Wānaka

A little background

Long before the town, the lakes were known to Kāi Tahu, who travelled inland to them. In 1898 the surveyor Thomas Brodrick wrote down the Māori place names of the Wānaka and Hāwea lakes as they were given to him by Rāwiri Te Maire, who had spent his early years there; Kā Huru Manu, the Ngāi Tahu atlas, calls it the most detailed account of the region’s Māori names. The meaning of the name Wānaka itself is given in different ways, and we have not found an authoritative account; our guide to understanding Māori New Zealand gives the wider background. The lake gained its macron in 2019, and the town in 2021.

The town that grew at the end of the lake was called Pembroke until 1 September 1940, when it took the lake’s name to end the confusion between the two. Skiing made it a winter town as well as a summer one: Treble Cone opened in 1968 and Cardrona in 1980. Stats NZ puts its population at about 13,200; another count gives over 18,000, and the two may measure different areas.

How the place fits together

Wānaka sits at the southern end of Lake Wānaka, with Lake Hāwea running parallel to the east. A narrow neck of land separates the two lakes, and State Highway 6 runs north along it towards the Haast Pass and the West Coast. West of the town, the Mount Aspiring road follows the lakeshore past Roys Peak and Diamond Lake into the Matukituki Valley and the national park. South, the Crown Range road climbs through Cardrona to Queenstown; the longer, easier way round goes by Cromwell.

The town itself is compact, with its centre on the lakefront. Most visitors stay there and drive out to the walks. Albert Town and Lake Hāwea are quieter alternatives a few minutes away by car.

Places you don’t want to miss

Wānaka rewards anyone prepared to walk uphill, and to check the conditions first. These are the places that draw visitors, from the big climbs to a wet-day maze.

Roys Peak

The view most visitors come for: from the top, the lake and its islands lie below with Mount Aspiring beyond. It is a hard day: more than 1,200 m of climbing, five to six hours return, and no water on the track. It crosses farmland and closes from 1 October to 10 November for lambing, and the car park fills early.

Rob Roy Glacier, Mount Aspiring National Park

A glacier hanging above a beech-forest valley, three to four hours’ walk there and back. The start is 54 km from town, the last 30 km on gravel with fords that heavy rain can close. From May to November avalanche paths cross the upper track, and DOC advises turning back at the lower lookout.

The Blue Pools

The busiest walk in the area, by DOC’s count about 110,000 visitors a year: an hour and a half return through beech forest and over two swing bridges to clear blue pools in the Makarora River. It is about 1 hour 10 minutes up the Haast Pass road. The car park is crowded from November to April, and the water turns brown after heavy rain.

That Wānaka Tree

A lone willow standing in the shallows off the lakefront, and the picture most visitors take home. People climbing it broke a branch in 2017, and in 2020 branches were cut with a saw, so the signs ask you to keep off. It is a short walk west along the lake path from the town centre; come early or late, when the water is still.

Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain

A shorter climb to a lake view: 45 minutes round Diamond Lake, or about three hours there and back to the top of Rocky Mountain. The car park is 18.5 km west of town on the Mount Aspiring road. There are steep drops on the eastern side, and ice can make the lower track unsuitable in winter.

Lake Hāwea and Isthmus Peak

The quieter lake next door, about 15 minutes north, for swimming, kayaking and fishing. On the isthmus between the two lakes, Isthmus Peak is the long climb DOC suggests while Roys Peak is closed: five to seven hours return and about 1,000 m of ascent, across station land where hunters may be about in autumn.

Puzzling World

Leaning buildings you cannot miss on the road into town, and inside, rooms of optical illusions and a large outdoor maze. It has been running since 1973 and opens daily from 9am, with last entry at 4.30pm. A good choice for a wet day, or a morning with children.

Mount Iron

The easy climb above the town: a loop of about an hour and a half over a knoll rising nearly 250 m, with views over the lake, the Clutha basin and the Southern Alps. It starts from a car park on the main road in from the east, about 2 km from the centre. Dogs must be on a lead, and the track can close in summer when the fire risk is high.

Cardrona and the ski fields

The Crown Range road to Queenstown passes the old Cardrona Hotel, a stop for most drivers. In winter, Cardrona and Treble Cone are the ski areas: in 2026 Cardrona opened from 26 June to 18 October and Treble Cone from 27 June to 27 September, and a day pass, which covers either, cost from $184.

Getting there and around

By car, Wānaka is an hour or so from Queenstown and a natural stop between Queenstown and the West Coast. Our South Island itinerary gives it two nights, and our three-week New Zealand route one.

From Queenstown there are two roads. The Crown Range is the quick one, about 1 hour 10 minutes, and New Zealand’s highest main road at about 1,121 m: carry chains from May to September. The longer way round by Cromwell is easier, and the better choice for drivers new to mountain roads. From Christchurch it is 4 to 5 hours inland, across the Mackenzie and over the Lindis Pass. From Franz Josef, 286 km over the Haast Pass, allow six hours; the Blue Pools are on the way, and slips can close the road.

Times from newzealand.com and our own itinerary pages, checked on 15 October 2026. We could not find an authoritative time for the Cromwell route, so we do not give one. Check the NZ Transport Agency before you set off.

By coach, InterCity runs daily between Queenstown and Wānaka, about 1 hour 45 minutes, and Ritchies runs daily services between Wānaka, Queenstown, Cromwell and Dunedin. By air, the nearest airport with regular flights is Queenstown; we found no confirmed scheduled service into Wānaka, so check before you plan around one. Once you are here, the walks and lakes need a car.

When to go and practical notes

Wānaka has two seasons of visitors. From November to April the tracks are mostly clear, the days are long, and the lake is warm enough to swim; it is also when the car parks at Roys Peak and the Blue Pools fill. Roys Peak itself is closed from 1 October to 10 November for lambing, so plan a spring visit around Isthmus Peak or Diamond Lake instead. Winter, from late June to October, brings the ski fields and the town fills again.

Warbirds over Wānaka, the vintage aircraft air show, is held every second Easter at the airport; the next is in April 2028.

Where to stay and eat

Where to stay

For a first visit, stay in the town, as close to the lakefront as your budget allows: you can walk to dinner and the lake path, and the trailheads are a short drive. Albert Town suits a quieter stay by the river, and Lake Hāwea a night away from it all, or before an early start over the Haast Pass. Our guide to where to stay in Wānaka compares the three areas and names places to look in each.

Where to eat

For a town of its size, Wānaka eats well: three places hold hats in the 2026 Cuisine Good Food Guide, the country’s main restaurant guide. Book ahead for those, especially in summer and the ski season. We have not eaten here, so the table says what each place is and when it opens, not how it tastes.

Other places to find for yourself. The town has more cafés, bars and casual places than these six, many along Ardmore Street and the lakefront; look at the menus as you walk. If you are cooking for yourself, Wānaka has full-size supermarkets, among them New World at Three Parks.