Wairarapa is in the southeast of New Zealand's North Island, close to the vibrant capital city, Wellington, with its international airport and interisland ferry terminal. Wairarapa is bordered by the rugged Tararua Mountains to the west and the wild Pacific Ocean to the east, creating a wonderful sense of isolation. Whether your passion is communing with nature and exciting outdoor activities or the more genteel pastimes of discovery shopping, relaxing at a rural retreat, or quaffing quality wines, Wairarapa will delight you. The Wairarapa experience is all about getting off the beaten track. Be sure not to limit yourself to the main road or you'll miss many of the attractions. Wairarapa is in the southeast of New Zealand's North Island, close to the vibrant capital city, Wellington, with its international airport and interisland ferry terminal. Wairarapa is bordered by the rugged Tararua Mountains to the west and the wild Pacific Ocean to the east, creating a wonderful sense of isolation. Whether your passion is communing with nature and exciting outdoor activities or the more genteel pastimes of discovery shopping, relaxing at a rural retreat, or quaffing quality wines, Wairarapa will delight you. The Wairarapa experience is all about getting off the beaten track. Be sure not to limit yourself to the main road or you'll miss many of the attractions. Mt Hikurangi is the maunga tapu (sacred mountain), with which they have a long spiritual and historical association with it. This association dates back to the ancestor Maui-Tikitiki-a-Taranga who is said to have fished up the North Island whose canoe (Nukutaimemeha) is said to have come to rest on the peak of the mountain. Through the generations, Hikurangi has stood as a symbol of the mana of Ngati Porou, while at the same time acting as a pataka kai (food cupboard) and place of refuge during times of trouble About Mt Hikurangi