For a special mid-winter meal, book a spot at the Trading Co. As well as classic pasta and steak dishes, you have to try the ultimate in comfort food, the delectable Gladstone pork belly - twice cooked pork belly, served with potato croquette, braised baby onions, glazed baby carrots, beans and rich pork gravy. As well as the food, relax with a drink in the inviting, warm atmosphere. The drinks selection is good with beers on tap and specials for the after work crowd.

Have a fish and chip meal at this restaurant on the shores of Lake Onoke with beautiful views of the Rimutaka Range and the South Island over Palliser Bay. This historical hotel serves up a superb seafood menu like whitebait fritters, paua fritters, and fresh fish from the locals and chips. There’s also pies, buffalo wings, lasagne and other comforting winter food and a full bar so you can sit outside in the outdoor seating area and take in the picturesque views.

Head down here on Wednesday open-mic nights when they offer dinner and live music. Set in an old school, they serve European-style food and are licensed so you can unwind with a drink with a delicious winter meal. For dessert, try a decadent cronut, a donut/croissant hybrid made with flaky pastry and real vanilla bean custard. It is a popular event, so book ahead to get a spot.

For a hearty meal, you can’t go past Apache Jacks. With a Tex-Mex menu, almost every meal has a bit of spice to warm you up. The chicken jambalaya, fajitas and BBQ ribs are tasty and will fill you up. All the mains are served with a jacket potato or beer battered fries and vegetables or a side salad. Don’t forget dessert, the banoffee pie or homemade pumpkin pie is a delicious treat.

Set in the beautiful Queen Elizabeth park in Masterton, you won’t regret coming here for a meal. They offer a bistro-style menu including lamb shanks, fresh fish and chips, and specials like pumpkin risotto, antipasto platters and spice rubbed confit duck. Happy hour is a good way to try local wines for a steal - try the Johner Estate Pinot Noir Rose for just $6 a glass. Dessert can’t be missed - try the vanilla bean creme brulee with orange & cinnamon ice cream & spiced, poached organic tamarillos.

The CLM Chill Out School Holiday programme is an excellent way to keep kids occupied during the school holidays. Based at the centre, there’s plenty of room for kids to run, swim and play when they’re not out on a fun trip. All kinds of entertainment is planned including a games show/quiz day, movies, a seniors rock climbing trip, super sports day, a bake off, mini disco, juniors trip to inflatable world, zumba and wheels day and seniors go karting. WINZ subsidies are also available to keep costs down.

Equippers Church is holding a kids holiday programme. This is an action packed fun filled programme titled "The Royal Project" for kids aged 5 to 13. The first weekend of the school holidays they are having a free bonfire night, with activities including eeling in the creek, sausages, roasting marshmallows over a huge bonfire, hot chocolates and the classic game of spotlight. WINZ subsidies are also is available.

An awesome programme is planned for kids at Dannevirke, Woodville and Eketahuna Libraries. Get the kids crafting at the free paper-based Craft Sessions for 5-12 year olds. Tall Poppies Youth Theatre Company will also be performing “Jack and the beanstalk” at Dannevirke and Pahiatua libraries for only $5 per child. Storytelling Empress Megan Hicks will wow children with her innovative story telling using origami. She is holding sessions at all four of the Tararua district’s libraries during the school holidays.

The friendly staff at the library are hosting two school holiday events aiming to make reading and maths fun. Maths is Fun is an exciting holiday maths programme with rewards, activity sheets and a certificate of completion. It’s designed to introduce maths via songs, fun activities and games. It’s free and runs for two half days during the first week of the school holidays. The Winter Warmers Reading Programme is also a free incentive based reading programme which runs for 6 weeks during the winter. Kids read books for enjoyment (this is not a competition). They then ‘report-in’ to their Library for a one-on-one session with their Librarians. The children receive a sticker each time they complete a review, and at the end of the programme there is a finale where they are presented with a certificate and book to keep.

Are your kids artistic? Or do you want to stimulate their creativity? Get them to the Aratoi July School Holiday art programme running on the 8,9, and 10 July. In this 3 day programme kids will create their very own junk puppet which will star in a short film called ‘The Time Machine’. Each creator gets a copy of the finished film and can take their puppet home. It costs $90 for the three day workshop, from 10am to 2.30pm including materials. This is for kids aged 8-13 years.

Make a night of it at the Wairarapa Trading Company and have a hearty meal and a tap beer before or after the game. There are three big-screen TVs in the bar and one of them is a 42″ in the pleasant courtyard. They have daily specials on drinks and food and a good selection of beers and wine.

Kuripuni Sports Bar offers a big screen to show all the games you want to watch from rugby to fencing to cricket. They have great bar staff who provide friendly service and plenty of drinks deals. There’s also an outdoor area that’s nice in summer and in winter, with outdoor heaters. If you need any more entertainment, they have darts, pool and you can have a flutter in the TAB area.

Come to the stately Royal to watch the big game on their large flatscreen in style. They often advertise games they’ll be screening on their Facebook page as well as drinks specials. Located in the heart of Featherston, The Royal Hotel is a popular meeting place for locals and visitors. Don’t forget to try the local wine and food, and enjoy the huge open fire and relaxing sounds.

Head to the Marquis to watch the game on one of the several screens in this historic pub. Grab the famous Wairarapa beer, Tui and try some of the tasty bar snacks. There’s plenty of seating so get some mates and watch the All Blacks. They have a happy hour on Fridays and often have live music if you want to stay on and party.

What could be more Italian than pizza? Come to Tripoli for amazing pizzas at the right price. They have a big range of wood-fired pizzas to choose from including seafood and even a dessert pizza. Of course, they also have tasty pasta dishes and other Italian-inspired mains. The service is great - staff are very friendly and will help you select what kind of beer or wine to match with your meal. There’s also outdoor seating overlooking the street if you like to people watch.

A mix of Italian, Spanish and Mediterranean inspired food, Bar Salute is an excellent choice to go for a special meal. The tapas menu is extensive and great to share among a group of friends. It includes so many delicious things, for example, the arancini - crispy risotto balls filled with braised pork & gooey mozzarella with garlic aioli, and green beans sautéed with spiced almonds served on romesco sauce and shaved Parmesan. There is also a pizza menu with gluten free options. Highly recommended.

Medici is a great place to go for some Italian-influenced cuisine in Martinborough. Start with some fresh Medici made breads with marinated olives and hummus and try the Risotto of the Day. Pair your meal with a local wine or tasty beer, listen to the live music and relax in a lovely atmosphere. If you’re hankering something sweet, try the traditional Italian gelato.

A Featherston favourite, Everest has a great atmosphere, friendly staff and a mouth watering menu. While not a specifically Italian restaurant, it has some delicious Mediterranean touches to its food. The ciabatta with olive oil, dukkah and butter bean dips is a nice way to start your meal and they have a great seafood risotto with the fish of the day.

This gourmet pizza place in Carterton is not to miss. Made the authentic way, the four cheese pizza is a deliciously decadent choice or opt for the classic Margarita. They also have amazing calzones, ribs and lasagne dishes. The service is very good and they pay attention to detail, making sure you have water and everything you need.

Kids will love the recreation centre’s pool and you could spend a good two or three hours here. As well as a hydroslide, there is a rapid river, a shallow toddlers pool, outdoor diving pool, and outdoor water slides. Learn to swim classes are also held for all ages.

This a great place for kids who love nature and native species like the kiwi. As well as walking tours, and interactive displays, there special kids activities that are fun as well as informative. Native eels, bird sanctuary and kiwi feature as well as Manukura, the rare white kiwi. There’s also a great cafe to take a break in.

The YMCA is home to lots of kids activities and sports like futsal. They also offer training for work and education programmes for teens and really good school holiday programmes.

This is a cluster of historic buildings that delves into Greytown’s 160 year old history with an original settlers home and stables. You can walk through the settlers house complete with chattels and see what life was like back in the 1860s. They have almost completed a new entrance building that will have interactive displays and better house the collection for better viewing. This place is enjoyable for all ages not just kids.

Experience one of the largest model railways in New Zealand at Eketehuna. Kids will have lots of fun watching miniature trains run between two stations in Middleton, an imaginary English town. There’s also an interactive display for kids with children’s book characters. It is static during the week so go on weekends and during school holidays to see it in all it’s miniature glory.

Breakfast here is fantastic. With The Village Grinder’s lively atmosphere and good coffee, going here for Sunday brunch won’t disappoint. Go for the Eggs Benedict - the hollandaise is the best in town, or the French Toast with berry compote - the tart flavour of the berries is delicious with the sweet, maple-drenched french toast. If you don’t want a full breakfast, there’s heaps of food in the cabinet like paninis, bagels, cakes and slices. There’s also a nice outdoor area on the street so you can people watch and catch some sun.

Head here on a Sunday for a delicious brunch with a twist, they serve brunch classics like bacon and eggs but also enchilada wraps- a kind of breakfast burrito , chilli corn fritters and toasted bagels. The lunch menu, which starts at 11.30am, does not disappoint either. Portions are generous and the place has a nice outdoor seating area to dine in.

Not to be confused with The Village Grinder in the same area, The Village Bakery and Cafe also offers good food at reasonable prices. Grab an iced coffee and a hearty sandwich, there’s lots of delicious bakery foods and gluten-free sandwiches for those with gluten allergies. If you’re a bit hungover, this could be the place for you as this is the home of the Wai Pie, pies are made fresh everyday and include tasty flavours like red wine and venison and butter chicken.

Wild Oats is an excellent place for brunch, especially if you need a place to take a large group. Great coffee and a huge range of food including generous brunch dishes like poached eggs, creamy garlic mushrooms on toast and the Carterton Breakfast. They also have heaps of other cabinet food options like muffins and quiches. If you have kids with you, you’ll appreciate the children’s play area.