Day Trip Wellington - Lake Ferry (Wairarapa)

This chapter of this site will be a suggestion for a nice day trip from Wellington to Lake Ferry in the Wairarapa.. Maybe you will be in the neighbourhood one day to enjoy this trip.

Leave Wellington via the Highway. Take Highway 2 in the direction of the Hutt Valley.

Because it will be a scenic tour, leave the Highway at the Petone Junction. In Petone there are two choices. You either take the Esplanade along the seashore or you drive through Jackson Street and maybe stop for a nice cuppa and a stroll along the shops.

Continue your way and follow the signs Wainuiomata. Wainuiomata is a Wellingtonian suburb hidden in a small valley. If you don’t live there, you don’t go there, but it is worth to have a look. It is a sheltered area. You can drive the Coast Road till Orongorongo, but with a normal car you will have to drive the same way back. For this Day Tour I suggest to drive trough the valley till Homedale and then turn around.

On the way out of the valley you will pass a look out point. Here you will get marvellous views on Wellington Harbour and the Hutt Valley.


Like I wrote, I recommend avoiding the Highway. An alternative route is the “old main road” through the Hutt Valley. Leave the road from Wainuiomata at the first traffic lights and turn right here. This will be Waiwhetu Road. You will see the bus stops, which means that you’re on the main bus route through the Hutt Valley. Just follow the bus route and you will pass all the small villages. And all these small villages make up the Hutt Valley.

If you follow the bus route you will end up in Upper Hutt. Still keep on going as straight as possible and then finally you will meet the Highway 2 again. Turn right and follow the Highway 2. You will automatically go over the Rimutaka Pass. At the summit are a look out and a tearoom. On a clear day you will have great views.


I would not recommend have a coffee at the summit, but to continue and pick one of the nice cafes in Featherstone to have a coffee or lunch break. After the refreshments make a U-turn and drive 200 metres to Western Lake Road.


It is very good sign posted. Follow this road till you can’t go any further. On your right hand side you will see Lake Wairarapa. It is a very scenic road with some one-lane bridges. Almost at the end there is a junction. You can choose to go the Lake Onoke and Wharakauhau. If you want to make some great photos take the road to Wharakauhau. If you want to go to the Spit take the direction of Lake Onoke. Or even better do both. (It is possible to walk the spit, but it depends on the tide.)


Across the Lake you will see the village Lake Ferry. This will be the next goal.

If you have seen it all, return the same way until the East West Access Road. Follow the signs to Lake Ferry. It is a 45 minutes drive. Lake Ferry is small community along the coast. Don’t expect major tourist attractions. There are some picnic spots and there is a hotel/bar. Just enjoy the scenery and take a look to the other side. That’s where you were just an hour ago.

After this visit take the same road back but follow now the signs to Martinborough. It will take you around half an hour to get to Martinborough. Take some time to visit this little place. Have a stroll through the shops or visit a winery.

If there is some time left, you can choose to continue to Carterton. In Carterton turn left and drive back to Wellington via Greytown and Featherston. If it is already getting late, I think it will be wise to drive directly to Featherston and go across the Rimutaka pass before it is getting dark.

The Highway 2 will bring you back to Wellington again.

We really enjoyed this trip. We did not do it as a day trip but we stayed in Martinborough with friends and we returned to Wellington the next day, after a nice walk in the fields and a great lunch in one of the cafes in Martinborough. But I wanted to give you this suggestion for a nice day trip from Wellington.