"Warbirds, wonderful scenery and more .." Top 5 Page for this destination Wanaka by TheWanderingCamel

Wanaka Travel Guide: 114 reviews and 355 photos

Wanaka sunrise - Wanaka
Wanaka sunrise

There's much more to Wanaka than just the biennial Warbirds weekend, it might be the planes that first brought us to Wanaka - but we fell in love with the beauty of the town's setting and its relaxed and easy atmosphere and now we've just come back from our 7th visit there.


Picture perfect
Picture perfect - Wanaka

Set down by a beautiful lake, with a backdrop of mountains (snow-capped by mid-April), Wanaka's such a pretty little town with a wonderfully relaxed and laid-back friendly feel to it that we love. It doesn't have a great number of attractions of its own - we've never ventured into the mazes and mirrors of Puzzling World , though lots of people say they're great fun - but we wouldn't miss a night at the unique Cinema Paradiso and we love to walk by the lake and to sit outside at one of the cafes in the sun and watch the world go by. Our favourite restaurant in all New Zealand is here - The White House - and an evening there - good food, great wine and a chat with owner Pete - is always on our list of "Things to Do" before we leave. The drive around to Gledhu Bay is lovely, there are nice walks - long and short - to take in the hills around the town, one day we'll take a cruise on the lake - maybe. Meantime, we just love coming here, staying at Te Wanaka Lodge, with its view of the mountains, comfortable rooms and welcoming hosts, and making the town our base for exploring the region. Isn't that what holidays are all about?

Great flying, great fun
This one's for Mr L. - Wanaka

This one's for Mr L.

The sound of planes overhead always has MrL looking up, and over the Warbirds weekend there are some great sights - classic aircraft that even a non-plane buff like me gets pleasure from seeing. They all have their own sound and you soon get to recognize them. The one that we always love to hear, and see, is the Catalina Flying Boat - and watching it landing on the blue waters of Lake Wanaka gives us a kick every time.

  • Last visit to Wanaka: Mar 2008
  • Intro Updated Mar 30, 2008
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Reviews (10)

Missy's daytime view - Wanaka Fine food and a lake view Restaurants (4)

Missy's (despite the rather twee name) is as stylish as anything you would expect to find in the city or Wanaka's big... more travel advice

Enjoy the garden - Wanaka Good pub grub Restaurants (4)

When the Cardrona Hotel first opened its doors way back in the 1860s, it was one of four hotels in what was then a... more travel advice

We never miss - Wanaka Our favourite Restaurants (4)

No visit to Wanaka is complete for us without a visit to The White House. Owner Pete Scott's intention is that his... more travel advice

Delish - Wanaka Well named Restaurants (4)

We've been eating at Relishes for more than 10 years now, and have never yet had a both a meal and an evening we haven't... more travel advice

Comments (21)

  • Reply
    Mikebb's Profile Photo
    May 26, 2010 at 4:15 PM

    Nice memories, a beautiful setting. In 1997 we had 7 wonderful days, a great family holiday.

  • Reply
    balhannah's Profile Photo
    Jan 27, 2010 at 12:07 AM

    We thought Wanaka was beautiful, would prefer to stay here anytime to Queenstown. Would be great to see the Warbirds, what a setting!

  • Reply
    deecat's Profile Photo
    Nov 9, 2009 at 7:26 PM

    What alluring restaurant tips! Another exceptional page. Insightful, joyful, and positive. You are so observant and respectful of your surroundings. A joy to read and to vicariously experience.

  • Reply
    Sep 10, 2009 at 1:47 AM

    can you believe this is a page i had yet to explore of yours? perfect page to explore while raining and miserable here. a hike through the mt aspiring NP sounds just the ticket for me!

  • Reply
    tiabunna's Profile Photo
    Jan 13, 2009 at 7:45 PM

    Quite a bit added to this enjoyable page since my previous visit. I keep saying I must visit that airshow... The Wanaka area looks great too - maybe in 2010? Sounds as if I should be planning now for 2011!

  • Reply
    amandajayne81's Profile Photo
    Oct 27, 2008 at 1:53 AM

    Thanks for your helpful tips. I am looking into your accom recommendation and keen to go to the movie place too! Thanks.

  • Reply
    kyoub's Profile Photo
    May 25, 2008 at 6:34 AM

    No wonder visiting Wanaka is an annual event. It looks like a lovely area with beautiful scenery and thrills.

  • Reply
    Bwana_Brown's Profile Photo
    May 23, 2008 at 5:56 PM

    Now I can see why you have been back to Wanaka 7 times! What a spectacular little place - the scenery, air show, accoms and restaurant tips all had me wanting to go now! I laughed out loud at your Morris Minor cinema tip - great memories of drive-ins!

  • Reply
    JLBG's Profile Photo
    May 4, 2008 at 1:21 PM

    I wondered what warbirds were, after the pregrine falco on your Otago page! A very poetic name for these engines!

  • Reply
    SLLiew's Profile Photo
    Jan 19, 2008 at 4:59 AM

    NZ is a great place for "extreme" sports while enjoying the stunning scenery.

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