Discover Pirinoa

There are different ways to get to know Pirinoa: Palliser Ridge’s agricultural character, local history and the surrounding landscape. Palliser Ridge in Pirinoa has a ridge with panoramic views of Cook Strait and the South Island.

Palliser Ridge: stays and visits by arrangement

Palliser Ridge offers an off-grid one-bedroom retreat. The Palliser Ridge Woolshed Store in Pirinoa is open at the farm by arrangement. Arrange your visit in advance and check the current arrangements. Palliser Ridge also offers fully traceable natural wool products, made with care entirely in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Culture, local history and food

Kohunui Marae in Pirinoa is the spiritual and cultural base for its affiliated hapū: Ngāti Rākaiwhakairi, Ngāti Hinewaka, Ngai Tukoko, Ngāti Ngāpūoterangi, Ngāti Rākairangi, Ngāti Hinetauira, Ngāti Kahukuranui, Ngāti Rua, Ngāti Rongomaiaia, Ngāti Rangaranga, Ngāti Kahukuraawhitia and Ngāti Mamoe. Burnside Church was built in 1875 and remains in near-original condition. It commemorates the colonial settler community and Presbyterianism in rural New Zealand; its aesthetic value means it continues to be a local landmark.

The Land Girl café in Pirinoa serves coffee and simple meals. It is located in a former blacksmith’s workshop. Check the latest information about café service before visiting. Pirinoa thus has a place to stop for refreshments and historic sites alongside the cultural life of the marae; these are different facets of the place.

Landscape and traces of the past

Nearby, Ōkorewa Lagoon lies east of Lake Ōnoke, just beyond the headland. It is a ten-minute walk from the Lake Ferry Hotel car park. For the past twelve years, volunteers have been planting the lagoon’s shores, creating important habitats for birds, including kororā, the little blue penguins. This combines practical directions with an ongoing conservation project.

Early Māori settlement is also tangible in the area: rectangular storage pits have been found near Tūranganui Stream by Pirinoa, as part of around 250 archaeological sites. Together with the marae and Burnside Church, they give an impression of the different cultural and historical layers that are part of the local surroundings.

More things to do in the South Wairarapa District

The wider South Wairarapa District offers a broader regional setting, ranging from wetlands to historic trails. Wairarapa Moana is a 10,000-hectare ecosystem of wetlands and open water. It provides habitat for native fish, birds and unique indigenous plants; you can kayak in the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands.

The Remutaka Rail Trail offers another way to experience the region: the 18-kilometre, easy-to-walk trail is suitable for hiking, running or mountain biking and features restored railway bridges and historic tunnels. Barr-Brown Bush has a network of short walking tracks through a 400-year-old remnant of native bush. At Cape Palliser, visitors can climb the 253 steps to the lighthouse; the cape is also home to the North Island’s largest fur seal colony. These examples are part of the South Wairarapa District and complement the local perspective on culture and landscape without describing Pirinoa itself.

Discover more destinations: Martinborough, Greytown, Kahutara.

Go to the main travel overview: South Wairarapa District.