Carterton - Wairarapa
The Wellington region is packed with great beaches, big and small, and naturally is great for seascape photographers. For even more variety one can hop in their car and drive an hour or two to South Wairarapa. The weather is warmer and there’s less people, perfect for a mid-week getaway.
My wife, Rosie, and I booked three nights at a wonderful AirBnB property just a short drive from Carterton and on the same road as Stonehenge Aotearoa and the infamous abandoned house on the hill. It was such a good base to explore the region but also to relax in the shade and read a book when the temperature soared into the high 20’s (or 80’s in fahrenheit). We were 17km from Martinborough where we enjoyed some nice meals and bought our snacks for adventures.
I know the region well from all the years of surf missions and photography trips so had my itinerary sorted. I wanted to to shoot sunrise at Cape Palliser knowing there was a great swell hitting the coast for one morning only and sunset out at White Rock, a personal favourite beach of mine.
Cape Palliser was unusually busy at 6am with vans and campers parked up on the grassy verge between the road and the ocean, waiting for first light before the occupants donned their wetsuits and entered the water. There were five early birds already in the water when we arrived and an hour later there were close to 20 people out there enjoying good sized waves and the light offshore breeze. It was a chilled vibe with a couple of dogs enjoying their beach adventure and the melodic sounds of a bloke strumming his guitar. Across the road there were 30 pairs of shoes strung up to a barbed-wire fence and a smaller version of the Cape Palliser Lighthouse sitting proud, but unfinished, on a pile of rocks.
For sunset the next day we drove out to White Rock Beach through White Rock Station. The 24km long gravel road winds its way down the valley following the Opouawe River until you reach the coast. It’s a slow drive made even slower by the livestock that roam free in certain sections. We were in no hurry though. We arrived at the empty ‘carpark’ and saw nobody else for the four hours we were there. It was a dead still day but for the occasional zephyr that was more than welcomed as we made our way slowly from White Rock to the eastern end of the beach to shoot sunset. I feel I have unfinished business at this beach so I’ll be back there before long.
Details
Origin: Wellington
Destination: Carterton, Wairarapa
Driving Time: 1.5 hours (100km)
Sunrise: 6:05am; Sunset: 8:50pm
