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Story: Wairarapa places

Main street makeover

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Main street makeover

Kitchener Street showcases Martinborough’s transformation from utilitarian country town to urbane wine village. Many of the shops that once provided for the town’s farming hinterland now serve a different clientele. Cafés, restaurants, food stores and boutique hotels cater for visitors and weekend holidaymakers. Historic buildings have been gentrified and convey a sense of tradition and durability – important qualities in winemaking.

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How to cite this page

Ben Schrader, Wairarapa places – Martinborough, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13945/main-street-makeover (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ben Schrader, published 2 March 2009, updated 11 June 2015.