A Week in Wānaka | New Zealand
The Southern Lakes region of New Zealand is one of the most beautiful and most popular areas of the country. And a big highlight of my summer trip around the South Island that I was really looking forward to. I was actually in the area over Christmas and New Year, meaning I had time off work by default, giving me more free time to explore than in many of my previous locations. Queenstown is the most popular destination that gets much of the attention. Wānaka, by comparison, is its smaller, sleepier neighbour up the road. After traversing the West Coast, I caught a bus through the Haast Pass, arriving to spend a week in Wānaka. Alternatively, you can travel down directly from Christchurch, via Lake Tekapo.
A lot of people comment that the South Island is similar to Scotland. The Southern Lakes region is where the similarity is most striking to me. Something about the rugged, craggy hills, bare of trees and dotted with thistles. Plus plenty of sheep grazing! And the lake itself ranges in colour from deep blue to steely grey depending on the skies overhead, much like Scotland’s lochs. It’s not a glacial lake and therefore not bright turquoise like Lake Tekapo. On the far shores, the snowy peaks of Mount Aspiring National Park are visible, which I later visited from Queenstown. Hiking these landscapes certainly made up a big part of my week in Wānaka!
Wānaka Town and Lakefront
The town itself reminded me a lot of towns in the Lake District in the UK, if you’re familiar with that area. It was full of shops selling outdoor activity gear, including hiking, cycling and watersports, alongside the usual tourist gift shops. There were also plenty of pubs and restaurants, all situated along the scenic Lake Wānaka waterfront. My first stop was actually the Tourist Information office, for advice on spending Christmas here. My sightseeing options would be limited that day, so I planned the rest of the week accordingly and they were super helpful!
I had a little browse of the shops one day, including picking up some locally-made jewellery in the quaint Thieving Kea hut on the lakefront. I also got gelato not once, but twice, from Black Peak Gelato on sunny days! The pubs were pretty packed most of the time, so I didn’t frequent them much, instead spending my chill time sitting on the lakeside beach. The water is icy cold but I always dip my feet in for a paddle at least once. There are a couple of kayak rental companies too, but none offer guided tours and I’m not comfortable going solo safety-wise, so I skipped those.
Mou Waho Island
Since many tours and attractions would be closed for Christmas and some for Boxing Day too, I scheduled those I wanted to do on my first days in town. Starting with Mou Waho Island, situated out in the middle of Lake Wānaka. A couple of boat companies can take you out there, with the option of a guided or self-guided walk onshore. I went self-guided with the water taxi provided by Lake Wanaka Cruises. It takes about 20 minutes to reach the island, a breezy cruise up Lake Wānaka, admiring the surrounding mountain views.
The Department of Conservation manage the island as a predator-free nature reserve. A limited number of visitors can visit per day, so make sure to book in advance. There’s a fair amount of native birdlife living there, but I didn’t manage to spot any. The island is also notable for its lake, formed by a glacier millennia ago. The lake has a couple of tiny islands in it as well. Making them islands, in a lake, on an island, in a lake, on an island, in the Pacific Ocean. There aren’t many places in the world you’ll find that!
Mou Waho has a hiking trail that snakes uphill through the native bush, to the lake and to a viewpoint on the island’s highest point above it. Even though I didn’t have the sunniest weather, you still get wonderful views of the island and its lake, as well as the surrounding Wānaka landscape. The hike didn’t take me too long, so I lingered a while on the peak and by the lake, enjoying the views, before the designated meeting time for the return boat journey. It’s a very tranquil, serene little island, away from crowds in town, and a great half-day outing for a week in Wānaka.
Wānaka Lavender Farm
After returning to shore and grabbing some lunch, I decided to spend the afternoon at the Wānaka Lavender Farm. It’s a little further out of town, and while the hour-long walk would be fine for me distance-wise, it’s on a main highway with no pavement, so walking isn’t recommended. Instead, being without a car, I called a local taxi for a quick 10-minute ride. As the name suggests, the farm’s main product is lavender and the ticket office is inside their gift shop stocked to the brim with lavender products.
The farm visit is all self-guided and it’s easy to find your way around the small property. There are rows upon rows of lavender, bold streaks of purple breaking up the green landscapes. Naturally, it’s a photographer’s dream, with people posing for photos everywhere. There are a few ‘sets’ such as the purple-painted tractors and the door to nowhere in the middle of the field. I also enjoyed the non-lavender themed features, like the honeybee apiaries, bird boxes, scarecrow, fairy houses and giant checkers board.
The farm also has a small flock of animals, including sheep, goats, pigs, alpacas, Shetland ponies and Highland cows. As if Wānaka didn’t already feel like Scotland! You can wander past their fields and learn their names on the cute hand-drawn signs. The farm was fairly busy but didn’t feel too crowded or overwhelming, so it was still a relaxing afternoon. Finishing with the cafe, I chose the butterfly pea tea, served in adorable vintage floral-patterned china. It starts blue and turns purple with a squeeze of lemon! And a tub of manuka flower honey, a New Zealand specialty.
Outlet Track
Wānaka has an array of walking and hiking trails available, depending on your preferred elevation and distance. First up, I explored the Outlet Track, a flat walk alongside the lakeshore, suitable for cycling as well. Starting from the waterfront in town, you head to the right or counter-clockwise, keeping the lake on your left. The total track is 12km long one-way, leading up the Clutha River to neighbouring Albert Town. I went after work one evening, so I only walked as far as the Bremner Bay area before doubling back on myself.
Most of the trail is rough track, but well-maintained, taking you through tree cover and open fields. The star of the walk is the lake views, of course, with the mountains on all sides. Wānaka is one of those places where photos just don’t quite do the scenery justice. It’s a beautiful slice of nature, a remnant of the Ice Age glaciers that carved these valleys and peaks. Walking the lakeshore gives you different angles and viewpoints, all from a fairly easy trail.
Mount Iron
As mentioned, my week in Wānaka landed over Christmas when most businesses are closed. Although with summer weather and long days, it didn’t really feel like the festive season. Certainly not compared to previous years in Canada! Anyways, after a morning video call with my family, the rest of my day was filled with hiking. Most of the day was annoyingly grey and overcast but that didn’t stop me.
For more elevation than a lakefront walk, but not as high as other mountains, Mount Iron is an excellent half-day hike. I was able to walk to the trailhead, following the pavement alongside the main road out of town. The track is a loop and following the advice I’d seen online, I took it counter-clockwise. This means you ascend the eastern slope, saving the lake views for the peak. The climb led up a steep, rugged track through the bush, with views of Albert Town and the Clutha River valley.
It was worth it at the summit though, when the view opens up across Lake Wānaka and the mountains. Even with cloudy skies obscuring some of the peaks, you could still appreciate how breathtaking it was! I even got a glimpse of Lake Hāwea in the next valley over. I’d hoped to stop for my picnic lunch here, but the benches were all occupied. There’s not many clear spots around the trail to sit on the ground either. So carrying on, I descended the western slope with the lake views in front the whole way and flowers blooming around the track. The whole thing took a little under 2 hours, circling back to the trailhead and into town again.
Millennium Walkway
After lunch on the lakefront, I continued with another walk that same afternoon. The Millennium Walkway is a flat, easy walk around the lakeside, in the opposite direction to the Outlet Track. You head left from the waterfront, as if going clockwise around the lake. Like the Outlet Track, it’s pretty long (13.8km one-way) so I only went partway before turning back when I got tired and the weather started to drizzle.
The walkway is a rough but well-maintained path, leading through the tree cover at first, with houses and accommodation on your left. It then leaves the town, snaking between the road and the lakeshore. You can get views looking back towards the town, as well as the mountains ahead. I didn’t take as many photos that afternoon, since it was pretty grey overall! I passed a boat ramp, a popular launch point for locals, before finding a bench to sit on for a break before turning back. From there, I could see Ruby Island perched in the lake, another day cruise option.
That Wānaka Tree
The first portion of the Millennium Walkway is the most popular, as it leads to the Wānaka tree. Or, #ThatWanakaTree as it’s often referred to online. You can find this at the southwest corner of the lake, just before the beach turns into forest. This lone willow tree is partially submerged, so it appears to grow out of the lake. It gained notoriety on Instagram so that patch of beach is now always full of crowds taking photos with it. Photos can be a little deceptive, as it’s not as big as I would have guessed, nor is it that far out into the lake. It’s actually pretty close to the shore and depending on when you visit, if the waters have receded then it may just look to be growing on the beach.
I can certainly understand the appeal though, as it looks quite dramatic with its gnarled branches set against the mountain backdrop. Christmas Day was pretty grey – I’ve included one picture below for comparison – so I actually walked back along here on my last morning in Wānaka before my onward bus. It was much sunnier that day, allowing me to get brighter shots with the lake sparkling in blue!
Roy’s Peak Track
My final full day of my week in Wānaka was Boxing Day, which I had allocated for my biggest hike, Roy’s Peak. I’d been checking the weather forecast obsessively, but between work and public holiday closures, this was really the only day I could attempt it. My hostel had a poster for a shuttle to the trailhead, as it’s about 6km out of town, which was cheaper than a taxi. You can’t book this online though, so unfortunately I can’t share a link! I ended up being the only booking though, so I could call for an earlier return journey than scheduled.
Anyways, this is the most famous and most popular hike in Wānaka. A lot of people hike up in the dark in time for sunrise, but I wasn’t confident doing that solo in case anything went wrong. I opted to go in the day instead, taking a packed lunch for at the top. The hike isn’t for the faint of heart, as it’s straight uphill the whole way, with very few flat sections. It zig zags back and forth in hairpin bends to break up the steepness, but it’s still pretty relentless overall. There are two points you can aim for – the viewpoint, where the most popular photo spot is, which is about 13km round-trip and almost 1km of elevation gain. Or, the summit which adds an extra 3km and almost 300m ascent to your total hike.
Roy’s Peak Viewpoint
The hill sits next to the lake so the views of the water and town open up beneath you as you climb. It also passes through a lot of farmland, so you’re surrounded by sheep as you hike! And lots of thistles, to make it even more like Scotland. Unfortunately, while the weather was ok lakeside, a thick layer of cloud descended as I continued hiking. The last hour of my ascent was entirely inside the cloud, leaving me covered in moisture. I could only see a metre or so in front of me!
When I reached the junction for the viewpoint, which juts out from the main path, I walked out to the end anyway. But I still couldn’t see anything but fog! So, I decided it wasn’t worth continuing to the summit. I ate my lunch and waited a while in case the cloud lifted, as it was forecast to. But it wasn’t looking likely to happen any time soon.
Fortunately, when I descended, I made it out of the cloud again a lot quicker. Which gave me better views of the lake, mountains and town on the descent. It was disappointing not to see the iconic view – Google it to see what I’m talking about! – but at least I got to see something. Weather can never be controlled, and I was proud of myself for tackling a tougher hike. I was certainly ready for a rest and an early night after that!
A Week in Wānaka
Despite the weather, I really enjoyed my week in Wānaka overall and would rank it amongst my favourite destinations in New Zealand. Especially after the following week in busy Queenstown, I loved how much quieter and laidback Wānaka was. Everywhere in the South Island has been scenic so far, but the landscapes of lakes and mountains around here were gorgeous. Maybe I’m biased because it reminded me so much of home. But many people seem to consider the Southern Lakes the best part of the country! I had more free time off work here than some of my other destinations, and obviously the public holidays for Christmas limited my options a little. But it was such a nice town to spend some downtime in, whether having ice cream on the beach, browsing the shops, or getting a drink somewhere.
As mentioned already, my next destination was Queenstown, just an hour’s bus ride south. A lot of people just visit Wānaka en-route or as a day trip, but I’d definitely recommend stopping for a night or two if you have time. After the serenity of Wānaka, spending New Year in Queenstown was quite a different experience!
