Wanaka

Since it was rather difficult to get to Wanaka with the Intercity, we rented a car. On Saturday morning, we set off from Dunedin to Wanaka, a drive of about 4 hours. On the way, we made a quick stop in Cromwell. Cromwell is known for its various delicious and fresh fruits and vegetables. We treated ourselves to a homemade ice cream made with either yogurt or ice cream base and the fruits that we wanted. It was very tasty!

Just before Wanaka, we visited the Lavender Farm. It is beautifully landscaped and recommended in good weather. There are also some animals there, such as llamas, sheep, and goats. We spent about 1 hour there and then continued on to Wanaka.

In Wanaka, we had great weather and first enjoyed the view of Lake Wanaka in the sun. From the town, we walked about 20 minutes to the famous Wanaka Tree, which is in the water. To be honest, we imagined the tree to be a bit bigger and more spectacular, but we saw the famous tree. We spent the rest of the day in the small cute town of Wanaka.

The next morning, we started early for the Roys Peak Track. The track is 16km long and is estimated to take 5 to 6 hours. It took us about 2 hours to get to the popular photo spot, but we took short drinking breaks and walked at a normal pace. The view is simply breathtaking. We then walked a bit further up but not all the way to the top, which would have taken another 30 minutes.

Unfortunately, it was a bit cloudy that day, but the hike was definitely worth it. We had such a beautiful view. I found the way down much more exhausting than the way up, and it took longer than expected. After about 5 hours, we reached the bottom again, but we also took a food break on the way back. The track is doable with a normal level of fitness. Roys Peak is definitely a must-do in Wanaka!

Then it was already time for us to return to Dunedin. It was a very nice and adventurous weekend!