wairarapa, the

1. set of districts over the Rimutaka Hills, largest town is Masterton, pop ca 20,000. Prized day trip to wineries and natural splendour therein, particularly Martinborough, particularly in November for Taste Martinborough, a festival designed so that many Wellingtonians can come to town, eat a lot, drink a lot, throw up and then leave.
2. interesting fact: when you get to one of the beaches in the Wairarapa, if you hold up a seashell to your ear, it plays the theme from Deliverence.