Featherston is the first stop over the Rimutuka hill, it was originally a staging post when the Rimutuka’s was just a track. Featherston then became a railway town and in WWI an army training camp was built and later converted to a POW camp in WWII. Featherston is the gateway to wild stretches of cliffs, rocks and water that are Palliser Bay and Lake Wairarapa. From Featherston it is a short drive to Martinborough boasting more than 30 vineyards, along with olive groves, quality restaurants and its own boutique cinema.