Wanaka & Aoraki/Mount Cook

Wanaka is Queenstown's quieter, more authentic sister — a small town (9,000 inhabitants) on Lake Wanaka that has everything Queenstown offers, but without the crowds and inflated prices. Wanaka still feels like the "old Queenstown" — before it became the party metropolis. The famous #ThatWanakaTree — a solitary willow growing out of the lake — is one of New Zealand's most photographed subjects (best at sunrise when the mountains reflect in the smooth water).

★★★ Roy's Peak

The hike to Roy's Peak (1,578 m, 16 km round trip, 5–6 hours, 1,300 meters of elevation gain) rewards with one of the best panoramic views on the South Island — and one of New Zealand's most famous Instagram photos: You stand on a narrow ridge, below you the turquoise Lake Wanaka and the Glindhu Bay, behind the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps to Mt Aspiring. The famous photo spot is about 20 minutes below the summit on a protruding ridge — on weekends, there are lines of people waiting for THEIR photo.

The ascent is not technical, but steep and enduring — the path leads in zigzag switchbacks over open grassland with no shade. Bring at least 2 liters of water, sunscreen, and snacks. Start BEFORE 7:00 am to avoid the crowds and midday heat. In winter (Jun–Sep) the track is often closed (lambing season), in winter with snow and ice only for experienced hikers.

★★ Rob Roy Glacier Track

The Rob Roy Glacier Track (10 km, 3–4 hours, in Mt Aspiring National Park, 45 minutes from Wanaka) leads through mystical beech forest with mosses and lichens to a viewpoint that takes your breath away: The Rob Roy Glacier hangs like a white tongue over a 300-meter rock wall, waterfalls tumble from the ice cliffs, and the silence — interrupted only by the thunder of breaking ice blocks — is overwhelming. One of the most beautiful short hikes on the South Island.

★ Puzzling World

Puzzling World (188 Wanaka-Luggate Highway, from 22 NZD) is Wanaka's quirkiest highlight: A leaning tower, a tilted toilet, illusion rooms (the "Ames Room" makes small people big and big people small — like in Lord of the Rings!), a giant maze, and holographic illusions. Sounds kitschy, but it's as much fun for adults as it is for kids. The perfect rainy day plan.

★★★ Aoraki/Mount Cook & Hooker Valley Track

An hour northeast of Wanaka (via the Lindis Pass or 4 hours from Christchurch) lies Aoraki/Mount Cook — New Zealand's highest mountain (3,724 m), the Māori name means "Cloud Piercer." Here Sir Edmund Hillary trained for his first ascent of Everest in 1953. The mountain is nestled in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve — the largest light reserve in the world.

The Hooker Valley Track (10 km round trip, 3 hours, flat with gentle inclines) is one of New Zealand's most accessible alpine hikes and absolutely spectacular: Three suspension bridges over milky-turquoise glacial rivers (the color comes from fine glacial flour — "Rock Flour" — that refracts the light), views of the Mueller Glacier and Mount Sefton, and at the end: the Hooker Lake, in which icebergs drift — broken pieces of the Hooker Glacier slowly drifting across the lake. Behind it, the massive wall of Aoraki/Mt Cook. On clear days one of the most spectacular views in New Zealand.

★★ Tasman Glacier

The Tasman Glacier (New Zealand's largest glacier, 23 km long) has a glacial lake on which Glacier Explorers (from 165 NZD, 2.5 hours) offer Zodiac boat tours — you ride between blue icebergs, some of which are taller than the boat. The icebergs regularly break off from the glacier — occasionally you experience a "calving event" (glacier break-off) live. The Tasman Glacier Viewpoint Walk (1 hour, easy) offers a view of the glacial lake from above.

★★★ Dark Sky Experience

At night, the Dark Sky Experiences from the Mount John Observatory (Big Sky Stargazing, from 85 NZD, 2 hours) offer stargazing with professional telescopes. In the darkness of the Mackenzie Country — one of the darkest areas of the inhabited world — the Milky Way shines so brightly that it actually casts shadows. You see the Magellanic Clouds (dwarf galaxies), the Southern Cross, Jupiter and Saturn with rings and moons, and — if you're lucky — the Aurora Australis (Southern Lights). An experience that turns the understanding of one's own smallness in the universe upside down.