Wanaka & Queenstown

View over Lake Wanaka from the Isthmus Peak Track

Both cities, Wanaka and Queenstown, are well known for their thrilling, adrenaline-filled, more and less expensive adventurous activities. We stayed for one night in each city and tried to avoid spending too much money.

The route to Wanaka lies on the edge of two different giant mirroring lakes on the one side, first the Lake Hawea and then after driving over a small pass, Lake Wanaka, and on the other side high mountains with snowy peaks. We had to stop a lot on this picturesque road before reaching Wanaka, which lies on one end of Lake Wanaka. After checking in at our camping site and setting up our tents, we went for a little walk along the magnificent waterfront. Choosing a camping for that night was definitely a mistake, as it was freezing outside and our sleeping bags were not made for these kind of temperatures. Nevertheless, we survived the night and woke up to a clear blue sky. Markus went on his booked climbing tour, which left me and Andrew, and we decided to climb one of the surrounding peaks.

Our initial plan was to hike up to Roy’s Peak but unfortunately from October to November it is closed due to lambing, so we switched plans and drove to the Isthmus Peak Track (https://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/explore/isthmus-peak-track/) , not less impressive but a more exhaustive hike. The track gradually climbs for 8 km with a lot of steep passages to iys peak at 1385 m. Already after the first kilometre I was covered in sweat but we continued climbing at a quite fast pace without any major breaks. An hour and a half later we approached what we thought was the summit, but it turned out to be only a false peak and we still had a long way to go. Once we reached the ridge line the harsh cold wind blowing there, cooled us down quickly. We continued over another peak before finally reaching the Isthmus Peak. The breath-taking views all along the ridge line and especially on the Isthmus Peak itself, made more than up for the nearly excruciating effort that was needed to hike up there. The view is a rewarding 360° panorama over both lakes and the surrounding Southern Alpes. We had lunch on top and met a mountain-biker and even a woman who ran up the whole track. As we headed back down we felt the uphill in our knees and Andrew even needed sticks to get down. We needed longer to walk down then to hike up, but we made it and do not regret it at all, it was absolutely worth it!

In Queenstown, we slept in a cosy little hostel near the city centre. For dinner we went into the town to check out the local restaurants and the atmosphere on a Saturday night. What surprised me the most was the amount of Asian people out in the city centre, with mandarin being the second language in the city. The city centre is very clean and filled with small shops, at the same time it is also very touristic and on every corner is another company promoting their activities, from bungee jumping to skydiving to heli-skiing, or whatever you are dreaming about.

While Andrew hopped on a rafting boat, Markus and me took the Gondola to overlook Queenstown. The ride is with $44 probably the cheapest attraction all around Queenstown, it can be combined with a luges-ride or bungee jumping which makes it only more expensive. The views from the top do not only cover the skyline of the town, we also looked over the Lake Wakatipu, the valley and the snowy peaks of the Southern Alps with the local ski areas. Later, we walked through the more peaceful and beautiful botanical garden before picking up Andrew and heading to the Milford Sound.

Both cities lie right by a big lake and from an activities and attractions point of view, they do not differentiate themselves much. Nevertheless, Wanaka has more flair, it appears less touristic and filled with more local people than Queenstown. If I had to choose one city, I would definitely choose Wanaka, its waterfront is gorgeous and the city simply has more to offer besides the adrenaline-seeking activities.

Thierry.