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Exactly ten years ago, I arrived in Wanaka in a little red car with my entire life inside. Back then, Wanaka was a sleepy little mountain town, Instagram didn’t really exist and no one cared about a tree in a lake. I can't believe I've been living in Wanaka for ten years. When you start remembering things decades later, you feel old.
A long time ago, I was blogging full-time and could live anywhere. After my lease in Wellington ended, I headed south. Prefer chiller Wanaka Arriving in Queenstown, I eventually settled here. It's an easy place to fall in love with. This is still true.
Like many foreigners who have settled here, I came for a while but never left. Well, I did move to Littleton (christchurch) During COVID, you know, I've been out there for a few years for love, but I'm trying to forget that. As soon as this happened, I ran right back into the arms of all my friends in Wanaka. Home.
Although my feelings for Wanaka have become more complicated over the years and I'm still making peace with them, it still feels like home to me. Don't get me wrong; I love it here. But Wanaka has changed dramatically in the past decade, growing and expanding rapidly, like many resort towns around the world.
to be honest? I'm mainly disappointed with the cost. Today, the average price of a home is about $1.5 million, which has changed the atmosphere of the town. I had never owned a home before, and I really had no idea how I was going to afford my first home here. It costs $175 to fill up my car. A bag of groceries costs $100. Lunch is $30. It's really hard to get ahead. Recently in Melbourne, it was cheaper than Wanaka!
Regardless, New Zealand is officially in recession. I also know that's the way it is. Towns are constantly growing, especially beautiful towns. Looking back on these ten years, I am filled with emotion. While I'm not sure I'll stay here forever, Wanaka definitely got under my skin and has become a big part of who I am.
Here are ten of the many reasons I fell in love with Wanaka.
1. Epic landscapes and incredible views
Okay, I'm being honest here. There are probably a million places to visit in Wanaka (and there are), but one will always be the most important: it's absolutely beautiful. Like, it doesn't really look beautiful. That's why people spend millions of dollars to live here. And why young people live in their cars just to have the opportunity to spend time there.
You see this happening all over social media. No matter where you go outside, you can see beautiful mountain views. Bordering a national park, nestled along the shores of a pristine blue lake, with the larger mountains as a backdrop, it’s no surprise that we were all drawn to her beauty. You can't take a bad photo here. You can't.
In Wanaka, you're never far from an amazing hike or outdoor adventure. A mecca for outdoor enthusiasts and curious travelers alike, the picturesque backdrop is unparalleled.
2. True small town atmosphere
Even though Wanaka's population has doubled in the ten years I've lived here, it still has a small-town feel. A nice and friendly place (and very wealthy too); when you go out you always see people you know. Here, everyone knows your name, from the postman to friends of friends to the barista. That's wonderful, but it also makes dating difficult and a little incestuous.
Crime is never on anyone's mind in Wanaka. Here you can leave your wallet and phone on the coffee table and it will still be there when you come back. In fact, our weekly newsletter, The Courier, has a “Crime Stoppers” column written by local police officers, and it's generally hilarious. First, because a “crime” is often not a crime, such as the time a police officer went to a local gas station at night to check if the sirens were going off and accidentally set off an anti-theft fog cannon.
Or they like to share their thoughts and opinions about crime: “Now, if you saw how many car accidents there have been on our roads in the past two weeks, you’d choke on your nachos. I won’t bore you with the list, but we’ll share a few. Oh, and become a tow truck driver…”
Love it.
3. You’re surrounded by adventure
One of the first things I noticed when living in Wanaka was that there was no shortage of adventure here. And there's no shortage of badass adventurers, either.
leading to mount aspiring national parkWānaka is the perfect base for those who enjoy the great outdoors. Established in 1964, the national park covers more than 3,500 square kilometers at the foot of the Southern Alps, extending towards the Haast Pass to the west coast, through Glenorchy and into the fiords. With the perfect peak Mount Aspiring/Tititai (3,033 meters above sea level) and many glaciers, it is a beautiful place to explore.
Whether you're hiking in the mountains, sailing on the lakes, skiing on powder snow, rock climbing in the valleys or mountain biking after get off work, Wanaka is an adventure lover's paradise.
In many ways, adventure here is more down-to-earth than in Queenstown. Hiking can be difficult and often not easily accessible. If you want nature, you put on your boots and go out into nature.
4. There is something exciting in every season
One of my favorite things about living in Wanaka is that we have four different seasons. Of course, they're the opposite of the northern hemisphere, but you get used to it. Christmas in the middle of summer is so wonderful.
In autumn, everything turns red and gold. New Zealand has very few native deciduous trees, and sadly, once humans settled here, all native deciduous trees were burned for farming. But because of all these farms, many other trees were introduced, like poplars and other old-fashioned European trees. Additionally, there are plenty of vineyards here, so the landscape takes on a brilliant display of color come autumn (April). This is one of the best places to enjoy maple leaves in autumn.
We have two epic ski resorts nearby and snowy mountains in the winter. Spring turns the landscape into a rainbow of colors, and our summers are so hot and dry that everyone hangs out by clear blue lakes. Perfect.
5. Hāwea is actually the best
One of my favorite things about Wanaka is, is this weird? Hawea? Lake Hāwea is located in a small suburb of Wānaka, another magical alpine lake just 15 minutes along the road to the west coast. Spoiler alert – Lake Hawea beats Lake Wanaka. I will die on this mountain. Clearer, quieter, colder, yet so relaxing and beautiful. Sometimes, as far as I know, I'm the only one on the beach.
Ten years ago, Hawea was just a small collection of baches (holiday homes) and home to Wanaka's hippies. Art, quietness, and creativity seemed so far away at the time. Many paddocks are now being developed into cookie-cutter communities with more “affordable” prices of around a million dollars. All my friends have moved there and built houses.
I have lived in Hawea for almost two years and love it. It was indeed still cold. We had a corner store and that was it. I take long walks every day and can easily stroll to a friend's house. I swim in the lake almost every day in the summer. It's amazing.
While I was working on a ship in the Arctic, I met a passenger who had an artist friend he met while traveling in Hawea. They wrote him a letter and asked me to forward it to him. I don't know who he is. When I got home, I posted the man's name in our community's Facebook group and found out he had sent the letter. Everyone loves this story.
6. Your job doesn’t define you
Wanaka is a place where people who live here really want to be. You have to really want it to afford it. It attracts really creative, fun, chill, outdoorsy people, all united by their love of nature. Without the job opportunities in the big cities, people do whatever they can to continue living in Wanaka, even just a little.
But the cool thing is, your passions and hobbies are more important than your job. Who are you. No one really cares what your job is. I like that.
I would say making friends in Wanaka is not easy. Essentially a transient town; the locals may not bother you if they think you are only here for a trip or seasonally. Harsh, I know. But once you're in, you're in. One of the best ways to meet like-minded people here is to get involved in outdoor activities. There are so many.
7. Epic ski resorts nearby
Overall, Wanaka is a ski town. Cardrona and Treble Cone are two of New Zealand's most iconic ski areas, both located adjacent to Wānaka. Winter here is just as busy as summer. It's basically a resort town, but not super fancy like Whistler. We also have great Heli skiing also.
We're old school here and proud of it. There aren't any big cable cars that can take you to the top. You have to drive along dirt roads to get to the ski areas, and each ski area only has a few lifts. But it's amazing. Above the alpine level we have no trees so the views out there are spectacular. Also, surprisingly, we have the calmest weather during the winter. The wind is not strong. We spent many calm bluebird days in the sun.
Wanaka is perfect in the winter.
8. Close to all the best attractions
One of the best things about living in Wanaka is not only the surroundings around town, but also that it's in the heart of some of the best areas. Just over the hill you reach the larger center of Queenstown, home to the main airport, a large number of single men and, best of all, a Kmart.
As well as being surrounded by national parkland, the wine country surrounding Central Otago is less than an hour’s drive from Wanaka and produces some of the best pinot noir around. Clyde, Cromwell and Alexandra are all within easy reach. We're close to two great ski fields, Cardrona and Arrowtown, both lovely stops on the way through the Crown Range to Queenstown.
With the coast just a few hours away, most of us would either hop to the beach Catlins or riverton Or head to the West Coast for some fresh air. Our region's main city, Dunedin, is just three hours away.
9. it's super cute and quirky
While Wanaka's development is booming, local favorites are enduring. Charming, historic and super quirky, they’ve made many of us fall in love with life in Wanaka.
There was a huge fence covered in bras on our road in Cardrona. Other than that, that's it. this cardrona bra fence It has been going strong for decades, although occasionally irritating locals who would rip them all off at night, only to soon reappear.
Our local Cinema Paradiso has comfy chairs, sofas and even a convertible for watching the latest movies. They also serve freshly baked cookies during intermission. Puzzle World is a strange and beloved local attraction filled with optical illusions, deceptively difficult mazes, and other deceptively difficult puzzles. We also have a toy museum.
Long live the quirky little town!
10.The clearest nnight sky
Finally, one of my favorite things about living in Wanaka is the clear night skies. We are still remote compared to the rest of the world, with almost no light pollution in and around Wanaka. This means that on a clear night, even in the city, the stars are incredible.
You can walk out of your house at night and see the Milky Way. If you are lucky, we can often see the Aurora or aurora australis Dancing on the horizon.
Well damn it. Writing this article has made me fall in love with Wanaka all over again!
