and berries grow plentifully in this
mild climate, as does chocolate. Well,
not actually, but you will find Schoc
Chocolates. Schoc sits at the front of
Cobblestones Museum where you can
walk through a village as if it were the
early days of a European settlement.
Schoc offers 85 hand-crafted f lavours
and a number of them are available
to sample. Try the dark chocolate
with chilli, the white chocolate with
cardamom, and the milk chocolate
with sea salt. The f lavourings are
organic, where possible, and sourced
locally. The base chocolate is hand-
crafted using classic techniques. Owner
Murray Langham, who has trained in
clinical hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic
programming and counselling, also
offers chocology as therapy. Pick up
a copy of Langham’s book Chocolate
Therapy: Dare To Discover Your Inner
Center for a chocolatey self-exploration.
Clareville
A bit further away, Clareville hosts
Clareville Fresh Milk, a vending
machine that provides raw milk
fresh from the farm. At just $3 a litre
(provided you bring your own clean
container, or buy a reusable bottle for
$5), you can enjoy milk from David
and Renee Smith’s family farm, and
their 34 hand-picked cows.
Clareville is also home to The
Clareville Bakery, where gourmet
pies of such ilk as lamb and kumara,
chicken and vegetable, and your classic
mince and cheese are baked fresh with
pillowy mounds of pastry atop them.
And if you happen to be there
on a Friday, pop into the Clareville
Showgrounds to experience a real
Kiwi livestock auction. You never
know what will be up for sale; there
could be ducks, lambs, cows or even
wild pigs. A coffee cart offers fantastic
long blacks (which you can add your
raw milk to) to sip while you peruse
the livestock.Organic produce
When you feel as though you need a
break from all the dairy, a trip to Food
Forest Organics should sort you out. If
you’re interested in plant-based foods,
or just looking for delicious food,
you’ll enjoy fresh organic produce
grown locally by Avatar director James
Cameron and his wife Suzy Amis
Cameron. Whether you visit the cafe
or the delicatessen, plant-based andgluten-free options are abundant - try
the local oils including hemp, walnut
and flaxseed.Honey
Masterton is the largest town in the
Wairarapa at the northern end of the
region. Here you’ll find Watson &
Son, a 100 per cent kiwi company
who specialise in premium Manuka
honey. Manuka honey is famous for
its antibacterial properties, and there’s
nothing better than a spoonful of pure
Manuka honey on a sore throat.Booze
While I’ve already touched on the
fantastic wine offerings from the
Wairarapa (and more on that soon),
Martinborough also boasts two gin
distilleries. Lighthouse Gin is famous
for its unique blend of botanicals
and a zing from New Zealand naval
oranges. The brand was established in
2005 but has recently fallen into the
capable hands of Rachel Hall, whoWHERE TO STAY
THE WHITE SWAN
COUNTRY HOTEL
On the Main Street of Greytown at the
south end, you’ll be hard pressed to
miss The White Swan Country Hotel.
Standing tall in all its blanc glory the
unique part of this hotel is the themed
suites on offer. Every room has its
own interior design, ranging from the
modern ‘Madison Suite’ through to
the sumptuous ‘Bombay Suite’ and
everything in between.
The White Swan Hotel is walking
distance to previously mentioned
Salute for dinner, and Food Forest
Organics for supplies. Greytown also
offers some incredible shopping
destinations including antiques and new
to town boutique clothing store, Stitch
(stitchboutique.co.nz).LONGWOOD LODGE
If you’d prefer to base yourself
somewhere central while still enjoying
a quiet country feel, you’ll enjoy the
self-contained cottages of Longwood
Lodge (longwood.co.nz). The three
cottages are all on the grounds of
the historic Longwood Lodge, and all
boast a New Zealand Historic Places
classification. The property is located
the ideal distance between Greytown,
Martinborough and Featherston for easy
access to all the region has to offer.