New Zealand / Queenstown, Fiordland & Otago / WanakaWanaka
Lake, Mountains and Roys Peak
Wānaka is Queenstown's quieter neighbour, an hour away over the Crown Range: a lake town under Mt Aspiring National Park, known for the lone willow in the lake and the climb up Roys Peak (5-6 hours return, a steep track closed for lambing from October to mid-November). Rob Roy Glacier, Puzzling World and the Cardrona ski field are close. It is the last town before the Haast Pass to the West Coast glaciers.
Highlights
- Roys Peak summit view
- That Wānaka Tree at sunrise
- Rob Roy Glacier walk
- Puzzling World
- Lakefront cycling
- Blue Pools on the way to Haast
Things to do
- Roys Peak track (start at dawn)Dec–SepMorning · 6h
- Rob Roy Glacier trackMorning · 5h
- That Wānaka Tree and the lakefrontEvening · 1h 30m
- Puzzling WorldAfternoon · 1h 30m
- Mt Iron loopAfternoon · 1h 30m
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: December – March
Worth knowing
Snow on the Crown Range and the Haast Pass
June to September, the Crown Range road to Queenstown and the Haast Pass to the West Coast can need chains or close after snow. Check the NZTA journey planner before setting off, and take the Cromwell road to Queenstown if the Crown Range is closed.
Heads up
Ski Season at Cardrona and Treble Cone
Wānaka fills with skiers from July to September. Book rooms ahead, and allow for the chain rules on the ski-field roads.
Heads up
Roys Peak Track Closed for Lambing
The Roys Peak track crosses farmland and closes for lambing from 1 October to 10 November each year. Climb Mt Iron or walk the Rob Roy Glacier track instead.
- Christmas and New Year holidays · 25 Dec – 2 Jan — New Zealand's main summer holiday: families head to the beaches and lakes, holiday parks and campervans are booked out, and Queenstown and Wānaka hold big New Year's Eve parties. Public holidays on 25-26 December and 1-2 January close some shops and add surcharges in cafés.