Visiting Auckland and the Wanaka Region
- Kyla Shelley
- Jan 10
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 12
I had a wonderful time on the North and South Islands of New Zealand after being invited to spend time with friends. We arrived 30th Dec 2024, and left 11th Jan 2025.
Auckland
We spent the first week in the Auckland area. On the first evening we visited The Brit for dinner and drinks, followed by cocktails at Caretaker and Hotel So's Rooftop Bar. Later in the week we had a couple of lovely stops at Ponsonby Central as well, with one dinner followed by some games of pool nearby - and I couldn't remember the last time I did that 😊
My birthday was New Years Eve, which was a fabulous day - starting with a bouquet of beautiful flowers, followed by a luxurious spa experience at Spring Spa, and later an Italian dinner at Farina's. Then at midnight we watched the fireworks from the deck!
We spent a couple of nights out around Army Bay, enjoying the views and visiting Hallertau Brewery.
On the last day we visited Waiheke Island for a wine tasting tour that included olive oil tasting at Allpress and 3 wineries - Batch, Cloudy Bay, and Mudbrick and my favourite wines on the day were the Rose from Batch and the Pinot Gris from Mudbrick.
We didn't have time but if you had more time on the island I'd recommend considering a stay in some of the boutique accommodation at Allpress, and spending a long summer evening at Mudrick with the spectacular views. When we got back off the boat we had dinner by the water at White and Wong's.
Auckland to Wanaka
To get to Wanaka we flew from Auckland to Queenstown with Jetstar and I started the day with a middle seat and low expectations. We were asked to swap seats so a family could sit together which we did (moving one row forward, to about row 24) and a while later we got a lovely surprise when a crew member asked us if we wanted to move into our own row near the front as a thank you!
We moved to row 5 where I got my preferred window seat, and when we ordered drinks and a snack found they were covered by a food voucher that was also part of our thank you. I was delighted by those good surprises and even more excited by the views I got as we flew into Queenstown. It was perfect weather and felt like I was doing an aerial sightseeing tour.
Friends picked us up at the airport and we drove to Wanaka via Arrowtown for coffee, which still looks like I expect it did at the peak of gold mining, and we stopped to see Lake Hayes.
We also visited Kawarau Gorge which is famous for being the first place to go bungy jumping in NZ, and we stopped to watch the jumpers for a while.
The weather for the week was exceptional and we had some quieter days, enjoying simple things like great scones and lake views at Edgewater where we were staying. We also took the opportunity to do two big driving days to see more of the region.
Driving Wanaka to Jacksons Bay
This drive has to be one of the most scenic I've been on anywhere in the world to date. The dramatic mountain landscapes open up to views of impressive lakes and waterfalls, followed by rainforest.
Lake Hawea was the first major stop and we visited it twice, the day before as a short drive from our accommodation and the next day as part of the drive to the west coast. Thankfully the weather on the first day was perfect, as it was quite overcast and cloudy the following day.
As you drive past Lake Hawea, Lake Wanaka appears and I found myself saying things like "this is so beautiful" over and over again as the drive progressed.
We were going to visit the Blue Pools but they were closed so we did a quick photostop nearby in Mount Aspiring National Park.
Fantail Falls was the next stop, visible with a short easy walk from the carpark, and the water was crystal clear. It felt magical to be there, as did so many stops along the way.
The Gates of Haast was a surprise stop but absolutely worth it. I found the size of the rocks and colour of the water breathtaking. The aqua blue of the rivers and some of the lakes is remarkable.
Thunder Falls came next and I continued to marvel at the clarity of the water, I think the water I've seen almost everywhere in the south of NZ is stunning, often with blue tints reflecting glacial origins.
Further along the drive there were no marked lookouts, but we made some quick stops to take photos of rivers we passed, as the scenery was spectacular.
I expected to see the beach at Haast but that wasn't possible. Everything seems to be private access only, so I was glad we'd decided to drive to Jacksons Bay. There is almost nothing there except a fantastic place to eat called The Craypot. I'd read about their food and we tasted the fish and chips, which was genuinely some of the best we've ever had.
On the way home to Wanaka we did some more random roadside stops to capture more incredible views.
Wanaka to Lake Tekapo
The scenery today was completely different to the day before. The Lindis Pass provided more stunning mountain views but these were mainly covered in grass and shrubs making them appear to have been covered in moss blankets.
I got some wonderful views of Lupin along the pass and near some of the lakes. These flowers are non-native and may be eradicated in time, but the blues, purples and pinks of the flowers were beautiful.
Our first major stop of the day was Omarama to try the Hot Tubs, and I loved it. The tubs are private with picturesque mountain views, near a lake with ducks and swans swimming past.
After that we headed to Lake Pukaki where the aqua colour of the water is mesmerising, and I got a glimpse of Mount Cook from the bottom of the lake.
The next stop was Lake Tekapo which was also stunning with aqua water, but much busier. We spend some time at the Hot Springs which was lovely - after lunch I tried each of the 3 hot pools, then the deep pool, then back to the coolest of the hot pools for a final dip before leaving.
At the last minute on the way back to Wanaka we decided to divert to see Lake Ohau as well and I'm thrilled we did. There was hardly anyone around and I can't get enough of the pristine water with mountains views.
It's been a sensational trip and my wish list of things to see keeps growing. I'm hoping my next trip to New Zealand may include the Sounds and more sightseeing south of Queenstown.
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