Wānaka with Kids: The Complete Family Guide to New Zealand’s Most Beautiful Town
Wānaka is a beautiful small town located in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. At the shores of Lake Wānaka, this town is nestled between the Southern Alps and the Mt. Aspiring National Park.
As with many other Otago cities, Wānaka is full of adventurous activities to do with your kids and beautiful scenery, including the most photographed tree in all of NZ. We stopped by Wānaka on our way North from Te Anau and Patea Doubtful Sound in Fiordland on our two week NZ trip.
We learned very shortly after arriving that people come here to take a picture of #ThatWānakaTree, which was sadly vandalized in 2020 during the pandemic. Don’t worry though, the tree is still standing, and still beautiful.
Conveniently located just an hour from Queenstown en route to Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook National Park, Wānaka’s location makes it easy to work into your New Zealand itinerary. Whether you’re here for a day trip or a long weekend, this guide has everything your family needs: the best things to do with young children, family-friendly hikes, where to eat, what it costs, restroom locations, the Māori history beneath your feet, and why Wānaka might just become the place your children ask to go back to.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, we may receive a small commission if you book travel or make purchases using these links.
Why Visit Wānaka with Kids
Wānaka is a wonderful family-friendly destination to:
Quick Tips
Before You go
- Check the weather - it can change quickly.
- Check road conditions - usually well maintained but can be icy in winter.
- The closest airport is in Queenstown (1.5 hours away) so make sure you rent a car
- The town is small - most activities are within walking distance
What To Pack
- Passports
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Comfortable shoes, clothes, sunscreen, and hats
- Camera
- Ergobaby or soft baby carrier, most of Sintra is cobble stone streets and using a stroller would be difficult
Getting There
Wānaka is about a one hour drive from Queenstown: 1 hour via Crown Range Road (scenic but steep — check conditions in winter) or 1.5 hours via Cromwell (easier with young children).
Or, if you’re coming directly from Christchurch, the drive to Wānaka is approximately 4.5 hours via Lake Tekapo and Aoraki Mt Cook — would be a spectacular road trip!
Wānaka does not have its own commercial airport — fly into Queenstown (closest, 1 hour) or Christchurch (4+ hours)
travel
Top things to do
in Wānaka with your kids
Visiting the Wānaka Tree with your kids
Beautiful photo opportunity
- 30 minutes
It is worth the trip!
Shortly after arriving in Wānaka, we realized that everyone goes to Wānaka to see “That Wānaka Tree.”
The Wānaka Tree is a beautiful willow tree growing majestically in the middle of the lake. All photos of this tree are epic because they show the reflection of the tree growing out of the water and surrounded by snow-capped mountains. It is worth it to go, especially if you have a DSLR camera.
The tree is located on the south side of Lake Wānaka, closest to town. If you’re coming from Helwick Street and facing the lake, walk along the left side of the lake until you see the tree. You may see a long line of tourists – head that way!
Go for a hike
Great exercise with stunning views
- ~ 2 hours
- 4.5 miles
There are many hikes in Wānaka, each with epic views of the lake and surrounding mountains.
We chose to do the Mount Iron Track, a 4.5 mile loop trail that starts out very steep but has a long descent on the other side of the loop.
Our toddler loved looking for bunnies running across the field as we hiked.
Walk along the Lake
A great way to explore the outdoors and beauty of the lake
- 1 hour
Lake Wānaka is icy cold but beautiful. A rocky beach encircles the lake, perfect for skipping stones and going rock hunting with your kids.
Instead of swimming, we went for a walk along the beach. Our toddler had a hard time navigating the rocky shoreline with her new-to-walking legs and ended up being carried most of the trek.
Make sure you bring a kid carrier along with you! The Tush Baby saved my back, and freed up a hand so I could enjoy my ice cream cone while carrying her.
Shop the Wastebusters Reuse Store
In 1999, the community in Wānaka banded together to reduce waste and create a reduce-reuse-recycle program that includes a funky shop to buy used items and gear.
We love supporting thrift shops and finding interesting and unique items to bring home from trips – they make much better souvenirs in my opinion!
Try paddle boarding
Paddle board rentals
- ~2 hours
- 1 hour $25 per adult, $20 per child
Paddle Wānaka offers single and double kayak and stand up paddle board rentals to get you and your family out on the lake.
The company is family-owned and very family-friendly, providing opportunities for littlest riders to enjoy a calm kayak ride on the lake.
Explore Puzzling World
A fun activity for preschool-age kids and older
- 1 hour +
- ~$32 adults | $23 kids 5-17 | free ages 0-5
Take a break from Wānaka’s outdoor splendor and find yourself immersed in a world of illusions!
Get lost in the giant maze or check out their many mind-bending exhibits. Our toddler didn’t quite get the complexities of the activities, but we had a great time!
The Wānaka Lavender Farm is located just a few minutes from downtown Wanaka and a fun place to bring your family.
Why? Well, they have lawn games to enjoy, such as jenga, bocce ball, connect 4, and a lavender scavenger hunt. There are farm animals to visit, including adorable (and larger than expected) alpaca.
Depending on the season, tickets range from $7-15 for an adult and $3.50-7.50 for a child ages 5-15 (children under 5 free).
Where to Eat
The Lake Bar
They call themselves a “family-friendly sports bar.”
Having never been to one, I was pleasantly surprised.
The staff were friendly with our kiddo, the food was decent but a little expensive, and the view of the lake was amazing. Oh, and there is a kid’s menu!
I recommend the clam chowder to warm up on a chilly evening with a glass of beer.
Federal Diner
The best breakfast in Wānaka was at the Federal Diner. Their scones and breakfast sandwiches were delicious, served quickly, and came with a basket of kid’s toys to entertain our little one while we enjoyed our coffee.
The space is also super hip, with chalkboard signs and an industrial feel.
Big Fig
We ate dinner at the Big Fig, a quick-bite Mediterranean restaurant located on the waterfront in Wānaka.
The café had ready-to-serve meals of hummus, pita bread, delicious meats and salads. We enjoyed our dinner with a cold beer on their sunny porch with our kiddo.
History Corner
The land surrounding Lake Wānaka has been part of the Ngāi Tahu rohe (tribal area) for centuries, and its history stretches back even further to the earliest Polynesian settlers of Te Waipounamu. The area was discovered and widely used by the Waitaha — one of the earliest groups of settlers in the region — followed by Kāti Māmoe and Kāi Tahu in succession, traveling from the interior to the West Coast in search of pounamu (greenstone).
Wānaka and the surrounding Otago mountains were not places of permanent settlement but vital seasonal landscapes — Māori traveled from their permanent coastal settlements to hunt native birds such as moa and weka, carefully preserving the meat in fat and storing it in kelp bags for the journey home, supplementing their seafood diet with the rich resources of the interior.
The main deposits of pounamu used by Māori were found in districts around Westland and the Lake Wakatipu area in Otago; pounamu is valued not only for its strength and beauty but for its mana — its spiritual status — and is considered tapu (sacred), treasured by all iwi throughout New Zealand.
It wasn’t until 1997 that the New Zealand government officially returned the ownership rights of pounamu to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu as part of their Treaty settlement; they now manage its discovery and distribution in accordance with a Pounamu Management Plan, ensuring the stone is sustainably cared for by the people who have always known it best.
Our Experience
We were one of the few BIPOC families traveling in the Aoraki Mount Cook Village at the time of this writing. All staff, predominantly white, were friendly and kind to us during our stay.
Learn More
- Families can engage with this living history through the Te Ana Māori Rock Art Centre in Timaru
- To support the community, consider donating to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
- When buying pounamu in Wānaka or Queenstown, ask specifically whether it is sourced from New Zealand — many greenstone items sold in tourist shops are cheap copies of Māori designs made overseas from inferior jade.
Antiracist Travel Considerations
Where to stay in Wānaka with Kids
Although there are many options of places to stay in this region, we decided to stay in a place that offered an in-room kitchen.
Oakridge Resort Lake Wānaka
Great for clean accommodations and epic views | $$
- On-site buffet breakfast
- Pool
- Studio suites with kitchens available ($)
We stayed at the Oakridge Resort Lake Wānaka because we got a great deal online and because the Airbnb options were limited for the dates we were passing through.
The hotel was average priced ($130/night), clean, and offered a pool!
read on
Looking for more?
Browse our list of local New Zealand author children’s books recommendations.
Final Thoughts
Although Wānaka was just a stopover on our way north to the glaciers of Franz Josef during our 2-week NZ trip, we found plenty to do!
The tree was beautiful, the lake pristine, the mountains covered in beautiful snow, and the food was delicious. The town itself was quiet, slow, and the perfect pace for a family with a 15-month-old.
Wānaka felt like a resort town for locals – with shops and restaurants that felt less touristy than the bustling Queenstown just an hour from there.
It was also a great place to slow down on our fast-paced two week NZ adventure and just spend a few hours leisurely walking along the trails, enjoying the sites. I’m happy we stopped here, and hope you do too.
Maybe we’ll find ourselves back in the area to explore more hiking trails or the ski resorts in the summer.
Did you bring your kids? Why or why not? Share in the comments below.
reflect
