The Classic New Zealand Wine Trail runs off the coast of Napier above Martinborough to Wellington and to the South Island after Blenheim.
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The Classic New Zealand Wine Trail goes from the red wine growing area Hawke’s Bay across the wine-growing region Martinborough to Blenheim on the south peninsula, the center of white wine cultivation in the region Marlborough.
preparation
The route can be traveled as desired, the description is based on a start in Napier and the end in Wellington or Blenheim.
getting there
Napier is on SH 2, the city is the end point of the themed routes Thermal Explorer Highway and Pacific Coast Highway.
Here we go
The 380 km long route can of course be covered in one day, but that does not correspond to the motto of the trail Drive slowly and with pleasure. It is a good idea to cover the distance to Martinborough in one day and for the capital Wellington Allow adequate time.
Napier - Dannevirke (124 km)
Of the Art Deco-City Napier it goes over first Hastings to about 60 km away Waipawa. The warehouses, in which over 2 million boxes of apples are packed for export every year, are striking. The next place is Waipakurau, You often see large flocks of sheep next to the halls of a meat processing company. The journey continues up through rural areas Dannevirke.
Dannevirke - Masterton (83 km)
Even behind Dannevirke, the landscape hardly changes. To the west are the mountains in the distance Ruahine Range, otherwise you drive through farmland, mostly with animal husbandry. At Woodville the SH 3 branches off, it goes through the Manawatu Gorge to Palmerston North. However, the route remains on SH 2, now the mountains to the west are the Tararua Ranges, the area is now called Wairarapa. One of the next places is Eketahuna, it's a bit isolated from the rest of the world even for New Zealand terms, like Wikipedia about Eketahuna White. Then you soon reach Master tone, the largest city in the Wairarapa region.
Masterton - Martinborough (55 km)
The SH 2 follows from Masterton Cartertonthat as Daffodil Capital is considered capital of the daffodils. Here is a good time to visit Stonehenge Aotearoa at. The next place is Carterton, here you can find in the Paua World Jewelery made from the mussel known and loved throughout New Zealand. You can get to via Greytown Featherston, here you leave the SH 2 and follow the SH 53 Martinborough, the center of red wine cultivation in the region.
Martinborough - Wellington (76 km)
Now it's back to Featherston from Martinborough. The SH 2 now leads to the west and between the Tararua Range and the Rimukatu Range through into the valley of the Hutt River. You are now in the Wellington metropolitan area, through Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt one arrives in the center of the capital.
Wellington - Blenheim (120 km)
Of Wellington from it is first 90 km by ferry to Picton. The city to the Marlborough Sounds however, it is better known for hiking trails and water-related activities than for wine. However, that changes quickly when driving south on SH 1. After a few kilometers you reach the wide valley of the Wairau Riverin which the vines of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay thrive well.
