HERE ARE OUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO AS A FAMILY IN WANAKA
25 MARCH 2023
Wanaka is an incredibly beautiful town in the South Island of New Zealand and there is just SO much to do in the area. We have spent a lot of time exploring Wanaka and absolutely love the town and surrounding areas. It's a fantastic place to spend time with the family and there's something for everyone. It is a hugely popular area for tourists and it's easy to see why, from the stunning backdrop of Lake Wanaka and the Southern Alps to the breathtaking views on the walks in the area and the number of fun things to do. Also, let's not forget the food... we LOVE the food in Wanaka, it is always one of the highlights of visiting! As with all of our "What to do in....... with kids" blogs, all of the below are from experience and we only want to share with you the things with doing and seeing.
Climb Roys Peak
You may be asking yourself "can I climb Roys Peak with kids" and the answer is YES, ABSOLUTELY, OF COURSE! Roys Peak is a short drive from Wanaka township (7-minutes) and is THE BEST hike in Wanaka (and one of the best hikes in New Zealand)! It's a 16km there and back track which has the most incredible views from start to summit. It's not a difficult track at all - it's just a long hike and uphill all the way up and downhill all the way back down to the carpark.
The views are incredible, there are treasures to discover along the way and you may even meet a few friendly sheep or cattle along the way - oh, and people.
We did the hike when Sienna was 4 and Arabella was 9 and they smashed it! In fact, it was them who BEGGED us to do it! It's such an accomplishment to do this hike with kids and they will love the journey, especially if they are seasoned hikers.
The views are incredible, there are treasures to discover along the way and you may even meet a few friendly sheep or cattle along the way - oh, and people.
We did the hike when Sienna was 4 and Arabella was 9 and they smashed it! In fact, it was them who BEGGED us to do it! It's such an accomplishment to do this hike with kids and they will love the journey, especially if they are seasoned hikers.
Get Confused At Puzzling World
Prepare to be very confused at Puzzling World in Wanaka, where there are rooms full of mind bending objects which will have you scratching your heads, trying to figure it all out!
The girls absolutely loved it here and there was a lot of things for them to interact with, which helped keep them interested. Their favourite part was the giant outdoor maze which had us trying to figure out how we get to each corner to the coloured towers, so we could leave knowing we had made it. They were giggling the whole time, never got bored and best off all it tired them out ;)
The cafe at Puzzling World have a huge range of puzzles on the tables that keep the kids entertained while they eat and drink. The cafe is the perfect place to spend an hour or two on a rainy day without spending much.
The girls absolutely loved it here and there was a lot of things for them to interact with, which helped keep them interested. Their favourite part was the giant outdoor maze which had us trying to figure out how we get to each corner to the coloured towers, so we could leave knowing we had made it. They were giggling the whole time, never got bored and best off all it tired them out ;)
The cafe at Puzzling World have a huge range of puzzles on the tables that keep the kids entertained while they eat and drink. The cafe is the perfect place to spend an hour or two on a rainy day without spending much.
Explore Lake Wanaka
Lake Wanaka is most known for #thatwanakatree... you know, the random tree sitting in the water that EVERY TRAVELLER TO WANAKA seems to have photographed? In fact, it's one of the most photographed trees in the world! So visiting the tree is one thing to do around the lake, but there's so much more to do!
In summer it's the perfect place to relax on the shore and go for a dip. It's nice and calm which makes it perfect for kids to swim in. There is also kayak hire, water tricycles (which we would have loved to have tried but our girls were too young unfortunately!), watching the sunset, throwing rocks into the water.
There are some amaaazing food places just opposite the lake, so it's a great spot to get a takeaway lunch or dinner and sit beside the lake.
Driving around the lake is another activity we did a lot and there are some fantastic viewpoints to stop and take photos of the lake. One of our favourites can be found here and the Lake Hawea lookout isn't far from it too.
In summer it's the perfect place to relax on the shore and go for a dip. It's nice and calm which makes it perfect for kids to swim in. There is also kayak hire, water tricycles (which we would have loved to have tried but our girls were too young unfortunately!), watching the sunset, throwing rocks into the water.
There are some amaaazing food places just opposite the lake, so it's a great spot to get a takeaway lunch or dinner and sit beside the lake.
Driving around the lake is another activity we did a lot and there are some fantastic viewpoints to stop and take photos of the lake. One of our favourites can be found here and the Lake Hawea lookout isn't far from it too.
Walk The Rocky Mountain & Diamond Lake Track
The first part of this track takes you to a lake which looks pretty impressive from the lookout above!
When you venture further up on the Rocky Mountain track, it gets a little more difficult in places but that's all part of the adventure! There's so much diversity on this track and what we love is there are multiple, large areas for sitting and enjoying the view without really being disturbed by other hikers. The views stretch as far as the eye can see, so it's best done on a clear/partly cloudy day.
When you venture further up on the Rocky Mountain track, it gets a little more difficult in places but that's all part of the adventure! There's so much diversity on this track and what we love is there are multiple, large areas for sitting and enjoying the view without really being disturbed by other hikers. The views stretch as far as the eye can see, so it's best done on a clear/partly cloudy day.
Burn Energy Off At The Playground
Our kids LOVE playgrounds and I'm not even sure how many we have been to around New Zealand (that would be fun to add up!), so we're always looking for playgrounds when we go to new areas.
We found two playgrounds in Wanaka and they aren't the most exciting (not like the Margaret Mahy Playground in Christchurch!), but it's something new for the kids and it lets them burn some energy off.
The main playground is beside Lake Wanaka and the main feature is the giant stegosaurus slide. Click here for directions.
The other playground we found was at Domini Park, just a 5-minute drive from the town and it had more things to do than the dinosaur playground, plus there is a flying fox and loads of grass to run around or picnic on! Click here for directions.
On the way to Domini Park is a forest on Plantation Road, opposite Kings Road which you turn right into, to get to Domini Park. It's not massive, but there is a bike track but also fun for the kids to run amongst the trees. If you climb the hill behind the forest you'll get a pretty sweet view of Lake Wanaka and it's the perfect hill to roly poly down.
We found two playgrounds in Wanaka and they aren't the most exciting (not like the Margaret Mahy Playground in Christchurch!), but it's something new for the kids and it lets them burn some energy off.
The main playground is beside Lake Wanaka and the main feature is the giant stegosaurus slide. Click here for directions.
The other playground we found was at Domini Park, just a 5-minute drive from the town and it had more things to do than the dinosaur playground, plus there is a flying fox and loads of grass to run around or picnic on! Click here for directions.
On the way to Domini Park is a forest on Plantation Road, opposite Kings Road which you turn right into, to get to Domini Park. It's not massive, but there is a bike track but also fun for the kids to run amongst the trees. If you climb the hill behind the forest you'll get a pretty sweet view of Lake Wanaka and it's the perfect hill to roly poly down.
Eat, Eat, Eat And Eat Some More
We have travelled all over New Zealand and if you follow our Instagram page, you'll know how much we love food...especially food we don't have to cook - that's the best type right? Now you may not see eating as something to do in Wanaka, but trust me, it's an absolute sport of champions and one must try everything they can here!
Wanaka has some of the most delicious cafes, restaurants and food trucks we have been to in New Zealand. There are our favourite and are all kid approved:
Big Fig
We'll start with our FAVOURITE one because this is the place we visited the most. We had the most amazing homecooked food which consisted of pulled beef cheeks, basmati rice pilaf and a selections of deeelicious salads. It was so good that we drooled thinking about having it for lunch every day (we didn't, because $$$$, ya know!). They do a breakfast and dinner menu too which we didn't get to try out but absolutely will next time we're in Wanaka!
Location: 105 Ardmore Street, Wanaka
Patagonia
Oh, hello all things chocolate and delicious! We really enjoyed their decadent mochas which was a mix between a coffee and hot chocolate, the crispy churros with dulce de leche sauce and the girls had strawberry ice cream. Everything was really delicious and there was often a line out the door for this place!
Location: 155 Ardmore Street, Wanaka
Kamino
There were a few highlights here for us.... 1) The mochas were reeeally good and even came with a small Whittakers chocolate bar! 2) The karaage chicken was crazy tender and so crunchy and always hot. 3) The loaded wedges were hot, crunchy and really tasty. We also loved how the outdoor chairs had rugs on them and heaters above us to keep us warm. 4) The tiramisu was soooo good and not overpowering with the coffee which was awesome.
Location: 28 Helwick Street, Wanaka
Charlies Crepes
The girls are big fans of pancakes so when they heard a crepe food truck was in Wanaka, they were pretty quick to flutter the eyelashes and ask for one. They really enjoyed a sweet crepe with lemon juice on it, mmm.
Location: 77/79 Brownston Street, Wanaka
Black Peak Gelato
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Yes ma'am/sir, ice cream is life for us, especially in spring and summer so when we came across Peak Gelato in Wanaka, there was no way we couldn't have some. The flavours change all the time and we loved the lime sorbet, chocolate, strawberry and mint choc chip.
Location: 5/123 Ardmore Street, Wanaka
Scroggin Coffee & Eatery
This place has good coffee, friendly staff and yummy raw slices!
Location: 71 Ardmore Street, Wanaka
Red Star
Just because we've put Red Star at the bottom of this list, doesn't mean that it's lost its place in the 'best food in Wanaka' queue, because ohhh myyyyy gaaaawd their burgers are MAHOOSIVE and INCREDIBLE! We have to give a shout out to the cheeseburger as being one of the best we tried! They're so big that we only ever bought 2 burgers to share between 4 of us. Also, their large fries really are large and one container would feed 4 of us!
Location: 26 Ardmore Street, Wanaka
Wanaka has some of the most delicious cafes, restaurants and food trucks we have been to in New Zealand. There are our favourite and are all kid approved:
Big Fig
We'll start with our FAVOURITE one because this is the place we visited the most. We had the most amazing homecooked food which consisted of pulled beef cheeks, basmati rice pilaf and a selections of deeelicious salads. It was so good that we drooled thinking about having it for lunch every day (we didn't, because $$$$, ya know!). They do a breakfast and dinner menu too which we didn't get to try out but absolutely will next time we're in Wanaka!
Location: 105 Ardmore Street, Wanaka
Patagonia
Oh, hello all things chocolate and delicious! We really enjoyed their decadent mochas which was a mix between a coffee and hot chocolate, the crispy churros with dulce de leche sauce and the girls had strawberry ice cream. Everything was really delicious and there was often a line out the door for this place!
Location: 155 Ardmore Street, Wanaka
Kamino
There were a few highlights here for us.... 1) The mochas were reeeally good and even came with a small Whittakers chocolate bar! 2) The karaage chicken was crazy tender and so crunchy and always hot. 3) The loaded wedges were hot, crunchy and really tasty. We also loved how the outdoor chairs had rugs on them and heaters above us to keep us warm. 4) The tiramisu was soooo good and not overpowering with the coffee which was awesome.
Location: 28 Helwick Street, Wanaka
Charlies Crepes
The girls are big fans of pancakes so when they heard a crepe food truck was in Wanaka, they were pretty quick to flutter the eyelashes and ask for one. They really enjoyed a sweet crepe with lemon juice on it, mmm.
Location: 77/79 Brownston Street, Wanaka
Black Peak Gelato
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Yes ma'am/sir, ice cream is life for us, especially in spring and summer so when we came across Peak Gelato in Wanaka, there was no way we couldn't have some. The flavours change all the time and we loved the lime sorbet, chocolate, strawberry and mint choc chip.
Location: 5/123 Ardmore Street, Wanaka
Scroggin Coffee & Eatery
This place has good coffee, friendly staff and yummy raw slices!
Location: 71 Ardmore Street, Wanaka
Red Star
Just because we've put Red Star at the bottom of this list, doesn't mean that it's lost its place in the 'best food in Wanaka' queue, because ohhh myyyyy gaaaawd their burgers are MAHOOSIVE and INCREDIBLE! We have to give a shout out to the cheeseburger as being one of the best we tried! They're so big that we only ever bought 2 burgers to share between 4 of us. Also, their large fries really are large and one container would feed 4 of us!
Location: 26 Ardmore Street, Wanaka
Take A Hike Up Wanaka's Highest Point
Mt Iron is the perfect hike for families - it's 1.5 hours return, has stunning views across Wanaka & beyond and there are lots of treasures to find along the way! It's dog friendly too, so when we were house sitting a gorgeous doggie in Wanaka, we would take him on the track lots for sniffs.
It's the highest point in Wanaka itself and on a clear day you can see across Lake Wanaka and even out to Lake Hawea.
It's the highest point in Wanaka itself and on a clear day you can see across Lake Wanaka and even out to Lake Hawea.
If you feel like venturing out beyond Wanaka, then we have a few extra treats for you below.
Chill In A Kid Friendly Bar Made Completely Out Of Ice
As a family, we love to do unique experiences together, so when we found out that KIDS can go to a bar we were like, HELLS YEAH! The ice bar is in Queenstown, south of Wanaka, but so worth the day trip!
The bar is made completely out of ice (ok, not the eftpos machine or the till) including the chairs, sculpture and even the chandelier and is -12 deg C. There is a photo area for kids to dress up and take photos at the booth, and the highlight for us was the ice hockey table made yes, from ice!
There are kids mocktails (juice) available and all the cups are made from ice too.
The bar is made completely out of ice (ok, not the eftpos machine or the till) including the chairs, sculpture and even the chandelier and is -12 deg C. There is a photo area for kids to dress up and take photos at the booth, and the highlight for us was the ice hockey table made yes, from ice!
There are kids mocktails (juice) available and all the cups are made from ice too.
Eat The Best Fudge Of Your Life While Exploring A Historic Settlement
Arrowtown is south of Wanaka and is a cute little town with beautiful historic buildings in the town and an Autumn wonderland with trees coloured yellow, orange and red.
A big part of the draw to Arrowtown for tourists is to explore the historic Chinese settlement village, which is free to explore and you can even look inside the huts.
I would have to say the main reason we (and plenty of other tourists) visit, is because of the Remarkables Sweet Shops which has lollies from all over the world and THE BEST FUDGE you've ever had! Our favourite is the creme brulee... it is soooooo good.
A big part of the draw to Arrowtown for tourists is to explore the historic Chinese settlement village, which is free to explore and you can even look inside the huts.
I would have to say the main reason we (and plenty of other tourists) visit, is because of the Remarkables Sweet Shops which has lollies from all over the world and THE BEST FUDGE you've ever had! Our favourite is the creme brulee... it is soooooo good.
Soak In The Views At The Crown Range
The drive from Wanaka to Queenstown takes you past the Crown Range Lookout where there is plenty of parking right next to the main highway so you can stop and take plenty of photos of the views across Queenstown.
There is also a walk from the carpark that zig zags up to the summit.
There is also a walk from the carpark that zig zags up to the summit.
More to do in New Zealand
COWANS HILL TRACK
CANTERBURY A beautiful and peaceful walk up the back of Tekapo, full of lupins in Nov - Jan if you go down the right track. Great mountain views! |
AUCKLAND ZOO
AUCKLAND Lions and tigers and meercats, oh my! There's everything from rhinos to kiwis here at Auckland Zoo. Plus a really epic playground! |
OMAKA AVIATION HERITAGE CENTRE
MARLBOROUGH An incredible experience with life size planes and figurines each telling unique true stories from wars around the world.
|
SEND US A MESSAGE, WE LOVE GETTING MAIL! |
DISCOVER |
FOLLOW USBORING (BUT IMPORTANT LEGAL) STUFF |