Where is Lake Wanaka?
Lake Wanaka lies at the heart of the Southern Lakes in the lower South Island of New Zealand. Whare Kea luxury lodge provides accommodation in the heart of this gorgeous landscape. The township is situated in a dramatic glacier carved basin on the shores of the lake and is the gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park. Wild and beautiful Lake Hawea is a 15 minute drive away, en-route to the frontier town of Makarora, the last stop before the West Coast Glacier region. To the south is the historic Cardrona Valley, offering a scenic alpine route to neighbouring Queenstown.
Lake Wanaka luxuey accommodation is easily accessible by road from both the West Coast and eastern side of the island. There are daily flights from Christchurch International Airport to Lake Wanaka and it is just one hour’s drive from Queenstown Airport over the scenic Crown Range. Domestic and winter season Australian flights land at Queenstown Airport. Private charter airport transfers are available by land and air.
Why choose Wanaka as your holiday destination?
Lake Wanaka has the ease and warmth of small town living with the hospitality and service you expect of the world’s best resorts. Come relax and enjoy the tranquil surroundings and breathtaking scenery with family and friends.
A compact town centre provides easy access to a wide variety of shops, restaurants and services. A vast ‘playground’ is at your doorstep when you are in Wanaka! The region’s rivers and lakes are famous for their fishing and water sports all year round. Historic Hills surround the area, hike, fly, horseback or 4WD up into the high country. Walking and cycling tracks line the lakes and rivers with stunning views of Mt Aspiring National Park-the 3rd largest National Park in New Zealand. Covering 355,000 hectares the park stretches from the dense rainforests of Fiordland, across braided river valleys and alpine meadows to the glaciated Southern Alps. This is truly one of the world’s most spectacular and pristine wildernesses.
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Wanaka is a winter playground as well! The region boasts the largest skiable terrain in Australasia as well as having the largest heli-skiing area outside of Canada. The climate ensures plenty of crisp and sunny blue-skied winter days to play in the wide variety of terrain.
Cardrona Alpine Resort is internationally renowned for its superb family facilities and wide-open slopes. Treble Cone’s varied terrain and stunning views make for some of the most exhilarating and extreme runs in New Zealand. Snow Park NZ is New Zealand’s first all-mountain terrain park and the Snow Farm, high in the Pisa Ranges, is New Zealand’s only Nordic and cross-country ski area. Harris Mountains Heli-Ski offers some of the world’s best skiing and with over 3,000 sq km of untouched powder to choose from, an unforgettable day’s powder skiing or boarding is ensured!
There is always something going on, whatever the time of year in Wanaka. January brings the popular Wanaka Rodeo attracting cowboys and girls from all over to compete. Challenge Wanaka – a testing an incredibly scenic race for the world’s best tri-athletes.
The biennial Rippon open-air music festival (2010) features the best in home grown Kiwi music in February while March displays Lake Wanaka’s luxuey high-country heritage with New Zealand’s second largest Agricultural & Pastoral Show and the Motatapu Icebreaker attracts over 2000 keen mountain bikers and marathon runners. Every second Easter (2010) historic fighter planes take to the skies for the incredible air show Warbirds over Wanaka. April celebrates the arts with the biennial Festival of Colour (2009) and the annual Autumn Arts School.
In early winter, the annual Wanaka Mountain Film Festival packs a programme of extreme sport and adventure lifestyle films, speakers and exhibitions. Following a winter calendar packed with international ski and snowboard events, September’s Wanakafest invites the community and visitors to celebrate our wonderful town and the arrival of spring.
Come feast your eyes and fill your souls in our breathtaking, adventurous, yet tranquil playground called Wanaka.
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