James and I have been living in Wanaka for the past two months at Glendhu Bay Holiday Park, in my grandparents Campervan. Wanaka is a beautiful place to live and there are many lovely walks and activities to do.
Glendhu Bay Walk
From Wanaka to Glendhu Bay there is a beautiful walking track right along the lakefront. I never managed to walk the entire way but I did enjoy walking from the campground around the bays and back. The terrain reminded me of the Scottish Highlands with the mountains, lake and large stones. On a clear sunny day, the mountains reflected on the calm lake, creating a picturesque mirror image.
Lavender Farm
The lavender farm is a fun and popular activity to do in Wanaka. It has a cool purple theme with interactive art, as well as outdoor games and animal feeding. The animals were super cute, with big wooly sheep, lamas, donkeys and pigs. The lavender wasn’t flowering because we went during the winter season but it was still beautiful seeing the rows of lavender. There is a sweet little shop and cafe inside filled with lavender products. The lavender macaroons were delicious.
Mount Iron Walk
Mount Iron is a Mountain that overlooks Wanaka township, and Lake Hawea. It is a steep climb to the top but only took us 1.5 hours return. Like all the other walks in the area, the views are pretty magnificent and there were lots of wild bunnies next to the track.
Stevensons Island Cruise
This cruise was 45 minutes each way across Lake Wanaka, to a tiny island called Stevensons Island. The boat ride was nice however the Island was a bit dissapointing as it was just a short 5 minute walk to the top, with nothing much to see. On the cruise we went past tall jagged mountain peaks and barren farmlands, it was quite impressive to see large ruts carved out of the land.
Rocky Mountain Walk
Just a short 5-minute drive from our campground at Glendhu Bay, lies the Rocky Mountain Peak Walk, in the Diamond Lake Conservation Area. The walk can be done from either direction, however we decided to ascend up the east side and descend down the west side. It was quite a technical walk, as the path travels along the side of a cliff and was slippery due to snow and ice. There were amazing views the entire way round, with Glendhu Bay, Wanaka and Treble Cone being the main features. It took us about 2 hours to complete the walk.
SpaGazer Experience
James and I got given a chuffed voucher for christmas last year and decided to use it on this SpaGazer experience. The spas are located near Lake Hayes, on a private bit of land. There are about five cedarwood spas within good distance of each other, overlooking the beautiful countryside. They are wood-fired, but you can change the temperature to suit your comfort. On the night that we went, there was a full moon so everything was really bright even though it was nighttime. We were allowed to stay as long as we wanted so we spent about 5 hours in the spa.
Wanaka Flight
For James Birthday he got given a trial flight over Wanaka. We waited until James' dad came to visit so he could come with us, and James got to fly the plane. I am quite scared of flying so I wasn’t sure if I was actually going to get on the plane, but I decided it should be fine. We flew in a tiny Cessna 172 and just managed to fit. Surprisingly I didn’t find the flight too scary except for one bit of turbulence around the mountains when the plane suddenly dropped. It is an incredible view from above, with all the winding rivers, lakes and mountains. We flew from Wanaka airport, to Mt Aspiring and back.
Arrowtown
James and I went to Arrowtown for a few days to stay with his dad. Arrowtown is a quaint little village about 1 hour drive from Wanaka and is known for its gold mining. The buildings are all historic and it has a very charming atmosphere. The river that runs along the outskirts, has a beautiful green colour and is crystal clear. There is a walkway along the river, with lots of little silvereye birds and I would highly recommend walking it.
