Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September 2025
This tour offers visits to Wairarapa gardens at historic homesteads that aren’t usually open to visit as individuals, plus we check out Greytown and Featherston townships with their eclectic shops and historical buildings and have dinner in Masterton with an interesting guest speaker.
Itinerary:
Saturday 27 September 2025:
10.00 am: Meet at Te Papa
10.30 am: Depart for Featherston
11.30 am: Arrive Featherston – 30 min wander around Featherston township
12.00 pm: Brac & Bow restaurant at the Royal Hotel for lunch
1.30 pm: Arrive Rototawai for guided tour of gardens and gallery – approx. 1.5 hours
3.15 pm: Drive to Greytown – free time to wander the township/shops
4.30 pm: Visit Greek Orthodox Church in Masterton
5.00 pm: Drive to Copthorne Solway Hotel in Masterton, check in.
6.00 pm: Dinner at Copthorne Solway with special guest speaker, local (retired) historian Gareth Winter
Sunday 28 September 2025:
8.00 am: Leisurely breakfast at the hotel
9.30 am: Depart for Brancepeth, 30 min drive
10.00 am: Tour of Brancepeth Historic Homestead’s expansive gardens & outbuildings with a talk from host Edward Beetham
12.30 pm: Depart Brancepeth for a 10-minute drive to Te Parae Homestead
12.45 pm: Lunch at nearby Te Parae Homestead – Upon arrival guests will be seated in the dining room of the Homestead for a welcome chat then served a 2-course buffet lunch. This will be followed a by a tour throughout the garden, stables and parts of the Homestead and a talk about the property & family history.
3.30 pm: Depart for Wellington
5:00 pm: Arrive Te Papa, Wellington – end of tour
Tour inclusions based on minimum 20 guests:
– 1 night’s accommodation including breakfast at Copthorne Solway Hotel
– plus 2 x lunches and 1 x dinner
– drinks purchases and other incidentals are an additional cost
– escorted tours of historical sites and gardens
– transport to/from and around Wairarapa by coach
Price per person:
– Twin share: $790 per person
– Single room: $915
Tour and Travel arrangements include coach travel from/to Te Papa with driver and tour escort.
Price is based on a minimum 20 passengers and includes GST.
A non-refundable deposit of $200 per person is required to secure your space on this tour. Please transfer payment to NZ Travel Brokers (client trust account): 02-0727-0074481-02, use KH FOTP as your reference.
Deposit is refundable if minimum numbers for the tour are not reached.
Once full payment is made, the booking is not refundable if the booking is cancelled within 20 days of departure.
We recommend domestic travel insurance be taken out at time of booking to cover unforeseen cancellation costs, please ask for a quote.
To book contact Katrina Harding, NZ Travel Brokers – 027 466 3900 or email [email protected]