2 Best Sights in Wellington and the Wairarapa, New Zealand

The tiny settlement of Lake Ferry sits beside Palliser Bay, 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Cape Palliser. The lake in question, called Onoke, is actually a salt lagoon formed by the long sandbank here. Vacation homes, fishing spots, and remarkable sunsets bring in the weekend Wellingtonian crowd. If you’re coming from Martinborough, expect a 25-km (16-mile) drive through rolling sheep country.

A 15-minute drive north of Wellington on State Highway 2—with magnificent harbor views all the way—leads you to the Hutt Valley and its namesake river. The Petone Esplanade, on the eastern side of the harbor, has good fishing from the wharf and is overlooked by houses clinging to steep bush-clad hills. On the waterfront, visit the small but interesting Petone Settlers Museum; it's open Wednesday through Sunday, 10–4. Housed in the historic Wellington Provincial Centennial Memorial building, the free museum stands near the 1840 landing site of New Zealand's first organized European settlement. Nearby, Jackson Street is home to many boutique shops and eateries.