Things to do in Wānaka
Adventure
Wānaka adventure activities run from the water to the air. Lakeland Wānaka does jet boat rides and boat hire on the lake. Wānaka River Journeys pairs a jet boat with a wilderness walk. Skydive Wānaka jumps from 9,000, 12,000 and 15,000 feet, and Southern Alps Air flies over Mount Aspiring, the glaciers and Milford Sound.
Most of these are half day commitments and weather dependent, so build the rest of the day loosely. Wānaka River Journeys asks for about four hours, with departures at 9.45am and 12.45pm from 1 October to 30 April and a single 12.45pm departure through winter. Lakeland closes May to August.
The park sits ten minutes from town and five minutes' walk from the Lake Wānaka foreshore, which makes an early check-in for a morning flight straightforward. Check-in is from 3pm for accommodation and 2pm for camp sites. Pods suit couples doing one big activity; camp sites suit longer, weather-flexible stays.
Lakeland Wānaka
Jet boat rides, self-drive boat hire and jet skis leaving from the Wānaka lakefront.
Jet boat ride 60 minutes; boat hire 1, 2 or 4 hours
Skydive Wānaka
Tandem skydiving from up to 15,000 feet over the lakes and the Southern Alps.
About 25 seconds freefall at 9,000ft, 45 seconds at 12,000ft, 60 seconds at 15,000ft
Southern Alps Air
Fixed-wing scenic flights from Wānaka over Mount Aspiring, the glaciers and Milford Sound.
Mount Aspiring and glaciers 1 hour; Milford Sound flight with landing and glaciers 2.5 hours; Milford Sound fly cruise fly with glaciers 4 hours
Wānaka River Journeys
A half day jet boat run up the Matukituki River paired with a guided walk in native forest.
Half day, allow 4 hours
Questions
Before you head out.
How long do these activities take?
Wānaka River Journeys is a half day, about four hours. Lakeland's jet boat ride is 60 minutes, with boat hire in 1, 2 or 4 hour blocks. Southern Alps Air flies from 1 hour to 4 hours depending on the route.
Do they run in winter?
Wānaka River Journeys runs year round, with one 12.45pm departure from May to September. Lakeland Wānaka runs 10am to 5pm March to September but is closed May to August.
How long is the skydive freefall?
About 25 seconds from 9,000ft, 45 seconds from 12,000ft and 60 seconds from 15,000ft. The height you choose is what changes the freefall time.
Stay at Sundale
A base five minutes from the water.
Your Wānaka basecamp
Make Sundale your base.
Cabins, studios, motels and soft-grass camping, five minutes from the water and close to everything above.