Masterton Town Hall is an old stone building.

Founded in 1854, Masterton is the largest town in the Wairarapa, servicing the surrounding farmland.

Masterton has more of a city feel with many chain shops and places to eat located in the centre of the town.

There are still many historic buildings dotted around, including the Town Hall (1918), the Wairarapa Times-Age building (1938), and the Public Trust Office (1920s).

Located 100 kilometres away from Wellington, it is an easy two-hour drive, passing by smaller towns: Featherston, Greytown, and Carterton. Masterton sits between the Ruamahunga and Waingawa Rivers, with the end of the Waipoua River skirting the northern end of the town.

A key feature of Masterton is Queen Elizabeth Park, which spans over 20 hectares and has giant sequoia trees and a miniature railway. Next to Queen Elizabeth Park is Henley Lake Park, covering 43 hectares of wetland and native plants. With many trails, it’s a popular spot for walkers, runners, and cyclists.

Masterton hosts the International Shearing and Woolhandling Championships — the Golden Shears — every year.

The town is often touted as the “Best Little City” and was even named New Zealand’s most beautiful city in 2017.

Location details

Jurisdiction Masterton District Council
Permits required Yes, apply for a permit
Location descriptors City, downtown, parks, gardens, roads, shops, suburban, town squares, towns, urban, buildings, streets, civic buildings, historical architecture, bridges, streams.

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