Lake Wanaka

70km northwest of Queenstown is the quietly beautiful Lake Wanaka, set in a magnificent landscape of gentle mountains. It is 45km long, with an area of 193 sq.km. The Clutha River, the mightiest on the South Island, flows out of the southeast corner of the lake.

From Queenstown there are two routes to Lake Wanaka, the shorter being Cardrona Road (SR 89) which requires some driving expertise. It branches off Highway 6 at Arrow Junction and after traversing the pass follows the Cardrona River where the beautiful surroundings are reward for the strenuous drive.

The easier alternative is the 50km Highway 6 via Cromwell which passes through the broad Clutha River valley on its way to Wanaka village.