In the Neighbourhood

Riversdale Beach Resort

is located a short 15-minute drive from Homewood. The village features a local store (providing coffee, icecreams, takeaway meals and basic grocery supplies), a 9/18 hole golf course (all day green fee $25) and a surf club (operating beach patrols during the summer months).  The beach itself is a lengthy stretch of sandy coast ideal for long walks or as a play area for the kids to blow off some steam.

Rewanui Forest Park

is located on the Masterton Castlepoint Road approximately 20 minutes from Masterton, or 30 minutes from Homewood and boasts several walking tracks. You will drive past this Park on your way to Homewood so it is a great place to stop on your journey. The Park is a 334 hectare property that has consists of both native bush and open grasslands, and is a trial site for both native and exotic timber trees.  Its tracks offer walks that range from 45 minutes to over two hours. A map of the walking tracks can be downloaded from the Trimble Foundation website.

Historic Tinui Village

is also worth a stop on your way to or from Castlepoint. It is the location of the first Anzac Service in NZ which took place in 1916.  After the 1916 Anzac service, at the Church of the Good Shepherd, the congregation carried materials to construct a cross on the hill overlooking the village - the first Anzac monument. Find out more information here.

Castlepoint

is a 50 minute drive away, and makes for a fantastic day trip. The beach has been voted one of NZ’s top 10 most loved beaches and has something for everyone.  The soft sanded swimming beach transitions into a rocky bay famous for its fishing and surfing opportunities, which also holds the historic lighthouse. The Castlepoint lighthouse was first lit in 1913 and is one of the last two remaining beam lighthouses in NZ. For those feeling energetic there is also Castle Rock to conquer. Located at the southern end of the beach a climb up the “rock”, which can be seen from our farm, offers stunning views back down the coast, and is a great way to build up an appetite. If you wish to alleviate this, a stop at either the Whakataki Pub or the Tinui Bar and Café on your way home might be in order.

The Gladstone Inn

is what you come across if you drive for forty minutes in the opposite direction to Castlepoint and Riversdale.  Nestled alongside the Ruamahanga river in one of the Wairarapa’s main wine producing areas, the Gladstone Inn, or the ‘Gladdy’ as it is affectionately known is one of New Zealand’s most famous country pubs, featuring in Bartlett and Corfe’s book “The Great Kiwi Pub Crawl”.  The pub comfortably caters to those who want a hearty rural experience, such as a burger or steak and chips with their beer, but can equally appeal to those who appreciate the finer things in life, with their impressive local wine selection and wood fired pizza oven, as well as the stunning outdoor dining area which runs down the aforementioned river.  Preview their menus and get more information from their website.  (Please note – the road between Homewood and the Gladstone Inn can be treacherous as much of it is gravel, narrow, windy and occupied by logging trucks during the week.  We would advise only using it on weekends.)