I’m back with another post about what to do with only one day in a New Zealand town. This time, its Wanaka. Wanaka lies about an hour north of Queenstown, along Lake Hawea and the road to the West Coast. Its a snow lover’s paradise in the winter and a hiker’s paradise in the summer. But what do you do if you’re just passing through for one day? I set off last weekend to find out.
5:00am: Wake up before the sun and get an early start on the trail. The view from the top of Roy’s Peak cannot be beat. The track begins about 6km from town and takes about 5-6 hours round trip.
11:00am: Head into town for a coffee and post-hike brunch. There are several places to go, but a local (and not so local) favourite is Kai Whaka Pai, on the lakefront. They do a roaring breakfast business and the coffee is delicious.
12:00pm: Spend some time at one of the local museums. Only a ten minute drive from town is the Warbirds and Wheels museum, right next to the Toy and Transport museum and a tiny craft brewery. Even closer to town is the crowd-pleasing Puzzling World, home to real-life interactive optical illusions and the world’s first Great Maze. Museum entrance at the transport museum is $17, while entrance to Warbirds and Wheels is $20. A combination ticket for both the Illusions and the Great Maze at Puzzling World is $20; individual tickets are $16.
2:30pm: Head back to town and grab a late lunch at Federal Diner. Try their Comfort Kedgeree, Wunder Burg, or Lone Ranger. They do close at 3, so get there with plenty of time to spare. Other late lunch options: Francesca’s Italian Kitchen or Relishes Cafe.
3:30pm: Drive just thirty seconds out of town up the Mount Aspiring Road to Rippon Winery and enjoy a tasting of purely local, biodynamic wines. They do a stellar Gewürztraminer, and a sublime Riesling/Sylvania blend.
5:00pm: Take a walk along the lake to Roy’s Bay and snap some photos of the Instagram famous Wanaka Tree. Don’t forget to hashtag #thatwanakatree. Even if there’s a crowd, and there always is, the tree is unique and has a beautiful backdrop. I personally love it.
5:30pm: Beat the post-snow crowd to the bars. Snag a seat at any one of the bars along the lakefront and people watch. In the summer, enjoy a patio seat at one of the bars that line the esplanade. Kai Whaka Pai serves drinks as well as coffee and their outdoor area is usually packed. Some bars, like Gin and Raspberry have a nice upstairs patio with a view out over the lake. In the winter, the fire at The Cow is perfection. Pull a stool up and enjoy the warmth and the camaraderie of the bar.
7:00pm: Enjoy a casual dinner at one of the many good restaurants in Wanaka. Down Post Office Lane, find The Cow, Mazunga, or Barluga. On the lake front, options include Wanaka Gourmet Kitchen, the Lake Bar, Speight’s Ale House, or the Landing – among others. Take your pick!
9:00pm: Catch a movie at the Cinema Paradiso movie theatre. It’s an old school theatre with old airline seats, couches, and more.. like fresh cookies every intermission. Don’t miss it!
11:00pm: Still awake? Wanaka’s social scene mostly involves casual drinks with friends, rather than an intense drinking culture… so grab your mates and head to any of the bars in town for a chilled out session.
Like this post? Pin it!
We enjoyed a great dinner at Relishes Cafe over 20 years ago. Glad to hear it is still around–I would go back for old time’s sake. They have a really neat fireplace built by the then-owner from stone he personally gathered in the mountains.
do you have any pictures from Wanaka back then?
I’ve only been to Wanaka once – drive through on a road trip and I didn’t really stop but it is a lovely spot. I did go to Puzzling World though, it is very cool there!
When I was a kid, we had an optical illusion book that was set at Puzzling World. I have always wanted to go there, so I finally did 🙂