Wanaka sits at the southern end of its lake, with mountains stepping away to the north in long blue ranks, and the water itself is the colour of a glacier-ground gemstone. The lake is New Zealand's fourth largest and was carved by an ice tongue that once pushed down from the Southern Alps, leaving behind a deep basin and the smooth hills you ride through to get here. The town is a modest four thousand people, but it feels bigger in summer, when walkers, skiers and holidaymakers fill it, and it works neatly as a place to fill the tank, eat well and look out at the water.
The famous bit of shoreline is a lone willow growing out of the lake just by the waterfront, which has become the most photographed tree in the country. It is pretty, but it is easy to be cheeky about it, because the real beauty is everywhere else. The Clutha River, the country's largest by volume, begins right here at the lake's outlet and runs out south and east in a cold, fast, blue-green flow. Behind the town, Mount Iron and Roys Peak offer walks with views, and to the north the Matukituki valley leads towards the heart of Mount Aspiring National Park.
The riding to Wanaka is among the best in the South Island. From Queenstown you can climb the Crown Range, a high, windy road with hairpins on the Queenstown side and long, open curves after the summit, or take the Cromwell route along the Kawarau gorge. Both are lovely, and both reward a start before the tour buses. The weather is changeable: cold mornings, hot afternoons, and a wind that can turn on you.
Fuel is easy in town, and there are bakeries, pubs and cafes along the waterfront and the streets behind it. The swimming here is for the brave, since the lake is cold all year, though on a hot January afternoon nothing beats it. In winter the Crown Range can have ice and snow, and chains can be required, so check the road report before you set out.