I’ve been going a bit crazy on social media with photos of Roys peak in Wanaka. I just love that place and would post 100 pictures, but I guess that would be overkill. So I’ll just keep it at a few words.

Wanaka is a little magical place in New Zealand. You probably think: damn, another place to add to that long list of what to do in New Zealand. Well, I don’t care how long your list is, you have to go here. And otherwise, just scratch Hobbiton off your list and replace it with Wanaka. Bang, done!

Why you should visit Wanaka in New Zealand! 

Wanaka is a cute little village of around 7000 people. It is a touristy place, but not in a way that it’s TOO much. Due to the tourists there are some nice little bars and cafes, which can’t be said of other little towns in this country.

But enough about the town, it is the nature around that is mind blowing. The first time I went to Wanaka I felt such a calmness coming over me. You are surrounded by mountains and mountains. It is an impressive view and the huge lake only adds up to that. It makes you feel so little and you are reminded (again) that the world is a beautiful place.

Wanaka is also known for its ‘lone tree’. A tree that stands by itself in the lake… It is possibly the most photographed tree of New Zealand. I’ve seen some nice pics of it (check google), but in real life I found the whole magic around it way too overrated.

Walks 

There are a lot of walks around. Some easy accessible ones are Rob Roy’s track and Roy’s peak. The Rob Roy’s Glacier Track brings you through a forest super close to a glacier. Once there you’ll blink twice with your eyes, because it almost doesn’t look real.

Another one, of which I’ve been sharing quite some photos is Roys Peak. It’s a nice couple of hours up to the top, but the views are just insane. You can find more technical details on the NZ DOC site. Try to do it in winter, so much better with the snow around.

Find all the info you need to visit Roys Peak here: Roys Peak Guide.

It was the second time my boyfriend and I walked up there. The first time we left a bit too late, so it was too dark to enjoy the surroundings. The second time we had enough daylight left to play around! As we’re both a bit goofy, we wanted to try something else and I needed some new pictures for my About-page. So I came up with the idea of taking balloons. Easier said than done, the wind was so strong it stole a couple of balloons, it was super cold and I had to change shoes (I was wearing bad ass hiking shoes, not perfect for the pic I had in mind). We still had fun though and I quite like the result!

Skiing 

In winter Wanaka is packed with passionate skiers and snowboarders. And they have a good reason. Wanaka is voted by National Geographic as one of world’s 25 best Ski Towns. Cardrona Alpine Resort is great for beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders, Treble Cone Ski Area offers long uncrowded slopes and a legendary off-piste terrain and for cross-country ski you should be at Wanaka’s Snow Farm.

And if you want a day inside, go to the Puzzling world (sounds stupid, but is secretly really cool) or go to the shooting range. Rifles, arrows and my favourite: clay shooting!