Wanaka

Wanaka shares many of the characteristics that draw millions of tourists to Queenstown each year – the mountains, the lakes and the outdoors – yet it enjoys a far smaller profile. In many ways it's the little brother to Queenstown – many would say the cooler little brother. While it doesn't have as many hotels and restaurants or the large bar scene, it still has a few great attractions of its own, and respectable eating and nightlife.
During winter, Wanaka is used as a base for skiing and working in Cardrona, Snowpark/Snowfarm and Treble Cone and has a true 'ski town' vibe. Therefore, it shouldn't be a surprise to learn that half of New Zealand's Olympic skiers and snowboarders call Wanaka home. During the summer it's a busy holiday town for New Zealanders; many of the houses in town are baches (holiday houses). Lake Wanaka, New Zealand's fourth-largest at , is also a popular boating destination (it's warmer than Lake Wakatipu), as is the nearby Lake Hawea.
Wanaka is pronounced similar to the phrase won a car. Many international tourists before have made the mistake of pronouncing Wanaka as if it rhymed with tanker, much to the locals' amusement.

By plane

The closest international airport is in Queenstown which services flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, plus domestic flights are handled from Auckland and Christchurch. Wanaka Airport is also served by at least two flights most days from Christchurch by Air New Zealand.

By car

Wanaka is a two-kilometre detour off State Highway 6, via State Highway 84. From State Highway 8, Wanaka is a 30 km detour via State Highways 8A, 6 and 84.
Approximate distances and times (non-stop):

• Queenstown: 70 km (1hr 10min) via Crown Range Road, 112 km (1hr 30mins) via State Highway 6
• Fox Glacier: 265 km (3hr 15mins)
• Christchurch: 430 km (5hr 15mins) via Lake Tekapo and Lindis Pass (SH 79 and SH 8),
• Dunedin: 280 km (3hr 30mins) via Roxburgh (SH 8)

By bus

Several bus companies connect Wanaka with Queenstown, Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, Christchurch and Dunedin. Most buses arrive and depart from the Log Cabin at 100 Ardmore Street, on the lakefront opposite the Wanaka i-site information centre. Ritchies run 10 trips a day (5 from Wanaka, 5 from Queenstown) to and from Wanaka. All trips are via Queenstown Airport, cost for an adult is $NZ23 one way $NZ40 return. They will pick up from hotels in the CBD's at both ends of the trip.

Wanaka is compact and located on the lake shore. It is an easy walk to shops and restaurants and a number of operators offer car or mountain bike hire. Also, if you're interested in getting around the area, perhaps visit Lake Hawea, there is a new local carpool system that works on a gold coin donation for a ride.

• National Transport & Toy Museum

  address: beside Wanaka Airport
  Has aircraft, cars, trucks, motorcycles, fire appliances, military vehicles and tractors, clockwork and battery powered toys, porcelain dolls, teddy bears, pedal cars and money boxes.

• Puzzling World

  phone: +64 3 443-7489
  address: 188 Wanaka Luggate Hwy
  Its major feature is the Great Maze, a 1.5km two-story maze of confusing passages. It also features dozens of optical illusion rooms and a large puzzle centre, cafe and gift shop. Check out Wanaka's version of the Leaning Tower and the incredible roman toilets.

• Wanaka Beer WorksLearn about the brewing process and sample a brew or two in the tasting room.

• Warbirds & Wheels

  address: Wanaka Airport
  A museum of classic and vintage automobiles and motorcycles, and war planes, including an A-4 Skyhawk, a Strikemaster, a Vampire, and a Hurricane. It replaced the Fighter Pilots Museum.

• World of DeerOpening in Sept 2018.

Wanaka is a mecca for outdoor adventure; day hikes, rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, boating on the lake or rivers, horsetrekking, skydiving, scenic flights and more. There is also a range of hiking and mountaineering in the rugged and spectacular Mt. Aspiring National Park World Heritage area; and skiing in the nearby skifields - Cardrona, Treble Cone, Snowpark/Snow Farm, and further afield near Queenstown Coronet Peak and the Remarkables. The multitude of activities in Queenstown are also just an hours drive away, so its possible to base yourself in Wanaka while heading over there for the day to hit up the activities on offer.

• Boating, several operators offer guided cruises out to the islands on Lake Wanaka. There is also a wake-boarding/water-skiing charter service. Both Mou Waho and Stevenson's island provide wildlife sanctuaries for birds. Mou Waho is a larger island with a small lake which you can walk up to. Lake Wanaka itself is the third largest lake in New Zealand and has a maximum depth of over a 300 m. There are beaches close by town which offer swimming and sailing or windsurfing, as well as idyllic and virtually deserted beaches 5-10 min drive from the township.

• Deep Canyon

  phone: +64 3 443-7922
  address: 99 Ardmore St
  Descend the spectacular canyons of the Matukituki valley. Explore crystal pools and native forest. Plunge down water polished chutes, abseil down waterfalls. Climb, swim and float through a spectacular world of water sculpted rock and sparkling, crashing waterfalls.

• Cinema Paradiso

  address: 72-76 Brownston St
  Legendary small movie theater with custom seating including comfy old sofas, an old Morris Minor, and a great range of food
• Fishing, the surrounding lakes and rivers offer superb Fly Fishing. The rivers are stocked with both Brown and Rainbow Trout.
• Skiing, Lake Wanaka is both a skiers and snowboarders paradise. Close to 4 ski resorts. Heliskiing and cross country skiing are also possibilities.

• Treble Cone

  phone: +64 3 443-1406
  address: off Wanaka-Mount Aspiring Rd
  Treble Cone has two chairlifts and a poma serving a mixture of beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert terrain. The resort offers a small retail store, cafe, bar and restaurant at its base. It is approximately 30 minutes drive from Wanaka. The last part of the drive is up a winding dirt road that requires snow chains in winter and a confident driver. Snow reports phone +64 3 443-7444.

• Cardrona

  phone: +64 3 443-7411
  address: off Cardrona Valley Road
  This is the highest ski field in New Zealand. Snow reports phone +64 3 443-7007

• Snowpark/Snowfarm

• Harris Mountains HeliskiHarris mountains heliski can be booked from retail stores in Wanaka, and offers a number of different payment options, for a few runs or many. Go when the snow is good or go when the snow is ordinary, and trust your guide and pilot to find a stash. If you book only a few runs and want to do more, the guide may offer an extension to you while you are on the hill. Make a lowball offer! They would not have flown out if profits were not already sorted, and the guide may want another run anyway.

Skydive Lake Wanaka

phone: +64 3 443-7207

address: 14 Mustang Lane, Wanaka Airport, SH6

It’s not every day that you strap yourself to a beautiful stranger and leap from a perfectly good aircraft! High altitude tandem skydive. Freefall from 15,000 feet

Walking, In addition to overnight and multi-day hikes such as Gillespie Pass, French Ridge, Cascade Saddle and etc there are an ever increasing number of enjoyable day walks. Probably the most popular of these and the most satisfying is the Rob Roy glacier hike in Mt Aspiring National Park, closely followed by the circuit Diamond Lake track and the Mt Roy track. New additions include the trail (best mountain biked) out to beautiful Colquhouns beach and on to the Rumbling Burn.

WineTake a tour around the local estates

Events

• Festival of ColourThis celebration of the arts occurs every two years in April.

• Warbirds Over WanakaAn air show held every second Easter long weekend. The next show is in 2016. See over 50 aircraft from the biplanes of WWI, the stars of WWII, the Korea fighters and the jets of Vietnam. Also military vehicles and Harley Davidson motor cycles.

There is a New World supermarket a block back from the lake for all your food supplies.
Shopping opportunities are limited, as you would expect in a town the size of Wanaka. There is a good range of ski/snowboard/outdoor and also clothing shops to get you prepared for the mountains.

• AmiGos Mexican Grill

  phone: +64 3 443-7872
  address: 71 Ardmore Street

• Finchy's Bar and Restaurant

  phone: +64 3 443-6262
  address: 2 Dunmore Street
  Built on the 1880 old Wanaka jail site.

• McGregor's Restaurant

  phone: +64 3 443-5200
  address: 54 Reece Crescent
  Local cuisine, outdoor seating. Huge meals.

• The Spice Room

  phone: +64 3-443 1133
  address: 43 Helwick St
  Top notch Indian food in a warm and pleasant atmosphere. There is also a Spice Room in Queenstown.

• Bullock Bar

  phone: +64 3 443-7148
  address: 71 Ardmore St
  A bar with some real Central Otago character, featuring some unique entertainment including indoor ice curling and occasionally sheep racing

• Opium Bar

  phone: +64 3 443-5545
  address: 66 Ardmore St
  Asian-themed bar popular with the snowboard crowd

• Speights Ale House

  phone: +64 3 443-5459
  address: 93 Ardmore St
  Speights bar offering drink and food

• Water Bar

  phone: +64 3 443-4345
  address: 145 Ardmore St
  Waterfront bar with a lake-side deck

Budget

• Wanaka YHA

  phone: +64 3 443 1880
  address: 94 Brownston St

• Base Backpackers Wanaka

  phone: +64 3 443 4291
  address: 73 Brownston St

• Mountain View Backpackers

  phone: +64 3 443 9010
  address: 7 Russell St

• Flying Kiwi Backpackers

  phone: +64 3 443 6723
  address: 21 Russell St

Mid-range

• Alpine View Lodge

  phone: +64 3 443-7111
  address: 23 Studholme Road
  Surrounded by mountains.

• Bella Vista Motel Wanaka

  phone: +64 3 443-6066
  address: 2 Dunmore St

• Montrose Bed & Breakfast

  phone: +64 3 443-2289
  address: 120 Mount Iron Drive
  Home stay.

• Wanaka View Motel

  phone: +64 3 443-7480
  address: 122 Brownston St
  One, two and three-bedroom chalets near the lakefront.

Splurge

For luxury or more upmarket stays, there are several excellent lodges.

• Lime Tree Lodge

  address: 672 Ballantyne Road, Luggate
  Great service.

• Maple Lodge

  phone: +64 3 443-6275
  address: 56 Halliday Road
  Mountain view.

• Minaret Lodge

  phone: +64 3 443-1856
  address: 34 Eely Point Road
  Great service. For Lord of the Rings fans, Minaret Lodge offers a themed room, 'Barlimans' as well as LOTR packages.

• Mount Aspiring National Park – enjoy the scenery, mountaineering and jet boating
• Cromwell
• Arrowtown
• Queenstown – take the Crown Range Drive, the highest main road in New Zealand, to Wanaka's big brother
• Omarama
• Haast and on to Fox Glacier, 3 hours drive north, in the West Coast region