Wānaka Wanderings: A Walking Tour of New Zealand’s Most Scenic Township

Wānaka is a pristine alpine village where mountains blend into crystal-clear waters in New Zealand’s Southern Alps.

On this walking tour, you’ll discover Wānaka’s remarkable transformation from remote settlement to beloved lakeside destination. You’ll also hear about its rich Māori heritage, colonial past, and the natural geological forces that shaped this stunning landscape.

The tour begins at the Wānaka War Memorial, with its commanding view over the township and lake. From there, you’ll meander through the charming village center with its cafés and galleries, follow the spring-fed Bullock Creek, and stroll along the scenic lakefront boardwalk. Along the way, you’ll learn how the town evolved from a frontier outpost called Pembroke, and a hub for gold miners and high-country farmers, to the adventure hub it is today.

I’ll also share the stories behind beloved attractions, like Wānaka’s historic steamboat routes, and tell you about the Pūteketeke (Australasian crested grebe) that made international headlines. The tour ends in the peaceful Wānaka Station Park, once part of a vast sheep station established in the 1860s, where you can relax amongst its collection of mature exotic trees planted by early settlers.

On this 60-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:

• Learn about the volcanic and glacial forces that created Lake Wānaka, New Zealand’s fourth-largest lake
• Discover the meaning behind the town’s name and its connection to traditional Māori knowledge
• Visit the quirky Dinosaur Park playground, a beloved local institution since the 1990s
• See the impressive flood markers that show how high the lake has risen during major floods
• Explore the Te Ara Maumahara memory trail with its timeline of local and national history embedded in bricks
• Photograph the world-famous ”That Wānaka Tree,” a solitary willow in the lake that became an Instagram sensation
• Immerse yourself in Wānaka’s unique blend of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and small-town charm – an experience that will linger long after your visit.

By the end of this tour, you’ll have a sense of why this landscape continues to inspire artists, adventurers, and conservationists.