The insider’s guide to Wānaka
Discover the best local experiences from those who know best
Who better to help you discover a place than its locals, who know it like the back of their hand? Experiencing a place through its people is a way of slowing down and to fully immerse yourself in its energy, landscapes and community – and maybe even give a little back, too.
Wānaka is a special part of Aoteaora where slow travel and local experiences make for a genuinely authentic travel escapade. Find out what its locals recommend in terms of what to do, see and eat.
Breast Hill hike
Breast Hill hike
Authentic adventures
Embark on meaningful adventures shaped by locals who care for their surroundings and the footprint they leave.
Founders of mountain bike park Bike Glendhu, John Wilson and John McRae, view their network of trails as an extension of the land and local community they’re a part of. With a solar-powered central base, wholefood cafe and trails built to preserve the Kanuka, wetlands and rivers they pass through, regenerative tourism makes navigating those downhills all the more enriching.
If you want to experience Wānaka’s world-class fly fishing, the vast local knowledge of professional fly fishing guide Jake Berry is hard to beat. Join Jake to hunt for wild Brown and Rainbow Trout on a day or multi-day trip with Southern Rivers Fly Fishing.
Get off the beaten track with a 4WD or offroad tour with a guide who’ll introduce you to marvellous geological formations, epic views and high alpine trails, or embark on an immersive culinary adventure with Forage & Feast, which combines wild walks with foraging, feasting, and stories of the people who produce the food. For something really unique take a tour with Beautiful Gardens of Wānaka and experience the beauty of some of Wānaka’s most beautiful gardens.
Awe-inspiring nature
Wānaka’s jaw-dropping views offer a majestic backdrop for endless outdoor adventures. You can support the conservation of these beautiful places by volunteering with Te Kākano Aotearoa Trust, a community-based native plant nursery specialising in propagating local plants and native habitat restoration.
Roys Peak Track is one of New Zealand’s most spectacular day walks, with its Insta-famous views. But there are many other stunning tracks to discover.
Mount Iron Track: Hike up the glacier-carved Mount Iron and witness stunning scenery of the The Pisa range, the Upper Clutha Basin, Lake Wānaka and the Southern Alps.
Blue Pools Track: An easy 3km / 1 hour return track through beech and podocarp forest to magical glacial waters.
Waterfall Creek Track: A 2.5km / 1 hour track along the Lake Wānaka waterfront that takes you past the famous Wānaka Tree and Rippon Vineyard where you can stop for a wine tasting.
Epicurean delights
Sustainably-sourced food, locally-crafted beer, and award-winning wine and spirits are on virtually every street corner. Keep an eye out for the LoveWānaka, Supporting Local stickers in shop windows and do your bit to help us move towards a more circular economy.
Big Fig: Slow-cooked meats, hot plant-based meals, barista-made coffee and Middle-Eastern inspired dishes are on the menu at this eatery.
Muttonbird: Muttonbird’s menu is designed for sharing, with both small and larger plates rotating daily with seasonal produce from across Otago and New Zealand.
Kai Whakapai Cafe & Bar: Kai Whakapai in te reo Māori means “food made good”, an apt name for this friendly cafe-bar on the lakefront.
Food trucks: Meet local small business owners serving up some seriously tasty kai at places like The Wanaka Wich Project, Charlie Brown’s, Firebird and Burrito Craft.
Craft breweries: Craft beer lovers are in for a treat at craft breweries like Ground Up Brewing, Wanaka Beerworks, Cardrona Distillery, b.social taproom & eatery, and Rhyme and Reason Brewery.
Rich stories and culture
Wānaka is a place rich in history and whakapapa, right from the time of Waitaha arrival at Lake Hāwea, through to the establishment of sheep stations in the 1850s, the Gold Rush, and the development of the ski fields in the 1960s and 1970s.
Behind this history sits a host of characters and an abundance of stories that inform Wānaka’s present and future.
Take some time to chat to the locals about their experiences of living here and recommendations on what to see and do. There are plenty more gems waiting to be discovered!
Gather more ideas for your next slow travel experience at wanaka.co.nz
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