At the foot of the Remutaka Ranges heading north on State Highway 2 is the township of Featherston: your first stop in the beautiful Wairarapa from “over the hill” direction Wellington and well worth a visit no matter which direction you’re travelling!
Set in a stunning natural environment, rich in history, with an awesome sense of community and an eclectic mix of things to see and do, Paetūmōkai Featherston is a great place to visit and to live. The Wairarapa Connection train stops a short stroll to the centre of town, where there is great coffee, eateries and speciality retail shops. Enjoy the cycle trails, museums, art gallery, sculptures, heritage trail, free outdoor pools, mini train, skate park and Joy Cowley’s children’s playground. As the home base for Wai Wheels and a neighbouring town to Martinborough, you will often see classic vehicles lining the streets.
An internationally accredited Booktown you can enjoy a large variety of bookshops, the Booklovers Trail and book related events throughout the year. The biggest of these events is the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival in May each year.
Featherston is also a great base for excursions to Lake Wairarapa, Lake Ferry, and the southern coast as well as east to Martinborough and north to Greytown, Carterton, and Masterton.
About
The purpose of this website is to be a source of information about Featherston and provide a home for the Featherston Biz Engine (business association).
The website is operational with the assistance and support of the Featherston Community Centre Charitable Trust. The original Featherston website was created thanks to the hard work of local superhero Jennifer Grey and funding support of Fab Feathy Ātaahua Pae tū mōkai.
In February 2024, Fab Feathy’s 6 year Community Lead Development partnership with the Department of Internal Affairs came to an end. As one of the last pieces of mahi (work) the Featherston Info website was upgraded and functionality improved.