Volunteers at Masterton’s Trade Aid store are passionate about building sustainable communities through fair trade and the moment you walk into Trade Aid, you know you’re somewhere different. Exotic and colourful crafts, toys and jewellery adorn the walls while bags of certified fair trade organic coffee await purchase from those wanting an ethical caffeine fix.
Jim Hart’s work regularly takes him to some of the most scenic parts of the Wairarapa, but he’s not standing around taking in the view. As manager of Homewood Building, he oversees the building of modular homes, and his company has built a reputation for speed and efficiency of construction, as well as the highest standards of workmanship.
A Wairarapa tourism venture, the Tora Coastal Walk, has won the inaugural Enterprising Rural Woman Award. The venture is run by Jenny Bargh and Kiri and Kath Elworthy. Rural Women New Zealand, which organises the award, says it established the competition to highlight the innovative ways women are contributing to the rural economy. The organisation’s president, Margaret Chapman, says the passion shown by the women for their business, its economic success and their contribution to the rural community were the deciding factors in the win.
 Pinning legendary political PR guy Richard Griffin down in one spot is a bit like herding cats – something he actually knows a bit about, having three of the felines sharing his Greytown home. But an hour or so over coffee and distractions with the acknowledged ‘doctor of spin’ reveals not so much a restless spirit as a world of adventure – a life less ordinary.
 My wife and I moved to Masterton five and a half years ago. I won’t bore you with the story of how we came to be in Masterton, except to say that it’s not where we thought we’d end up. What drove us out of Wellington, in the end, was the weather. I think we decided to quit the day we drove home and saw a shrub my wife had planted the previous day being blown down the street in one of those bracing cyclones.
What better way to while away a winter weekend than with great food, wine and a few good friends? Celebrate the season with a mid-winter Christmas in Wairarapa.
 Just before leaving Featherston on the way to Greytown you pass John’s Workshop on your right hand side. The engine on the green sign above the window and the actual one below, quaintly painted red, say it all.
 For almost half a century it has been my family tradition to take a Sunday Drive. Destination off the beaten track. One of our best-loved destinations is Ocean Beach on the edge of Palliser Bay. The departure point for Ocean Beach is Featherston although it can be reached by taking the Barrage route across the bottom end of Lake Wairarapa.
Running an architectural practice on both sides of the Rimutaka Hill, Gina Jones and Malcolm Fleming divide their time between Wellington and Greytown. In the capital, they live within walking distance of the firm’s main office in Thorndon, but both see their Greytown cottage as home.
 In these days of a global economy, the Wairarapa is home to quite a number of people carrying out business on the international stage while enjoying the ‘good life’ that our region provides.
 Graham Smith discovered that although it’s a relatively new development, the Martinborough Estate has a settled, mature feel. Each of the fifty-five freehold sections is nestled into the existing contours of the 34-hectare site. This minimal use of earthwork means the Estate has none of the drab flatness or ugly scarring caused by heavy diggers.
 In the second of a series Barbara Gillham visits the vineyards of North Wairarapa, discovering the beauty and abundance of fine wines. BORTHWICK ESTATE VINEYARD Wine maker Paddy Borthwick is passionate about his wine and the Wairarapa, a region he believes produces some of New Zealand's finest wines.
Situated in Dakins Road, an area renowned for its 'boutique vineyards,' Borthwick Estate is recognised for the quality of the wine it produces. Since its first release in 1999, the vineyard has accumulated an impressive number of medals, a testament to Paddy's winemaking skills and the quality of his wine.
 As well as producing multiple award-winning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, Martinborough’s Tirohana Estate is quietly celebrating the first anniversary of their restaurant, Tirohana Cellars. The recent presentation of a Beef and Lamb NZ Hallmark of Excellence award is a very fitting anniversary present.
 Growing, cooking and sharing their food is all in a day’s work for the children of Martinborough School. The trestles are up, the serving hatch is open, the cooks are finishing off today’s “Special” and the aroma of pumpkin, apple and cinnamon wafts out over the school playground.
It’s a great leveller because the roles that they perform back in the work-place are no longer relevant - but teamwork is. A couple of years ago, Jan Barrett at Providore Food and Catering was approached by a Wellington-based corporate events company which runs team-building activities throughout New Zealand. What they proposed was a scenario where teams have to solve cryptic clues to obtain a recipe and ingredients and then, aided by chefs from Providore, prepare the dish. The focus was on problem solving, teamwork and creativity. The initial event was held in the Anzac Hall in Featherston and some surprisingly good Profiteroles were the result.
New food market set to make the Wellington waterfront a food lover’s destination. The City Market – a new weekly food and wine market showcasing local artisan products and producers, will include many Wairarapa producers such as Lavender’s Green, Schoc Chocolates, Lot 8 olive oils, Bershams of Martinborough , The French Baker and Archer NcRae Wine Merchants.
 It’s no secret, Saluté has long been my favourite eatery in the Wairarapa. Whenever friends from ‘Over the Hill’ or further afield ask where to have lunch or dinner, I unhesitatingly recommend stopping off in Greytown for some of Travis Clive-Griffin’s yummy food.
 Drivers on State Highway 2 can’t fail to have noticed the spruce new building with the green and white stripy verandah, that’s sprouted up beside Greytown’s fruit and vegetable shops. This is Pinehaven’s new home and it’s more than quadruple the size of the old building.
Greytown Vicar Andy Eldred left his ‘life on the road’ behind him many years ago. But his ‘colourful past’ still attracts a lot of interest. A self confessed former ‘hell raiser’ he is the first to admit he’s ‘been there, done that’ and probably a lot more that he would prefer to forget. Andy’s life once revolved around the wild scene of rock’n’roll, far removed from his life today.
 Getting a facial as a birthday present was the catalyst for Julie Cuming deciding to become a beautician: “I had never had a facial before and my skin felt wonderful afterwards. I thought ‘Wow, this is something I could do.”
What’s a girl to do if she can’t find good quality jewellery in just the right size and style at a realistic price? Faced with this dilemma, Susanne Bird decided to make her own, and the idea for Red Petal jewellery was underway.
 Maybe there is hope for my gorgeous but (now) impossibly tiny waisted 1960's dress, last worn 20 years ago and long consigned to the back of the wardrobe because I can’t bear to part with it.
This is just one of the wardrobe dilemmas that Stephanie Rotman can tackle in her new ‘i-style’ business, which has one overall goal: “It’s about women feeling good about themselves.”
 Illustrating children’s books….it’s one of those occupations that appears on people’s lists of dream jobs - right up there with archaeologist and wildlife photographer.
 The Harlequin Theatre could be easily missed by those passing by. With its pale cream façade, and name slightly covered by thick bushy shrubs, there is little to attract a second glance, if indeed it were noticed at all.
 If the words ‘housing estate’ brings to mind pictures of small sections, and ‘boxy’ houses, then you haven’t seen Carrington Estate. When John Cameron decided to develop the land behind his historic home in Carterton, he had a vision and it certainly wasn’t one of dozens of homes on ‘handkerchief’ sized sections.
Cecci opened in November 2008 with a fresh, exciting and outstanding environment for Wairarapa shoppers. Ladies shoes, handbags, jewellery and home accessories with unique (in Australasia) Italian styling. Amazingly affordable prices without compromise to quality, are Cecci’s hallmarks.
 Jenine Noble and Reuben Weber believe in giving their clients plenty of choice and flexibility in designing and building their homes. “The key thing for us is listening to our clients needs, and giving them quality products and workmanship at an affordable price,” says Jenine.
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