Victorian Mod-Cons

Greytown in the Wairarapa – population 2001 and New Zealand’s first planned town – is definitely worth a visit writes the WA Today’s Kate Duthie, a town not unlike Berry, on the NSW South Coast. “In recent years, Greytown has undergone a transformation, making it a lively destination in its own right,” says Duthie, who books in for a few nights above the Main Street Deli at Apartment 88. “With interesting shops selling things you actually want to buy – furniture, homewares, gifts and clothes … Unashamedly Victorian in character, Greytown has become modern. There’s plenty to do around here. For surfers and beach lovers, the coast is 30 minutes away; there are also forest walking trails, golf courses, formal gardens and the Waiohine Gorge to visit as well as the wine trail through Martinborough.” The first Arbor Day celebration in New Zealand was held in Greytown on 3 July 1890.