of our vast Southern Hemisphere skies.

Thanks to the naturally low-lit surrounds of the Pacific Ocean and the Remutaka and Tararua Forest Ranges, you can often take in the celestial splendour from backyards throughout the region. And there are many ways to make the most of the show.

About 90 per cent of the Wairarapa is great for stargazing, and there’s much to view year-round. In the winter months, in particular, that band of light we know as the Milky Way is directly overhead and can be seen in an especially stunning view from its centre, one of its brightest areas. There are also the Magellanic Clouds, two satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, visible to the naked eye.

Wairarapa Stonehenge

Watching the sun go down

Closer to Carterton than Greytown, history buffs can chart the skies the ancient way at Stonehenge Aotearoa, which is built to the same scale as its famous Northern Hemisphere namesake at Salisbury Plain in England.

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Published by Suzanne

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27 thoughts on “A-Z of NZ Locations – Greytown”

    1. Thanks very much, Neil, and yes, there are some golden, hidden gems away from the more popular touristy places in New Zealand. Motorhoming opened up our eyes to many small towns.

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  5. Wonderful night sky, Suzanne. Coincidentally we’re going stargazing down on a local beach this evening but it won’t be the same experience. A walking friend has a good telescope and is going to set it up down there.
    Yes, they make you feel very small!

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  10. That night sky shot is amazing! There is a dark sky reserve in Northumberland and we visited the observatory there a few years ago to watch a meteor showers and see the skies through their telescopes – awesome!

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