Wanaka and Roy's Peak

Wanaka is a small town on the west coast of the South Island, which is very popular with tourists and backpackers, so it can be very crowded during the summer season.

What makes Wanaka special is not only its cute little town, but also its beautiful view of Lake Wanaka and the Southern Alps, with snow-covered peaks.

One of the biggest attractions in Wanaka is Roy's Peak, which is located between Wanaka and Glendhu Bay. It offers a breathtaking view over Lake Wanaka and Mount Aspiring. However, to enjoy this view, you have to climb 1600 meters in altitude, preferably early in the day, as the parking lot at the starting point of the hike is very small and popular, and the temperatures are much more comfortable. The entire hike, up to the summit and back, takes about 6 hours and covers a distance of 16 kilometers.

On January 30th, 2019, it was time for me and two other girls, with whom I also worked on the vineyard, to get up at 6:30 and start hiking at 7:00.

In retrospect, we should have started earlier, because then you have to hike up in the dark, but you can see the sunrise at 1600 meters in altitude and the temperatures while hiking are much more pleasant.

The problem for us was that we started relatively late, so it got very hot very quickly. As a result, by 9:00 a.m., it already felt like it was 40C in the sun.

In addition, hiking up Roy's Peak is not exactly the most relaxed hike in New Zealand, as the first three and a half hours are steep uphill and the trails are not well maintained. However, in my opinion, it is one of the hikes that is definitely worth it, because the view from up there is simply incredible.

About an hour from the summit of Roy's Peak, there is a very famous photo spot that appears in many pictures of New Zealand and is often used as a location for wedding photos. Since no one starts this hike in their wedding dress, couples are usually flown up and down with a helicopter. But even for regular hikers, this point offers an incredible backdrop for very extraordinary vacation pictures.

But the last hour up to the summit is also worth it, because from there you have a fascinating view.

The view from Roy's Peak is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Even though the climb brings a lot of muscle soreness, it is worth hiking at 1600 meters in altitude.

Roy's Peak is therefore one of the highlights of my entire trip and will stay in my memory for a long time.