I really like visiting Masterton. It has a Moore Wilson (really excellent market for top end foods), a beautiful park with a lovely cafe in the centre, a huge playground for kids. The downtown is fairly busy and nicely kept up (flowers, etc). There is an old movie theatre there too. Also so many wineries nearby and great fishing. Properties are inexpensive and you can take the train into Wellington for the day for an adventure. Nice lifestyle if you enjoy the quiet countryside. They have more in the way of seasons than much of NZ. Summer can be hot and winter is actually cold. But the mountains are spectacular with snow on them around your beautiful valley. If you have kids there are some very good private schools. Also check out Greytown nearby, which is a very posh boutique little village with some excellent cafes, shops etc. If I had a choice I'd live there and take the super short commute into Masterton for work/supermarket shopping.
Best of luck!