A Wanaka Local Explains Why You Should Skip Queenstown and Come Here Instead
Tom moved to Wanaka from Christchurch in 2015 to work as a hiking guide. Eleven years later, he runs his own guiding company, lives 10 minutes from That Wanaka Tree, and has a very specific opinion about the town 70km down the road.
Why Wanaka over Queenstown?
"Look, Queenstown is incredible. I'm not going to pretend it isn't. But it's become a machine. Everything is optimized for throughput — the bungy, the jet boat, the Fergburger queue. You spend more time in lines than in nature.
Wanaka does the same things — hiking, skiing, lake activities — but at a fraction of the crowd. Roy's Peak, our most famous hike, gets busy, sure. But on a Tuesday in April? You'll share the summit with maybe 10 people. Try doing Ben Lomond in Queenstown on a Tuesday — 50+ people.
Wanaka is Queenstown without the performance."
What's the one thing every visitor should do?
"Roy's Peak. Full stop. It's a 16km return hike with 1,300 meters of elevation gain — so it's not easy. Budget 5-7 hours. But the view from the top is legitimately one of the best summit views in New Zealand. Lake Wanaka below, the Southern Alps in every direction, Mount Aspiring catching the light.
The switchback at about two-thirds up is where the famous Instagram photo comes from — the zigzag ridge with the lake behind. Everyone stops there. Keep going to the top. The summit view is better.
Two tips: start before 7AM (parking fills up), and bring more water than you think you need. There's no shade on the exposed ridge."
What do tourists always get wrong?
"They come for one night. Drive from Queenstown, see That Wanaka Tree, eat at a cafe, drive back. You can't feel Wanaka in one night.
Stay three nights minimum. Hike Roy's Peak. Drive to Rob Roy Glacier Track (shorter, easier, and the glacier viewpoint is jaw-dropping). Spend a morning at Puzzling World being confused by optical illusions. Have dinner at Francesca's Italian (the gnocchi, trust me, NZD 32). Walk the lake at sunset.
Wanaka's rhythm is slow. It takes a day to decompress from Queenstown's energy before you can feel it."
Best restaurant nobody knows about?
"Ritual Espresso. Not for dinner — for breakfast. Their eggs benny with Aoraki salmon is NZD 24 and it's better than any brunch in Auckland. But it's small and there's always a queue from 9AM. Go at 7:30.
For dinner, Big Fig does Middle Eastern-inspired food that's genuinely surprising in a small New Zealand town. The lamb shoulder (NZD 38) with zhug and labneh — I eat it weekly and I'm not embarrassed."
What about winter?
"Wanaka has two ski fields: Cardrona (20 minutes) and Treble Cone (30 minutes). Treble Cone is the hardcore one — steeper, less groomed, better views. Cardrona is more family-friendly with learner areas and a terrain park.
Lift passes run NZD 120-170 per day depending on the field. Multi-day passes bring it down. The snow season runs June to October, with August-September usually having the best coverage.
But here's the local secret: cross-country skiing in the Pisa Range or snowshoeing along the lake edge. No crowds. No lift passes. Just you and the mountains."
That Wanaka Tree — is it worth the hype?
"The tree is a willow growing in the lake, about 100 meters from shore. It's become the most photographed tree in New Zealand, possibly the world. Sunrise is the classic shot — the tree reflected in still water with the mountains behind.
Is it worth seeing? Sure. It's a beautiful tree in a beautiful setting. Is it worth planning your entire trip around? No. It's a tree. The mountains behind it are more interesting.
The irony is that thousands of people crowd around this tree every sunrise and miss the view in the opposite direction, which is honestly just as good."
Hidden spots?
"Glendhu Bay, 15 minutes drive west. There's a campground right on the lake with mountain views that rival anything in the main town. In autumn, the poplars turn gold and the light off the lake is unreal. NZD 25 per adult for camping.
Diamond Lake, 20 minutes toward Queenstown. Short hike (2.5km return, 1 hour) to a hilltop with views of Lake Wanaka, the mountains, and a hidden lake in the valley below. Almost nobody does it because Roy's Peak gets all the attention.
And the Motatapu River Track — a backcountry trail that connects Wanaka to Arrowtown. 2-3 days, hut-to-hut. Stunning river valleys, tussock ridges, and maybe 20 other hikers over the entire route. DOC huts cost NZD 15/night."
What would make Wanaka even better?
"Honestly? Fewer people 'discovering' it. I know that's selfish. But Wanaka is growing fast — every year there are more cafes, more Airbnbs, more people on Roy's Peak. It's still quieter than Queenstown but the gap is narrowing.
The town is at its best in April-May (autumn, golden light, thin crowds) and October-November (spring, snow still on the peaks, lambing season). December-February is peak tourist season and it's starting to feel... managed.
Come in the shoulder seasons. Walk the lake. Don't rush. That's the whole point of Wanaka."
