What is Featherston Booktown?

Featherston Booktown is an annual literary festival held each May, established in 2015. Dozens of bookshops and author talks take over the town. Featherston has more secondhand bookshops per capita than anywhere else in NZ.

What is the Fell Engine Museum?

The Fell Engine Museum on Lyon Street houses the world's only surviving Fell locomotive, H 199, used on the Remutaka Incline from 1875 to 1955. Open weekend mornings, modest entry fee.

How do I get from Wellington to Featherston?

The Wairarapa Connection train from Wellington Railway Station takes around 70 minutes to Featherston, with several services per day. By car, around 70 minutes via SH2 over the Remutaka Hill.

What was the Featherston Military Camp?

Featherston Military Camp operated 1916 to 1918 as the largest WWI training camp in New Zealand. It reopened in WWII as a Japanese POW camp, the site of a 1943 riot in which 48 prisoners and a guard died.

Which schools are in zone for Featherston?

Children living in Featherston are in zone for Kuranui College, Featherston School Te Kura o Paetūmokai. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Featherston?

Use the School Zone Checker on this page — enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Featherston, Wellington | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Est. Median Value: $544K
Median Weekly Rent: $400/wk
Safety Score: 58/100
Green Space: 51%
Current Weather: 9.7°C
Median Age: 41 yrs

Living in Featherston

Featherston is a small town at the southern end of the Wairarapa, around 65 km northeast of Wellington over the Remutaka Hill. Population around 2,500. It's been the southern gateway to the Wairarapa since the Remutaka rail tunnel opened in 1955, and the town has built an unusual reputation around two things: books and trains.

Featherston Booktown, established in 2015, runs an annual May festival that's grown into one of New Zealand's most distinctive literary events: dozens of bookshops set up around the town, author talks in the Anzac Hall, secondhand books spilling out of every available shopfront. The town has more secondhand bookshops per capita than anywhere else in the country.

The Fell Engine Museum on Lyon Street houses the world's only surviving Fell engine: H 199, used on the Remutaka Incline railway from 1875 to 1955. The incline was an engineering marvel of its time, with Fell engines using a third rail for grip on the 1-in-15 gradient.

The Anzac Hall and the Featherston Camp memorial commemorate the military camp that operated 1916 to 1918 and again during the Second World War. Featherston School handles the local primary kids.

Is Featherston a good place to live?

Featherston is home to roughly 2,793 people. On Suburb's overall livability scale, Featherston scores 68 out of 100, with a safety score of 58/100 and 51% green space.

Schools: Featherston has 4 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $544K, and weekly rent typically sits around $400.

Lifestyle: Featherston has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. Public transport stops are within easy reach. The current temperature is 9.7°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Featherston is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety58
Amenities70
Schools59
Housing Affordability69
Green space100
Community89
Transport10

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $544K
Median Weekly Rent: $400/wk
Median HH Income: $76K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +12.3%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in South Wairarapa District →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Featherston?: Featherston is a town at the southern end of the Wairarapa, around 65 km northeast of Wellington over the Remutaka Hill. It's the first town on SH2 after the hill, with Greytown 10 km north.
What is Featherston Booktown?: Featherston Booktown is an annual literary festival held each May, established in 2015. Dozens of bookshops and author talks take over the town. Featherston has more secondhand bookshops per capita than anywhere else in NZ.
What is the Fell Engine Museum?: The Fell Engine Museum on Lyon Street houses the world's only surviving Fell locomotive, H 199, used on the Remutaka Incline from 1875 to 1955. Open weekend mornings, modest entry fee.
How do I get from Wellington to Featherston?: The Wairarapa Connection train from Wellington Railway Station takes around 70 minutes to Featherston, with several services per day. By car, around 70 minutes via SH2 over the Remutaka Hill.
What was the Featherston Military Camp?: Featherston Military Camp operated 1916 to 1918 as the largest WWI training camp in New Zealand. It reopened in WWII as a Japanese POW camp, the site of a 1943 riot in which 48 prisoners and a guard died.

Featherston Weather

Current conditions: 9.7°C, overcast clouds

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	21.04	12.85	5.48	9.74
☀️ Feb	20.44	12.5	4.69	9.77
🍂 Mar	18.15	10.04	2.91	9.18
🍂 Apr	16.93	9.3	4.8	7.22
🍂 May	14.32	7.11	4.15	6.73
❄️ Jun	12.45	5.71	2.85	5.89
❄️ Jul	11.55	4.98	3.97	5.85
❄️ Aug	11.51	4.45	4.48	6.3
🌸 Sep	13.88	6.67	4.23	7.74
🌸 Oct	15.31	7.5	3.76	8.75
🌸 Nov	16.92	9.28	4.03	9.09
☀️ Dec	19.78	12.21	4.44	8.58

Est. Median Value: $544K
Median Weekly Rent: $400/wk
Safety Score: 58/100
Green Space: 51%
Current Weather: 9.7°C
Median Age: 41 yrs

Living in Featherston

The Anzac Hall and the Featherston Camp memorial commemorate the military camp that operated 1916 to 1918 and again during the Second World War. Featherston School handles the local primary kids.

Is Featherston a good place to live?

Featherston is home to roughly 2,793 people. On Suburb's overall livability scale, Featherston scores 68 out of 100, with a safety score of 58/100 and 51% green space.

Schools: Featherston has 4 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $544K, and weekly rent typically sits around $400.

Lifestyle: Featherston has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. Public transport stops are within easy reach. The current temperature is 9.7°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Featherston is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety58
Amenities70
Schools59
Housing Affordability69
Green space100
Community89
Transport10

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $544K
Median Weekly Rent: $400/wk
Median HH Income: $76K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +12.3%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in South Wairarapa District →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Featherston?: Featherston is a town at the southern end of the Wairarapa, around 65 km northeast of Wellington over the Remutaka Hill. It's the first town on SH2 after the hill, with Greytown 10 km north.
What is Featherston Booktown?: Featherston Booktown is an annual literary festival held each May, established in 2015. Dozens of bookshops and author talks take over the town. Featherston has more secondhand bookshops per capita than anywhere else in NZ.
What is the Fell Engine Museum?: The Fell Engine Museum on Lyon Street houses the world's only surviving Fell locomotive, H 199, used on the Remutaka Incline from 1875 to 1955. Open weekend mornings, modest entry fee.
How do I get from Wellington to Featherston?: The Wairarapa Connection train from Wellington Railway Station takes around 70 minutes to Featherston, with several services per day. By car, around 70 minutes via SH2 over the Remutaka Hill.
What was the Featherston Military Camp?: Featherston Military Camp operated 1916 to 1918 as the largest WWI training camp in New Zealand. It reopened in WWII as a Japanese POW camp, the site of a 1943 riot in which 48 prisoners and a guard died.

Featherston Weather

Current conditions: 9.7°C, overcast clouds

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	21.04	12.85	5.48	9.74
☀️ Feb	20.44	12.5	4.69	9.77
🍂 Mar	18.15	10.04	2.91	9.18
🍂 Apr	16.93	9.3	4.8	7.22
🍂 May	14.32	7.11	4.15	6.73
❄️ Jun	12.45	5.71	2.85	5.89
❄️ Jul	11.55	4.98	3.97	5.85
❄️ Aug	11.51	4.45	4.48	6.3
🌸 Sep	13.88	6.67	4.23	7.74
🌸 Oct	15.31	7.5	3.76	8.75
🌸 Nov	16.92	9.28	4.03	9.09
☀️ Dec	19.78	12.21	4.44	8.58

Living in Featherston

Is Featherston a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Featherston

Schools in zone for Featherston

Kuranui College

Featherston School Te Kura o Paetūmokai

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

St Teresa's School (Featherston)

South Featherston School

Explore Featherston

🎯Things to do(5)

Fell Engine Museum

Cross Creek Railway

Featherston Tennis Club

Featherston Junior Football Club

Featherston Rugby Clubrooms

🌳Parks & green spaces

🏥Healthcare(1)

Pae tu Mokai Featherston Medical

Eat & Drink in Featherston

🍽️Places to eat & drink(15)

Empire Hotel

Royal Hotel

Everest

Muhacha Grill

Quinwah Takeaways

Town & Country Cafe

Messines Bar & Restaurant

Brac & Bow

Baker

Empire Hotel Featherston

Loco Featherston

Everest Cafe

Umbati - Flavours of Africa

Mother Goose Bar & Kitchen

Everest Bistro

Tradies & Services in Featherston

🔧Tradies & services(2)

Lloyd Boys Construction

Meta Riddiford Kindergarten

Shops in Featherston

🛍️Shops(6)

Barbara Black Vintage Trader

C'est Cheese

Featherston Community Supermarket

Featherston Market

Four Square

Thirsty Liquor

Beauty & Fitness in Featherston

💅Beauty & fitness(5)

Featherston Junior Football Club

Featherston Rugby Clubrooms

Featherston Tennis Club

Karizma Kutz

Konstantin Studio

Professional Services in Featherston

💼Professional services(4)

Expert Buyer

Featherston Medical Centre

Rachel Clarke

Sharisse Eberlein Photography

Stay in Featherston

🛏️Places to stay(5)

Leeway Motel and Backpackers

Featherston Motels and Camping

The Royal Hotel

Sweet & Salty

Benvenuto

Featherston Weather

Featherston Community

Reviews of Featherston

Local tips

Things to do(5)

Parks & green spaces

Healthcare(1)

Places to eat & drink(15)

Tradies & services(2)

Shops(6)

Beauty & fitness(5)

Professional services(4)

Places to stay(5)

Things to do(5)

Parks & green spaces

Healthcare(1)

Places to eat & drink(15)

Tradies & services(2)

Shops(6)

Beauty & fitness(5)