A resort town in the South Island of New Zealand, Wanaka is located on the southern end of the lake, also called Wanaka. The mountain culture in Wanaka is very epic, since Wanaka is surrounded by the Southern Alps. Not only does Wanaka have many outdoor trails and adventure sports, it also has some lovely restaurants.
Wanaka: The 9 Things You Can Do in Just 2 Days
Day 1
1. Breakfast at Kai Whakapai Cafe, Wanaka
I wanted to start my first day in Wanaka with a good breakfast. I had heard that Lake Whakapai Café had great food and also great views. It was also the popular spot for the locals so I knew that the food would be excellent. I decided to have my breakfast at Kai Whakapai Café.
They had delicious carrot cakes and other kinds of pastries. They also looked so pretty. It was a simple kind of café but the food and decorations looked very good. They even had different kinds of beers on tap.
I first ordered salmon eggs Benedict. It was one of my favorite dishes and I really liked how Kai Whakapai Café made it.
I also ordered some other dishes, including a glass of iced tea. I had a big breakfast and I was ready to start my day.
2. Wanaka town & lake walk
Once I was done with breakfast, I decided that I would take a walk around the town of Wanaka. The lake was so beautiful and the snowcapped mountains in the background made my photos look even more stunning. The water was gleaming blue in the morning sun.
I walked around the lake, taking pictures from all sides and angles. There were other tourists and locals roaming all around and lounging by the lakeside. The trees had all turned brown and dry. It must look much more striking in summer. But the mountains were full of snow and the view was absolutely lovely!
Visitors could go right down to the edge of the water to take photographs. But I knew that the water must be very cold. I didn’t dare to touch it. Lake Wanaka was the fourth largest lake in New Zealand and the name of the lake meant ‘place of learning’ in the local Maori language.
Once I had finished my long walk around the lakeside, I was ready to have some lunch. I decided to go to Big Fig Wanaka. Like many of the other restaurants in town, the Big Fig was a lakefront café with exceptional views. It was quite busy.
There were only a few options at the café. Customers could choose a size of plate along with their choice of meat and vegetables and salad.
I got a medium sized plate with rice and salad and chicken and sauces. It was a light and refreshing lunch.
I was staying at Edgewater Hotel at Wanaka. And it had large premises. So I walked around the whole place and took a look at what facilities the hotel had.
The lawns and gardens faced the mountains and were just beautiful. Even though it was winter, the grass was very green. Clouds were beginning to gather in the sky.
The hotel was also on the lakeside.
The Edgewater Hotel was one of the premier hotels in Wanaka and it was sprawled out over a large area of land. I took a picture of the resort as evening started to fall. The lights in the windows made the whole place look stunning.
5. That Wanaka Tree & Wanaka Sequoia
Wanaka was most famous for its two trees. That Wanaka Tree or That Wanaka Willow, which grew at the southern edge of the lake, had been photographed a lot.
I had seen pictures of the tree in summer and it had a lot of green leaves. But now it was mostly dry and dead-looking.
Still, it was a very picturesque sight and I was glad that I had seen it.
The other famous tree was the giant sequoia tree in the Wanaka Station Park. It was one of the largest trees that I had ever seen in my life. I stared up at the tree in awe, looking at the many branches and boughs of the sequoia.
The trunk of the tree was so thick! It would take so many people to surround the tree completely.
The tree was also very tall. I knew that the giant sequoia tree was the largest species of tree in the world. They were native to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California but they had been grown throughout the world. Someone must have brought this sequoia tree to New Zealand many years ago. It was an evergreen, coniferous tree. So it still had all its leaves.
6. Dinner Francesca Italian Restaurant
That night, I finished my itinerary for the day by having dinner at an Italian restaurant called Francesca. Francesca wasn’t an old restaurant. But they had a cozy, old-fashioned vibe and it felt like all the wood-fired pizzas and other dishes were coming out of an Italian grandma’s kitchen. There were a lot of wooden shelves and pretty lamps and plants. The restaurant was very charming.
I ordered a couple of dishes. The names and the descriptions seemed very interesting and I wanted to try some of these new school Italian recipes. The food was presented in a very aesthetic manner and I loved trying them.
I was quite full by the time I finished. I was ready to go to bed. I had a long day ahead of me the next day.
Day 2
7. Snow Farm NZ Cardrona | Skiing
My second day in Wanaka was really exciting. I had planned to go skiing in Snow Farm NZ Cardrona. But the weather wasn’t that great in Cardrona that day. I decided to go snowshoeing instead. I went into their reception area to get my gear.
There were all kinds of skiing and mountain sports gear at the entrance.
I wore my snowshoes and started walking along the easy trail shown on the map.
The walk was very interesting. There was snow lying everywhere and I was glad that I had a proper trail to follow. Otherwise I would have gotten lost.
The road was barely visible at times.
I also crossed some streams during my walk.
8. Bradrona NZ | The Famous Cardrona Bra Fence
Then I went to visit the famous Bradrona. This was a fence in Cardrona where locals and visitors alike hung bras. It had become quite well known throughout New Zealand. It had once started with just a few bras. Nobody knew why those first bras had been hung up but it had become a statement.
Now Bradrona was used to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.
There were dozens of bras.
9. Cardrona Hotel New Zealand, Bar, and Gift Shop
Finally, I visited the town of Cardrona and all its iconic buildings.
The General Post Office and Merchant Shop looked like it was straight out of an old film.
There were benches outside the bar.
Visitors could sit and enjoy the afternoon sun and the blue skies.
The gift shop was located inside the old schoolhouse and there was a vintage telephone booth outside.
There were so many lovely things being sold in the gift shop. There were mugs and candles, games and posters.
I took a look at all the souvenirs and bottles of wine that were being sold.
