Wanaka New Zealand
Wanaka has the considerable attraction that it's still essentially a country village, not as developed as Queenstown, though the number of million dollar homes being built there are gradually eroding that sense of simplicity.
In winter time it is particularly popular because of two superb skifields, Cardrona and Treble Cone, nearby. But in summer the lake and the nearby Aspiring National Park take centre stage.
My ranking of one of Wanaka's more curious attractions is Cinema Paradiso. "Casual" is the only possible description - you sit on old living room type sofas, not theatre style stalls. Or you could choose the front seats of a Morris Minor car. Homemade ice cream and cookies at intermission or order a meal and a glass of wine. Whatever you fancy get there early to book the best couch!
And another curiosity: Stuart Landsborough's Puzzling World. The Landsborough family is old time heritage here - they even have a river named after them. Stuart has built one of the quirkiest tourist attractions imaginable. It started as a 3-dimensional maze but blossomed into a full-out assault on your powers of reason, deduction and even disbelief.
If you'd like to up the voltage and get some serious adrenalin rushes try canyoning on the Matukituki River with Deep Canyon or kayaking on several of the local rivers with Alpine Kayak Guides. You could try tandem paragliding at Treble Cone with Wanaka Paragliding. How about jet boating on the mighty Clutha River with Lakeland Adventures (they also rent kayaks canoes and aqua bikes) or on the remote Wilkin River with Wilkin River Jets
You may have watched car rallies on tv and seen the view from the car cams - now you actually experience what it's like to be the navigator in one of these hell-raising machines. Up in the Cardrona Valley, at the Snow Farm, professional rally drivers from Monster Mountain Rally will race you up hills in a performance spec Mitsubishi Evo at unbelievable speeds.
Wanaka lies at the lip of the Mt Aspiring National Park and as such it has a wide variety of open-air adventure options. Track walking is an obvious one - but there are others. If you've ever wanted to try rock climbing here's a chance - talk to Wanaka Rock Climbing and Abseiling Adventures. If you are into serious mountain climbing then have a yarn to Aspiring Guides, one of the country's pre-eminent mountain guiding teams.
Something less vertical in the personal sense is the Siberia Experience - no, not hewing salt in one of the gulags. This starts with a 25min flight into Mt Aspiring National Park, then a 2 1/2 hour walk starting in the Siberia Valley to finish with a 30 min jet boat ride with Wilkin River Jets.
One of the classic New Zealand photographs can be taken from just around the lake. Go out along the road to Glendhu Bay until you come to Rippon Vineyard. From above the vineyard you can shoot this wonderful vista of vine, lake and mountain. While you're there sample the wine and try dining at the cafe. They're both very good.
If, instead of wine, you'd prefer to sample a drop of the local brew call at the Wanaka Beerworks, on SH6 near the airport.
For
something different in the way of accommodation why not take a
houseboat. Cruise the lake in gentle style. Mind you they're not cheap -
but wouldn't it make wonderful dinner conversation when you get home?
Talk to the people at Wanaka
Houseboats Ltd.
If somehow you look at a Spitfire or a Hurricane - or even an ME109 - and get a lump in your throat because these are such superb machines. Machines of war, admittedly, designed to kill for sure - deadly but beautiful. You'll have to go to the New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum out at the Wanaka Airport. And if you happen to be here at Easter even numbered year you can pig out on a feast of thoroughbred flying machines at the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow. While you're out that way - if museums are your gig - then look in on the Wanaka Transport and Toy Museum.
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All you need to know about a visit to the place where God set the contrast and colour and man hasn'nt fiddled with the dials.
What, hopefully, you'll get out of this mish-mash of peripatetic ramblings.
Background bumpf on the country.
Visas, customs, immigration, duty free shopping, and getting away from the airport. Bloody important if you don't want to be arrested on arrival.
Moving on . . . by road or rail, by air or by sea.
"nuff said.
What to see, what to do, and why to go there.
Diving, fishing, golf, rafting, sailing, skiing - and more.