Wanaka

Saddle up a horse and embrace the great outdoors during your holiday in Wanaka. If that makes your Wanaka holiday sound too energetic then slide into a café and just absorb the lakeside scenery. Holidays to Wanaka begin as you enter the area from the north via Haast Pass. You will be blown away by the region’s beautiful twin lakes, Wanaka and Hawea which are two expansive freshwater siblings wedged between breathtaking hills and cliffs.
Wanaka holidays are about fine living, family fun and adventure. The high concentration of cafes, restaurants and interesting shops around the lakeside town make holidays in Wanaka popular for all travellers. You will see overgrown valleys, unspoiled rivers and tumbling glaciers during your holiday to Wanaka. The Wanaka region is crowned with the colossal Mt Aspiring (Tititea), the highest peak outside the Mt Cook region. Wanaka holidays are a great alternative to much more commercial and busy Queenstown.

One of the best ways to take in the beauty of Lake Wanaka and the Mountain Aspiring National Park is on the many walkways that are located beside the lake. An excellent short walk (1 hour return) is up Mt Iron. The terrain is easy to negotiate and the views are unforgettable. The Lake Outlet Walk which begins at the Lake Wanaka outlet and finishes at Albert Town, offers easy walking and great views of the Clutha River. It also provides wonderful fishing for keen anglers. Another more challenging walk (offering superb views), is up Mt Roy on the western side of the Lake.

The crystal-clear waters of Lake Wanaka, New Zealand's fourth largest lake, reflect the snow-capped peaks of Mount Aspiring National Park. Here you can absorb the unstoppable beauty of pristine wilderness, and know that it will be easy to find a great restaurant for dinner. You don't have to be a mountaineer to enjoy the delights of the park (although any one of a dozen world-class local guides can accompany you to the top).

Wanaka’s natural environment is a haven for rare native birds and plant life, including endangered buff weka on Mou Waho island - a nature reserve in the middle of Lake Wanaka. Buff weka, a large brown flightless bird was rescued from near extinction and now thrive - along with native falcon, wood pigeon, bellbird, gecko and rainbow trout - in the sanctuary of Mou Waho’s native forest. The top point of Mou Waho has 360 degree views of Lake Wanaka, the mountains and river valleys, and Arethusa pool - a little crystal clear lake just below the island's summit.

Wanaka’s natural environment is a haven for rare native birds and plant life, including endangered buff weka on Mou Waho island - a nature reserve in the middle of Lake Wanaka. Buff weka, a large brown flightless bird was rescued from near extinction and now thrive - along with native falcon, wood pigeon, bellbird, gecko and rainbow trout - in the sanctuary of Mou Waho’s native forest. The top point of Mou Waho has 360 degree views of Lake Wanaka, the mountains and river valleys, and Arethusa pool - a little crystal clear lake just below the island's summit.

Getting to Wanaka is just the first part of your spectacular journey. By air, bus or self-drive, getting here is easy. A scenic 60 minute drive from Wanaka, Queenstown Airport is an international gateway into the Lake Wanaka Region. A number of transfer options are available including self-drive, private transfers and shuttles and the regular bus services.