Some people I talked to have said this is probably one of the worst summers in New Zealand. December was supposed to be the start of the season, but all we got was mostly wind and rain. January was a bit better, with temperatures warming up. But February is probably the best, we’re having a lot of sunny days, warm enough to shed off our sweaters and put on some lightweight shirts. Nights are warmer too–we manage to sleep without turning on the heater and sometimes even turn on the electric fan.
Anyway, JP suggested that we visit Castlepoint, which is part of the Wairarapa region, near the area where we did our lavender picking a couple of weeks ago. It was a nice, sunny Saturday when we went there and it proved to be one of our most enjoyable trips so far.
Rimutaka Pass
Remember I mentioned this mountain range last time, but wasn’t able to take a picture? Well, we passed by it again and we had time to stop for a few pictures.
There is an option to hike a small hill to get a better view of the mountain ridge, but we didn’t have too much time, as we wanted to get to Castlepoint early. Maybe next time we’ll go ahead and try the hike.
Castlepoint
After a quick stop in Masterton for lunch, we arrived in Castlepoint, finally. We were greeted by this gorgeous view!
The thing is, we didn’t do research prior to getting here. JP and I thought we would only be seeing the Castlepoint lighthouse (which I’ll show in a bit). We didn’t expect a nice beach, so we didn’t have any wet suits for Katie or for JP. I do know that I packed several outfits for Katie, so I was fine if she got wet. And off they went!
Castlepoint Lighthouse
A few minutes’ walk away from the beach, is the Castlepoint lighthouse. Of course, we had to climb it!
JP only got halfway through the ramp. It got too windy for Katie that she got upset. They went down back to the beach while I continued the hike up. At 31 weeks in my pregnancy, it took me about 15 minutes to reach the lighthouse. Here are a few pictures I took from the top.
If you’re planning to drive here too, make sure your gas tank is full as we didn’t see a gas station anywhere nearby. Foodwise, it’s best to bring your own meal. I think there’s just a few small restaurants in the area and you may not like the food choices there.
We enjoyed our time at Castlepoint a lot that JP and I want to go back again when we get another sunny and warm day, hopefully before summer officially ends. And this time, we’ll bring proper bathing suits!
