Masterton District

Masterton is the Wairarapa’s main town and the home of the Golden Shears, the world championship of shearing, which tells you the sort of place this is: rural, hard-working and quietly proud of it. Pūkaha up the road is bringing native birds back from the brink, kiwi and all.

It’s the practical hub of a big farming region, with a solid main street and an easy reach to the wine villages and lakes nearby. The Wairarapa’s popularity has nudged prices up, but Masterton stays the affordable, down-to-earth centre of it, the working town the boutique villages lean on.

There are 35 suburbs and localities across the district. This page lays them out so you can compare properly: who lives where, what it costs, how the schools sit, and how the commute over the hill to Wellington shapes up.

Shearing glory, rare birds and an honest country town. Pick a suburb and have a look at Masterton.