Next tour dates: 14th and 15th November 2026
Two days. A small group experience. One landscape, seen properly — from the marae to the coast, the awa to the ancient forest.
Day 1
Marae to Coast
9.30am — Gather at the Green Jersey Depot 16 Kitchener Street, Martinborough. Meet your guides and fellow travellers, and get a brief on the day ahead.
10.00am — Pōwhiri and morning tea at Hau Ariki Marae A formal welcome onto the marae, opening the experience the right way.
Coffee stop at the Land Girl Café Pick up packed lunches break.
Ōkorewa Lagoon Light volunteering activity, view penguin nesting boxes.
Bus trip to Cape Palliser Stop at the Pinnacles for lunch. Visit ancient gardens, a kekēno (fur seal) colony, finishing with the story of the land at Cape Palliser itself. A gentle 2km walk.
5.00pm — Dinner at the Lake Ferry Hotel (self paid) A relaxed evening meal by the water followed by music and a singalong with local musician Sam Auger.
Boggy Pond conservation area (weather permitting) On the edge of Lake Wairarapa, spot and listen for matuku (bittern), spoonbill, spotless crake and other birdlife. A short walk.
8.30pm — Return to accommodation
Day 2
Farm to Forest to River
10.00am — Gather at the Green Jersey Depot 16 Kitchener Street, Martinborough. Brief on the day ahead.
Ruamāhanga Farm Meet the people transitioning a traditional stock and crop farm into a regenerative, community and conservation-oriented endeavour. A 2.4km wetland walk takes you past Te Reo o te Wai listening posts — created with local tamariki — followed by a hands-on conservation activity and a creative writing session.
1.00pm — Waihinga podocarp forest A picnic lunch in the bush, in one of the area’s remnant original forest stands, with time for a mindful nature-connect or arts-based activity among the trees.
Riverside walk along the Ruamāhanga Awa A 3km walk passing through the former Waihinga Pā site, hearing the story of the river and early Māori occupation of the area.
Afternoon tea and final reflections Above the river, a chance to sit with everything you’ve seen and heard.
4.30pm — Return to the Green Jersey Depot Tour finishes.