Growing up in New Zealand, we used to spend almost every Christmas and New Year in Wanaka, as well as some winters skiing at Treble Cone and Cadrona. I loved the drive down from Christchurch through the McKenzie Country but I didn’t really appreciate Wanaka back then and it’s not until you live in a city like Bangkok or Hong Kong that you realise how lucky you are to visit it so often.
If you like Queenstown but think it’s a bit touristy, which it is, and long for something a bit quieter, head over to Wanaka. If you don’t go during New Zealand Holidays it should be quite quiet unless you’re unlucky enough to coincide with 5 bus loads of tourists. There’s not a whole to do here in terms of attractions and kids things, you can do all that in Queenstown. You come to Wanaka for the scenery, peace and quiet and lazing around the lake.
From Hong Kong, it’s a bit of a mission getting there, fly to Auckland, then Queenstown, then take a taxi to Wanaka which is about an hour. When you get there it’ll all be worth it. For most people, if you’re taking the effort to fly down to New Zealand, you won’t just be going to Wanaka so you could spend a few days in Auckland, fly to Queenstown or Christchurch and drive around the South Island. I’ll post a recommended itinerary in the “You Should Know This” section. If you want to see the best parts of New Zealand, skip Auckland and the North Island, although there’s not that many International flights that fly into Christchurch. If you like travel, epic views and beautiful scenery with not many people around, Wanaka should be at the very top of your list.
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