And a happy New Year to everyone! We hope that a joyful festive season was had by all.
We recently visited the Wairarapa region to attend the wedding of our friends, Hamish and Alice. Roughly an hour from central Wellington, the region is well equipped for a relaxing weekend sojourn. Beautiful rolling hills frame a landscape which shares vineyards, olive groves, farmland, and a number of hamlets and towns. The region invites good weather during the summer period, and on this count it did not let us down during our brief stay.
Bucolic beauty among the hills close to the town of Martinborough.
The wedding reception was held at the Brackenridge Country Retreat, which is but a short drive from Martinborough. It hosts a function centre, a spa retreat, and a number cottages and studios within its expansive grounds. This view is sweeping south to some cottages and the hills beyond
We stayed in one in one of these nicely appointed and restful studios.
Bridal transport posing in front of the function centre.
The function centre, which housed the reception, opened to a lush and inviting lawn. Forgive me, but as Charlotte comes from an architectural family I feel duty bound to borrow oft-used industry lexicon that this design allowed for 'good indoor-outdoor flow.'
We have always wanted to call into the award-winning Clareville Bakery, just outside of Carterton township. And we did just that the morning after the wedding. The Bakery resides in one of the oldest buildings in the region, as the above photo reveals. Great interior details includes rolling pin-shaped door handles and AGEE jar pendant lights.
En route home we purchased some roadside summer fruit. An almost ritual practice on such journeys.
Words by Craig Greaves and photographs by Charlotte Minty.
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