Wanaka is a resort town on New Zealand's South Island. It's the gateway to the Southern Alps' Mount Aspiring National Park, and is worth a few nights' stay if you are keen on outdoor activities. It's a stopover town for us as we move towards our last destination on South Island - Queenstown.
Driving from Mount Cook to Wanaka took us through Lindis Valley. The roads were quite winding but the views made the ride worth it (anyway not I drive :P)
Our first stop in Wanaka was Yohei Cafe. It is located within Spencer House shopping mall. It was crowded during lunch time but we didn't wait too long for a table. The food is expensive (we spent about $35 for the food), but then again food is generally expensive in New Zealand. Yummy nevertheless and Miss Ting enjoyed the food!
After lunch, we visited Puzzling World to hide from the sun! We spent the time in the main area with puzzles available for free play, since I didn't think a 2 year-old will appreciate the puzzle rooms. The puzzles are quite interesting and suitable for all ages. I didn't solve any of them though. Haha!
Puzzles for toddlers
We stayed at Wanaka Hotel for the night. Since we booked our holiday quite late, there wasn't many choices left. Personally I wouldn't recommend Wanaka Hotel since it is quite dated. We booked a garden facing room but there isn't really a garden, just an empty grass patch from the back door. We also had to carry our huge luggages down 2 long flights of stairs so I wouldn't recommend especially if you are travelling with elderly or kids. I didn't dare to use the kettle as well, thankfully I still had some hot water left for Miss Ting. The wifi also didn't work in the room so I had to sit near the lobby to use the internet. The only good thing is the location! It's walking distance from the scenic waterfront.
Old dual tap system - Very impractical!
Guest laundry
Guest kitchen
Corridor to our room
Highlight of Wanaka is #thatwanakatree, the most photographed tree in New Zealand. There were lots of people around the beach sunbathing, walking dogs, taking photos. I wanted to let Miss Ting walk on the sand, but she refused because she was wearing sandals! End up I had a koala clinging to me the whole time. It was quite windy so I'd recommend a jacket even though it's a sunny summer day.
Dinner was Mexican food at Amigos Mexican Grill, located at Wanaka Hotel. The food was great! Two of us shared a platter, 2 tacos and churros for dessert. I really liked the meat and tacos.
Couldn't resist ordering churros!
Since we had a huge dinner, we decided to take a walk to digest the food. I also wanted to bring Miss Ting to the dinosaur playground along the waterfront.
Sighting of mother duck and her 4 ducklings - so cute!
The dinosaur slide looked too intimidating so Miss Ting refused to ride it, however she enjoyed herself playing the rest of the rides! Again, it's quite chilly during the evening so a warm jacket is highly recommended!
As you can see in the background, there's a lot of accommodation along the waterfront, I suppose the views must be really nice! Definitely an option if you are booking your holiday early!
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