Two masked robbers, possibly with concealed weapons, forced a Masterton petrol station attendant to empty the till before fleeing on foot.
Wairarapa police have posted CCTV footage of two people who held up Solway Caltex on High St in Masterton on Friday night.
Police said the robbers, wearing dark clothing and with their faces covered, had entered the service station about 8.50pm.
They demanded money from the attendant, who was the only person working at the time.
One of the robbers had his hand in his pocket as if holding something, leading the attendant to believe he was carrying a concealed weapon.
The robbers took an undisclosed amount of money from the till and fled on foot, taking off through the rear car park in the direction of the former Homestead tavern.
One robber was described as about 1.8m tall and the other was described as about average height.
Police said they were unsure as to the gender and age of the offenders.
Police would like to speak to anyone who was in the area between 8pm and 9pm, particularly anyone who might have seen anything suspicious, such as a vehicle taking off at speed.
Anyone with information can contact Masterton police on 06 370 0378.
Friday's robbery is the second aggravated robbery at the Solway service station in the past few years. In November 2013 Maia Rongonui held up the station brandishing a single-barrel shotgun.