Luxury Lodge · Taupō
Huka Lodge
Listing available
(South Island) — Destination
Wānaka.
Mountains & quiet lakes
(01) — A field note
Queenstown's quieter, gentler neighbour — a lakeside town circled by mountains and famous for one perfectly lonely tree.
01
The setting
Wānaka wraps around the southern end of its namesake lake, an hour's drive north of Queenstown via the dramatic Crown Range. The town is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park and home of #ThatWānakaTree, the willow growing solo in the shallows.
02
How to eat
A compact food scene punches above its weight — wood-fired pizza on the lake, modern bistros on Ardmore Street, and small-batch coffee roasters. The Cardrona Hotel (1863), 25 minutes south, is a classic stop for a long pub lunch.
03
Where to stay
Choose lakefront apartments in town, or design-led lodges in the hills above Glendhu Bay and on the Cardrona Valley road. Treble Cone and Cardrona ski fields are both under an hour away in winter.
Best for
- Roys Peak hike
- Mt Aspiring NP
- Cardrona & Treble Cone
- Slow lake days
Where to go
All →
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