I could totally live in Wanaka. The town is a lakeside Boulder, CO but with a kiwi sensibility and even more amazing (to me) terrain. We stayed in town for about a week – camping at a lakeside site, cycling around the lake, hiking, watching movies at Paradiso, and enjoying fall-like weather. It was an amazing break from 40 days of driving and moving around.

This photo was taken from Mount Iron – a short hike up a steep hill that sits oddly close to the center of town. The view is 360 and worth the trip. I admit, there were times I had to stop and catch my breath. And in those times I wondered what the hell I was thinking in planning to hike the Routeburn track in only a week’s time.

Lake Wanaka from Mount Iron | New Zealand