Outdoor pursuits are commonly extreme in our adventurer’s paradise, but they needn’t be. A walk or gentle ride can be just as exhilarating, and there are days and days of tracks, trails and pathways that will take you around Lake Wānaka to Glendhu in one direction, and along the Clutha
When it comes to relaxing, an adventurous spirit will also see you right. Head down that laneway, climb those stairs, go across town, and venture off the beaten track for a more exciting level of eats, drinks and resort-town buys.
Where to eat
Gather the troops around the lazy susan at Lake View Seafood for old-school Chinese with a southern seafood spin — we’re looking at you, kina fried rice, whitebait egg foo young, stir-fried pāua and lemon honey blue cod. Pork, beef, chicken and duck favourites cohabitate on what must be the biggest menu in town.
Only in winter (July to October), chef Sam Metcalfe and the renowned Raspberry Creek catering team get the open fire at Rippon Hall roaring for their Chef’s Table pop-up that is all about banquet-style feasting. It pays to book for dinner, but there is a daily snack menu for those who pop in. The perfect apres situation after a day on the trails as the sun goes down on THAT view over Lake Wānaka to the Southern Alps.
Head to Paloma for a … paloma. The spritzy tequila-based cocktail has its own menu at this James Stapley (he’s of Kika and Arc) establishment. Stay for dinner because they use a wood-fired parilla grill and house-made tortillas to make terrific tacos and other Mexican deliciosos.
Not that the winter blues are a thing in Wānaka, but Bluff oysters make everything better and the Four Square in Ardmore St has a reliable, fresh supply.
When the wallet is feeling light (that’s skiing holidays for you), fill hungry tummies from the cabinet of steamed dumplings and buns at Lulu Mart. Take a seat at the no-frills Yohei Cafe and check out what’s happening around town on the extensive notice board over generously good bowls of udon, sushi, fresh fruit smoothies and juices.
Food trucks have become something of a thing in Wānaka, with a village of them set around a creek with lawn and seating on Brownston St, and many others dotted around town that have you covered from breakfast to dinner.
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At Kai Whakapai the beers flow — 16 of them on tap — and the vibe is laid back and convivial. Look out for the lifties that helped make your day on the slopes … they’ll be here somewhere. Or they may be at B.social up the hill on Anderson Rd — the eatery and taproom adjacent to B.effect brewery. Wānaka’s other breweries — Rhyme and Reason and Ground Up — are located across town on Gordon Rd, both with lively clientele and happy hours.
The best place for an afternoon wine? On the terrace at the Maude tasting room taking in the view over a glass or a bottle of Central Otago’s finest. Snuggle up to the fire or park up at the tasting bench and learn all there is to know about this family-owned winery. Order the truffle fries — order everything — from the bistro bites menu.
Add music to the mix with Cork Bar’s Friday and Saturday evening gigs and DJ sessions that will keep you up to the wee small hours. This intimate bar has an impressive top shelf that lends itself to an extensive cocktail selection.
Liquorland Three Parks has made staying in more exciting with an exhaustive selection of premium gins and whiskies and other spirits, including numerous local labels, in their flashy new outlet that’s more showroom than store. The team and their fancy tasting station can help narrow things down. Buy a few and make it tasting night at yours.
But first, coffee. Heading to Cardrona? Pull into The Stoaker Room just off Cardrona Valley Rd for a pork belly buttie or a brisket and egg roll to go with it. The Good Spot Window in the heart of the CBD brews local Venus coffee, makes the best cheese scones and has Sanga’s Pies (legendary from neighbouring Cromwell). These relative newcomers have embraced Wānaka’s single-use, cup-free movement so if that coffee’s to-go, it’s BYO or lend a cup.
Where to shop
Wānaka does gear for lovers of the great outdoors extremely well and you are spoilt for choice with Racers Edge, Mt Outdoors and Southern Wild exclusive to the town. Base Streetwear established its store in 1999 and was the first store in the world to stock Wānaka’s Mons Royale merino apparel.
Make time to lie around at Wilson & Dorset’s super-sized store on the corner of Helwick and Brownston and take your credit card because once you pick yourself up from all the sheepskin rugs, beanbags, cushions and throws, you’ll want this level of cosy, comfy wooliness at home.
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You’ll also want time at Revology, a concept store filled to brimming with products that have been curated using a circular economy/ethically made/useful and beautiful matrix. Homewares, sneakers, textiles, apothecary, vintage furniture, toys, teas … these guys are making it easy to live beautifully and help save our planet.
Opening her studio in The Precinct development because it brought an element of discovery — a feeling of wandering the cobbled alleyways of France — jewellery designer Alice Herald brings a unique level of artistic sophistication to the alpine town. Find your way there to view Alice’s couture and ready-to-wear collections, which captivate and delight as her inspirations reveal themselves, or commission the artist to design a bespoke piece that tells your personal story.
More great things to add to your South Island itinerary
The only way to reach this 20,000ha station located on the far side of Lake Wānaka, is by helicopter. But it’s worth it for an off-the-grid luxury lodge called Minaret Station, nestled in a secret valley bookended by soaring mountains and a sprawling beech forest. There are four chalets here, with gourmet breakfasts and bespoke adventures (including mountain biking, backcountry fishing and heli-skiing) on the menu.
Incredible food has proved impossible to resist for those heading to Headwaters Eco Lodge, a sustainable accommodation project that also serves first-class food courtesy of chef Peter Gawron (formerly Saffron), near Glenorchy. Jesse Mulligan, who visited with his family in March, writes: “Each meal is served with delight and generosity — a team of professional waitstaff ferrying multiple courses from kitchen to table. The lodge’s guests gather for drinks in a luxurious common area before sitting down to eat at 6.30pm, the final sweet course finishing up sometime after 9pm when the only remaining job is to find one’s way home to bed.” 42 Oban St, Glenorchy
With head chef Michael Bickford at its helm, Rātā uses local ingredients for its “want it all” menu. There’s potato and burnt butter rosti, duck parfait, venison tartare, Bluff octopus with nduja butter, and Lake Ohau wagyu with blackened carrot, yuzu, and puffed amaranth. Open seven days from 5pm. 43 Ballarat St, Queenstown
Forget alarm clocks, endless appointments and shots of coffee to navigate through a day. At Aro Ha, Glenorchy’s wellness retreat, attend workshops and classes making sauerkraut or boosting your immune system, have a deep-tissue massage or sit back in a hot sauna before plunging into the ice-cold pool. 33 Station Valley Rd, Wyuna Rise, Glenorchy
