Masterton

Masterton (Maori: Te Oreore) is a large town and local government district in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a region separated from Wellington by the Rimutaka ranges. It is 100 kilometres north-east of Wellington, 28 kilometres south of Eketahuna, on the Ruamahanga River.

Masterton is a thriving community with an urban population of 20,200, and district population of 23,500 (June 2012 estimates).

The Wairarapa Line railway allows many residents easy access to work in the cities of Wellington, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt.

Local industries involve service industries for the surrounding farming community. Industrial development is growing in Masterton, with three new industrial parks being developed in Waingawa, Solway and Upper Plain. The town is the headquarters of the annual Golden Shears sheep-shearing competition.

Read more about Masterton:  Suburbs, History, Demographics, Climate, Government, Education, Transport, Sister Cities