A relaxing week in a tourist town with good vibes
Wanaka is in the South Lakes region. Perched on the shores of Lake Wanaka, Mt Aspiring and its range rises in the background, flanked by smaller peaks around two other sides. With multiple rivers in all directions and flat plains stretching out to the east, it is a playground of hiking, biking, kayaking and beaching.
Wanaka is about an hour from tourist crazed Queenstown and was once the quiet alternative. In recent years, that alternative itself has grown quite popular so we were worried it might be a zoo. It turned out to be an extremely laid back town, with the popular beachfront and downtown the only parts that occasionally felt packed with tourists.
We stayed a full week, but it wasn’t our usual Monday-Monday due to the shorter time in the Catlins. We will be back for a second week here in February so this was just our first go round.
Thursday – Move Day
Another brilliant sunrise in Owaka. Reluctantly, we packed and cleaned and headed north towards Wanaka. My plan to stop and bike part of the Clutha Gold Trail along the way worked out perfectly.
We parked at a pub in Beaumont and peddled north to Millers Flat for a 50km return cycle all along the beautiful glacial blue Clutha River. We saw six other people the entire afternoon on the trail and what must have been the entire population of the region at a funeral in Millers Flat.
The drive to Wanaka curves along the river and then past a dammed lake and the Pisa region before the mountains started to loom ahead on the approach to the town itself. Our accommodation this week was an apartment attached to a family home, less than a kilometre from the lakeshore. It was very newly redone, in stark comparison with our one hundred year old Catlins house.
We walked down to the beach to enjoy the stunning hill and mountain views over the lake, had a late dinner and then a late night on the main patio chatting with our hosts. Janet comes from a long history of families who worked the high country stations of Mackenzie Country and Lake Tekapo and we were intrigued to learn a bit more about this way of life. Like all the kiwis we have met, they were eager to ensure that we have a wonderful time and generous with their offers of setting up connections for us to visit out of the way places.
Friday
We decided to explore the area by foot before getting back in the car again, so had a relaxing town day. A slow start and then a walk around the eastern lakeshore on a path that connects various beach parks before leaving town as a connector to the next big lake. We stopped around that point for a picnic and then turned back.
A quick walk through town and the grocery, then it was time for a swim. The water felt delightfully cool on a very warm day, but so cold that my second time in I got a little hypothermic. We were back down on the beach for an evening glass of wine, reveling in how easy it is to take advantage of the lake when the walk is less than 10 minutes.
Saturday
The mountains were calling and we listened, heading into Mount Aspiring National Park for our first, but happily not last, visit. Since this day was a stunner, even in comparison to all the New Zealand ones so far, I split the trek and its many pictures out into a separate post which you can access here.
In the evening, we were beat but still enjoyed sunset at the lakeshore reminiscing on other beautiful hikes we have enjoyed in our lives.
Sunday
I was up early to beat the heat and easily reached my destination on my bike due to the lack of cars on a Sunday morning. Hale was ready for a home day to catch up on our finances. Even though I feel completely behind on everything, I can’t seem to take a day off so I was happy to explore solo today.
Mt Iron is the big hill right in town offering great views over the lake, mountains and surrounding plains in all other directions. It was busy with locals out for morning exercise and it felt fun to be part of that vibe rather than a tourist for once.
After Mt Iron, I biked partway along the lakeshore on the Glendhu Bay walkway before it turned into a real mountain bike trail, at which point I ditched the bike and walked the rest of the way to Glendhu, enjoying the ever changing lake, hill and mountain views. Hale kindly played shuttle driver for me so I didn’t have to walk the 10k in reverse, so after a short ride home I finished the day with a swim, laundry and evening time at the lake beach.
Monday
Haast Pass is the lowest of the passes across the south island – also the rainiest and furthest south. All the passes (and the west coast itself) are renowned for their infestations of the dreaded New Zealand sandfly, which is why you won’t find us spending much time soaking up their beauty.
We drove the Haast Pass road from Wanaka to the Tasman coast at Haast town and then reversed our path back to home.
We stopped frequently along this tourist drive for short stints to see waterfalls (Depot Creek Falls, Roaring Billy Falls, Thunder Creek Falls and FanTail Falls.) Some were beautiful but many were also mobbed with tour busses and sandflies.
We also stopped to take a couple of short walks. Blue Pools was beautiful but crowded and a sandfly nightmare. The Haast Pass walk was a winner with great views and blessedly empty of both bugs and people.
We definitely enjoyed the gorgeous mountain views, especially on the last part of the pass heading west. Haast town and Haast beach are nothing to write home about…so we won’t.
All kidding aside, we really enjoyed the beautiful drive. I finished the day with a walk along the quieter and bug free Lake Wanaka.
Tuesday
I was out early for biking and hiking before the heat rolled in for the afternoon. I cycled along the lakeside paths and the Outlet Track to the Upper Clutha trail. After a few kilometers on the Upper Clutha, the track outgrew my comfort zone for rocks, roots, turns, hills and narrowness so I ditched the bike and hiked for several miles.
Once up on the top of the cliff, it was definitely my level, but I was glad I wasn’t on my bike when I came across a big washout. I had a beautiful walk along the top looking down into the blue, blue river and admiring the hills and mountains all around.
On my bike ride back, I ran into (not literally thank goodness) Hale coming the other way on the Outlet Track after he’d just taken on a bit of the nearby mountain bike park loop. We rode together for a while, then he took off for a swim and I headed home for a shower and very late lunch.
Wednesday
Another beautiful hike in the Matukituki Valley, this time on the East Matukituki River. The same beautiful drive out, although we think we saw more because we weren’t behind any cars kicking up huge dust clouds on the washboard road.
The hike started across a swing bridge over the river, followed along the river for 30 minutes or so with mountains all around, then we conducted a fruitless search for a shallow enough spot to cross a tributary. (In the end, Hale splashed through in boots while I just took mine off for a bit of a mud bath.)
From there we walked along a farm road onto a station, imagining their life in this scenic paradise, knowing what hard work it must be and how difficult when snowed-in during winter or unable to cross the river in spring.
The last stage is walking through a beautiful beech forest until eventually reaching the river again – this time just below the magnificent glacial valley with cascading waterfalls.
We would have stayed forever if the sandflies hadn’t been biting us as we tried to eat lunch. The majesty of the spot was such that I stayed there getting bit much longer than anywhere else I can remember.
Back the way we came, awed with the beauty at each step of the way.
Home to laundry, picture file management and our last dinner here before we head south tomorrow. It has been hot this week (in the high 80’s) and they are predicting high 90s for next week. Summer is short lived in NZ but does bring some scorchers in this high country.
Wrap
How strange it was to go from being bundled up in hats, gloves and scarves in the Catlins to roasting in in Wanaka within the same week. We’re away from the coast here and in the valley, making it hot during the summertime.
The week in Wanaka flew by, despite the fact it felt like we were taking it easy. (Are we becoming old people who feel busy even when doing nothing?)
We really enjoyed the vibe in Wanaka – touristy on a small scale. The setting in the town itself is extremely scenic and there are wonders to be had just up the road in Mt Aspiring National Park. That plus the ease of access to local biking and hiking trails right from our doorstep makes it a perfect spot to relax and enjoy New Zealand.
We are looking forward to returning in February for another week and glad we chose this as our one double destination. It would be a very easy place to spend a month.
Week 13B & 14A of our journey