Wānaka is a town perfectly positioned. We have the golden rugged landscapes of Central Otago in one direction, the ridges of the Southern Alps in another, and two big blue lakes, Wānaka and Hāwea, in between. It's so easy for us to get into the outdoors - biking, swimming, climbing, playing in the snow – we sometimes forget these are the kinds of things people travel across the country, or across the world, to do. I have never lived anywhere more beautiful, and I've lived in a lot of sweet places.
Take a blat around the track at Bike Glendhu on an e-bike. Crazy good views (be sure to go up to Falcon's Nest and look back across Glendhu Bay all the way back to Wanaka), buff trails (if there's carved dirt anywhere that is more fun than Jairolla, I have yet to find it), and excellent nachos at the Velo, the base cafe. Catch a movie at one of Wānaka's two legendary indie cinemas, Ruby's or Cinema Paradiso. Get takeways from the food trucks on Brownston St, there's everything from burritos to Bangladeshi chaat to pad thai. Yerm.
There's a flourishing creative scene in Wānaka, and you don't need to be Elon Musk-rich to enjoy it. Head to Fitzpatrick's Irish Pub for live music every night at, including an open mic on Sunday nights, hang out at Busker's Square in front of Kai Whaka Pai on Ardmore St to hear pretty much every genre of music, or catch up with the Guerrilla Gigs crew who run lakefront "pop-up" gigs regularly across from the Wanaka Skate Park (guerrillagigs.nz).
