Wanaka

Wanaka is a town situated on the shores of Lake Wanaka in the South Island of New Zealand. It is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park. Get in By plane The closest international airport is at 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 road Buses from all major cities stop in Wanaka. Timetable [1]. The cheapest option is nakedbus.com - fares on this service start at $1 if you book early enough. Connectabus operate 2 return trips a day between Queenstown and Wanaka. Approximate distances: Queenstown 70 km Fox Glacier 269 km Christchurch 430 km Dunedin 280 km Get around The town is compact and located on the lakeshore. It is an easy walk to shops and restaurants. 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. For designated stopping/pickup points and more info, check out WanaRide Share [2] See The Leaning Tower of Wanaka, a focal point on the grounds of Puzzling World. Stuart Landsborough's Puzzling World, 443-7489, [3]. Located just outside of town, Puzzling World's major feature is The Great Maze, a 1.5km, two story maze of confusing passages. The site also features dozens of optical illusions and puzzles. Open daily 8:30AM-5PM. Warbirds Museum (NZ Fighter Pilots Museum), [4]. Showcases fighter aircraft and more, featuring the Hurricane, Mustang, LA-9, Vampire and Polikarpov fighters. Tells the story of New Zealand fighter pilots. Warbirds Over Wanaka, [5]. An air show held every second Easter long weekend (last was in 2008). 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. Wanaka Beer Works, [6]. Located at Wanaka Transport Museum. Learn about the brewing process and sample a brew or two in the tasting room. Wanaka Autumn Arts Festival. This celebration of the arts occurs every year in late March. Do 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 [7] Cardrona [8] This is the highest ski field in New Zealand Snowpark/Snowfarm [9] Harris Mountains Heliski [10] Wine [11], take a tour around the local estates Wanaka Collection, ☎ +64 3 443 1856, [12]. Activities & B&B accommodation owned by locals dedicated to giving you the best Wanaka holiday experience. Jet boating, helicopter tours, guided hikes & heli-hiking, fishing, lake cruises, 4WD tours, wine tours.  edit Wanaka is a mecca for outdoor adventure; trail hikes and day hikes, rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, mountaineering, boating on the lake or rivers, horsetrekking, skydiving, scenic flights etc... Wanaka attracts international tourists year-round.Many are attracted to the region’s huge range of adventure activities, hiking in the rugged and spectacular Mt. Aspiring National Park World Heritage area; or to ski one of Otago's world-renowned skifields - Cardrona, Treble Cone, Coronet Peak and the Remarkables. You can take scenic flights, go skydiving, paragliding, bungee-jumping, go lake cruising, jet boating or rafting, take a Lord of the Rings tour, go fishing, play golf, climbing, canyoning, kayaking or canoeing, mountain-bike riding or horse riding. Of just take in its magnificent scenery, explore the stunning Otago Lakes region, go wine-tasting, or exploring historic Arrowtown or Queenstown. 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. Several operators offer guided cruises out to the islands on Lake Wanaka. 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 1000ft. There are beaches close by town which offer swimming and sailing or windsurfing, as well as idyllic and virtually deserted beaches 5-10mins drive from the township. Skydive Lake Wanaka, 14 Mustang Lane, Wanaka Airport, SH6, Wanaka (10 minutes drive from Wanaka or 1 hour 15 drive from Queenstown), ☎ +64 3 443 7207 or FREEphone NZ 0800 786 877, [13]. 8am-8pm. New Zealand's most spectacular, multi award winning dropzone From $329.  edit Buy Deep Canyon (Guided canyon adventures), 99 Ardmore Street, Wanaka (Nov to April), ☎ 03 443 7922, [14]. 7-11. Descend the spectacular canyons of the Matukituki valley. Explore your way through 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. NZ$225 upwards. (44.42,169.09) edit New Zealand Heli Skiing (New Zealand Heli Skiing), 37 Shotover St, Queenstown, New Zealand, ☎ 03 442 6222, [15]. Premier New Zealand heli ski operator  edit Eat Finchey's Bar and Restaurant is on 2 Dunmore Street in downtown Wanaka. It is built on the 1880 old Wanaka jail site. McGregor's Restaurant, 54 Reece Crescent, ☎ 03-4435200. Local cuisine, outdoor seating. Huge meals. (-44.691387,169.142952) edit Drink AmiGos Mexican Grill, 34 Ardmore St, Wanaka, [16].  edit Sleep The Bellavista in Wanaka is in the middle of town. [17] One place for backpackers is 'Mountain View Backpackers'. Alpine View Lodge is an awesome to stay - it's surrounded by mountains. [18] For luxury or more upmarket stays try the following excellent lodges. Riverrun lodge[19] is one such example, alternatively, try Minaret lodge[20] or Lime Tree lodge, both of which are equally exclusive and offer great service. For Lord of the Rings fans, Minaret Lodge offers a themed room, 'Barlimans' as well as LOTR packages. Maple Lodge[21] on the edge of wanaka has mountain. Wanaka Resort luxury apartments have balcony views of the Alps. Apartments open onto outdoor living space including pool, jacuzzi, tennis court, gym, barbecue facilities. Montrose Bed & Breakfast, 120 Mount Iron Drive, ☎ +64 3 4432289, [22]. checkin: 2:00pm; checkout: 10:00pm. Home stay NZ$ 80-130. (-44.686015,169.147683) edit Get out Mount Aspiring National Park - enjoy the scenery, mountaineering and Jet boating Fox Glacier - the biggest West Coast glacier. Located approximately 3 hours drive north of Wanaka. This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!