Featured Activities
Activities for the whole family – even the littlest ones!
At the Wanaka Lavender Farm, enjoy a walk through the flowers, meet the friendly farm animals, play a garden game, unwind over a cup of herbal tea, then indulge in lavender ice-creams.
When you arrive at Bike Glendhu mountain bike park, you’ll probably be in need of some energy filled snacks or refreshments, so head to the on-site café, Velo Café & Beer Garden. Once recharged, the next step is to hire an ebike (or for the pedalling loyalists, they also have full suspension bikes for hire) to experience the epic mountain bike tracks that Bike Glendhu has to offer. One of the best things about Bike Glendhu is that their entire base area (cafe included) is fully off-grid, powered by solar panels. Oh, and the views at the top are pretty noteworthy, too!
Hook is a great family activity. Catch your very own Chinook salmon from the spring-fed fishing lakes then relax while they prepare it for you. Meanwhile the kids can feed the fish, explore the beautiful grounds, play a lawn game or hang out in the sand pit.
Get the kids to let off some steam and learn some new tricks at SITE Wanaka. Whether your child is a skier, snowboarder, skateboarder, biker, trampolinist, parkour enthusiast, or involved in any other action sport, SITE Wanaka will have progression tools to help you take your skills to the next level – both safely and effectively.
Entertaining the kids is easy in Wānaka. A visit to Puzzling World, the National Transport & Toy Museum, Crossfire, Base Camp Wanaka and Realm Virtual Reality Centre will keep them busy and entertained for days. Sit back, relax and let them explore or better yet, join in the fun.
Whether it’s to skate, bike or play, a visit to a park in a must. The Wanaka Dinosaur Park has been entertaining kids of all ages for years and the nearby skate park is also a great place to visit. Lismore Jump Park and Sticky Forest are also great places to take the mountain bikers in the family to ride the tracks and improve their skills. And let’s not forget Bike Glendhu where kids can play in the sandpit and try the pumptrack (the park has free balance bikes), check out Velo Cafe or hit the mellow green trails (for the ones that are feeling steady enough to head up to the big kid trails!)
In the middle of Lake Wānaka is Mou Waho Island – a predator-free island, home to the native Buff Weka. Wally and Sally have been on the island for over ten years and love meeting new people. Take a a powerboat shuttle with either Wanaka Watertaxi, Eco Wanaka Adventures or Paddle Wanaka. Maybe you’d like to opt for a catamaran with Lake Wanaka Cruises? Or maybe add some high-octane with a jet-ski or boat rental with LakeLand Wanaka!
Hire a kayak, paddleboard or pedal boat and head out on the lake for some fun. Paddle Wanaka and Lakeland Wanaka can hire you gear for an hour or a day – head down to the lakefront to visit them.
Cardrona Alpine Resort is a great place to take the kids in summer. There’s mountain biking, walking, carting, and you can even stay the night.
Discover this very special World Heritage Area. Choose one of the walks in the park, take a jet boat trip, overnight in a backcountry hut or try the Siberia Experience or Siberia Wilderness Adventure.
In summer, there’s plenty of great spots to take them for swim. Roy’s Bay in the middle of town has the diving pontoon and the wharf – both of which are favourites with the local kids. Bremner Bay is shallow, safe and warm for the littlies, while for a challenge try the Blue Pools. The Wanaka Pool is open all year and a great option as well.
What kid doesn’t love a treat. Take them to the movies, then try an ice cream from Black Peak Gelato or Patagonia Chocolates, doughnuts and custard squares from Pembroke Patisserie, or a crepe from Charlie Brown Crepes.
